Judging the Awards
Can any play in Atlanta be considered for Suzi Awards?
A production must meet certain minimums in order to qualify for Suzi consideration. Qualifications include things like 12 or more performances, per-week minimum payments to performers and certain production staff, and limits on intern or unpaid youth participation, to name a few. All qualifications are spelled out in each year's Suzi Guidelines.
How do the Suzi Awards decide who wins?
Producers submit productions which meet Suzi qualifications to the Judging Coordinator, who schedules Recommending Judges to attend opening night. Those judges score the production in all Suzi categories, and their scoring determines whether the show is designated Suzi Recommended. If it is, Panel Judges are notified, who see the Recommended shows and vote the Nominating and Final Ballots at the end of the season.
What does a Suzi Judge do?
The Suzi Panel Judges commit to seeing each and every Suzi Recommended show on their panel for a period of one year. They also commit to timely communication with the Judging Coordinator. Panel Judges schedule their own attendance with the participating theatre, receive a complimentary ticket, and take notes on the productions. Suzi Judges provide their own transportation to each show. Our organization cannot reimburse judges for mileage or parking, but those things can be itemized as a charitable deduction on individual tax returns. Judges must see 80% or more of the Recommended shows in their panel in order to vote the nominating ballot. Judges may not vote categories on the final ballot if they haven’t seen 100% of the nominees in that category.
At the end of the season, judges vote ballots and receive a complimentary ticket to the Awards ceremony to see who wins!
When and where do I apply to be a Suzi Judge?
We accept applications throughout the season for Suzi Judges. Judging panels are set before the start of each season. The Suzi Bass season runs August 1st through July 31st each year. Judging application for the next season are due by May 1st each year.
More information and a downloadable Judging FAQ and Application
