First Five Rungs Shadow Judging

Step inside the judging room

Curious about how winning campaigns are selected?

The First Five Rungs (FFR) Shadow Judging Programme, in collaboration with the Comms Council’s four major awards — AXIS, Effie Aotearoa, beacon, and Pressie — gives you a chance to see the action up close.

It’s the perfect way to learn from industry leaders, sharpen your judging skills, and get inspired for your own future entries.

Who is this for?

This programme is for people working in advertising, media, or communications in Aotearoa who have never judged a Comms Council awards show before.

Most participants are 3 to 7 years into their careers and come from a range of roles, including creative, strategy, media, account service, and production.

Shadow Judging is designed for those looking to understand how judging works and how award-winning work is assessed, without needing to cast a final vote.

What to expect

As a Shadow Judge, you’ll be right there in the action, observing live judging panels and scoring entries yourself. While your scores won’t decide the winners, your perspective matters, and you’ll get to share your thoughts in group discussions.

You’ll:

• Meet the other Shadow Judges in a Welcome Session and learn about judging.
• Score entries using an easy online platform.
• Watch and be part of real judging panels in action.
• Join post-panel debriefs to chat about your experience and learn from others.

Choose your awards programme

Learn about the awards that offer Shadow Judging and let us know which one you’re interested in joining.

AXIS Awards

The AXIS Awards celebrate creativity and innovation in New Zealand’s advertising industry.

Recognising outstanding ideas and craft across every discipline, AXIS honours work that pushes creative standards forward.

Judging
Late February through early March.

Beacon Awards

The beacon Awards celebrate excellence in media strategy, planning, and execution.

Recognising outstanding media thinking and innovation, beacon honours campaigns that deliver exceptional results.

Judging
May through early June.

Effie Aotearoa

The Effie Awards celebrate effectiveness in advertising and marketing communications.

Recognising campaigns that achieve outstanding business results, Effie honours work where creativity delivers measurable impact.

Judging
August through September.

Pressie Awards

The Pressie Awards celebrate excellence in PR, experiential, and social campaigns.

Recognising work that influences change, sparks conversation, and delivers measurable impact, Pressie honours the best in modern communications.

Judging
September through early October.