Judging Criteria

• Upon closing date and collation of entries for the IMAGE Businesswoman of the Year Awards, we create a shortlist of, on average, ten entries per category, compiled by editors and directors of IMAGE Media. Criteria for consideration is based on eligibility, strength of entry, strength of business, relevance to category, adherence to category criteria and balance to the overall list. We may move entries to a different category if more applicable (this is flagged on our application form).
• The shortlist and their entries are presented to the judging panel approximately a week prior to judging day for full consideration and possible further research.
• Judging day involves detailed study and discussion of shortlistees in all categories. Judges (a panel of approximately 12) are chosen from various business-focused disciplines from education and government bodies to media and thought leadership, along with senior representatives from IMAGE Media; Clodagh Edwards, CEO at IMAGE Media, currently chairs the panel. After discussion, each judge ranks their top selection, from which the winner is calculated in order of popularity and agreed upon. The overall winner of Businesswoman of the Year is decided at the end from all shortlisted entrants and again, chosen after discussion and consensus agreement.
• IMAGE Media does full checks on winners before they are finally announced/awarded at the Businesswoman of the Year Awards event.
• The Lifetime Achievement Award is selected differently, and in advance of the main process, through selection by the IMAGE Media board of directors and editors.
• Please note the category of IMAGE PwC Businesswoman of the Year is not open for nominations, but will be chosen by the judging board from nominations to all categories, or the judges’ own recommendations. 
• Please note that when we use the word ‘woman’ we mean anyone who identifies as a woman – an adult who lives and identifies as female though they may have been said to have a different sex at birth.

If you have any questions or require any assistance, please email events@image.ie