2 minutes with the judges of the 2024 SALIFE Awards
Curious to know what goes on at the judging of the SALIFE Awards, presented by Brand South Australia? We posed probing questions to the judges – with no spilling of the tea!
This year’s judging panel for the SALIFE Awards, presented by Brand South Australia, comprised diverse South Australians who all brought their own unique and informed perspectives to the judging.
Also, on the panel but not featured below were Brand South Australia manager Jessica Douglas and Paolo Sebastian marketing & PR manager Anais Falzon, who represented the label’s founder & creative director, Paul Vasileff.
Anais, Heather and AndreaHeather Croall AM, Director & CEO, Adelaide Fringe
What makes you immediately think “this is a winner”?
Entrants with a truly unique offering and striking story just leapt out at us and in a couple of categories the winner was a real stand out.
If you could add a new award category next year, what would it be?
Writer of the Year (novelist, journalist, poet)
What’s been the biggest challenge in judging this year?
The quality of nominees. It was so hard to decide and so many people worthy of winning.
Any advice for next year’s nominees?
Be sure to include recent achievements from this year, something to make your application stand out!
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Bruce Djite, Executive Director, Property Council of SA
What makes you immediately think, “this is a winner”?
There wasn’t anything in particular, I think the submissions were all quite comprehensive. So, it took a bit of reading and a fair bit of deliberation on the day of judging.
What’s been the biggest challenge in judging this year?
To pick a winner because sometimes there were a number of submissions that were all worthy winners. Of course, it is a matter of opinion. There were some robust discussions, but between the pretty experienced judging panel I think we came up with the right winners. Saying that, it was difficult to split awesome from awesome.
Were there any disagreements between judges and, if so, how were they handled?
Disagreements were handled with great respect. It’s healthy, as the last thing you want is group think. And there certainly wasn’t any of that. There were a couple of categories where there was a clear standout winner, but I’d emphasise that was only a couple. In the majority of categories, there was a fair bit of deliberation.
Has social media changed what you look for in winners?
No, social media is just another platform, but it doesn’t change how I come to decide my preferred winners.
AndreaAndrea Heading, CEO, Real Estate Institute South Australia
Which category sparked the most debate among judges?
There were a number of categories where the finalists were super close in regards to their overall scores. And given that the judges come from diverse industries there was a surprisingly some great insights that may not have necessarily come to light.
I’d say Tourism definitely was a competitive category – how lucky are we in SA though to have such a broad and diverse offering?!
Was there a finalist this year made you think “I wish I’d thought of that”?
I think the sustainable category was really interesting and demonstrated some fantastic reuse of materials.
Has social media changed what you look for in winners?
Not really, certainly it can add to a product or brands profile. I think any storytelling assists greatly though – whether its told through social media/read about or even word of mouth.
Any advice for next year’s nominees?
Enter, Enter, Enter!!! There is so much to be proud about in this State and profiling your business/cause/initiative is so important.
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Paul and AnaisPaul Wood, Food, Drinks & Travel Writer
What’s been the biggest challenge in judging this year?
The biggest challenge was trying to pick a standout among standouts. It was like being asked to choose a favourite child… if you had 50 children, and all of them were talented geniuses. I’m not sure my brain has recovered yet from the decision-making process.
What makes you immediately think, “this is a winner”?
It’s that “Wow” moment that makes you forget what you were saying mid-sentence. A true winner hits you with originality, impact, and a sense of “I wish I could think like that” – that’s when you know you’re dealing with something, or someone special.
If you could add a new award category next year, what would it be?
Best Culinary Storytelling is calling my name. South Australia has a world-class food scene, and we deserve to celebrate the storytellers who make our taste buds do a happy dance. Plus, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking for a legitimate reason to sample more food, for research.
Was there a finalist this year that made you think, “I wish I’d thought of that”?
Oh, without a doubt. There were moments where I had to suppress the urge to say, “Can I just borrow that idea for a bit?” South Australians come up with ideas so impressive, it makes me question whether I’ve been thinking hard enough about anything in life.
LizLiz Walsh, Editor, SALIFE
What’s been the biggest challenge in judging this year?
Deciding the winners! The quality of our 45 finalists was simply outstanding.
Were there any disagreements between judges and, if so, how were they handled?
Certainly, judges did not always share the same opinions, but it was a collegiate experience and in no way were there actual disagreements, only hearty discussion and listening ears!
Which category sparked the most debate among judges?
There was plenty of discussion around every category, which was fabulous because we were all really invested in the stories and hopes and aspirations of each of the finalists.
During the judging process, each judge award points to each of the finalists: 3, 2, 1. There were a number of categories with stand-out winners after these numbers were tallied. But there were also categories with a dead-heat on the judges scores.
I recall hearty conversation around categories including the sustainability award, the restaurant of the year, product of the year and fashion designer.
If you could add a new award category next year, what would it be?
We introduced a new category for 2024 in Inspiring Future Leader; I’m really glad we did that, because South Australia is blessed with so many rising stars who deserve to spend some time in the spotlight.
I am happy with our current 14 categories – we cover everything from our thriving food and wine industry to brands and events.
The SALIFE Awards, presented by Brand South Australia, are on 6pm Wednesday, December 4 at The Piccadilly, North Adelaide. Everyone is invited – purchase your ticket here.
