Best in Biz Awards is the only business awards program judged by independent panels of prominent writers and editors from top-tier publications in the U.S. and Canada, ranging from business, financial, trade and technology publications to broadcast outlets and analyst firms. Having researched and covered countless successful companies, these judges have the unique expertise to objectively evaluate the entry pool to choose the very best companies, teams, executives, products and campaigns.
Over the years, Best in Biz Awards judges ranged from such well-respected outlets as Associated Press to such recognizable authorities as Yahoo Tech’s David Pogue.
CURRENT JUDGING PANEL
Best in Biz Awards 2023 judging panel
Last year’s judging panel included writers from Associated Press, Barron’s, Consumer Affairs, Inc., USA Today and Wired, numerous local newspapers such as Bismarck Tribune, Knoxville News Sentinel, Savannah Business Journal, South Sound Business, as well as trade publications such as Accounting Today, eWeek, Healthcare Innovation News, Investment Advisor Magazine, and more. Please stay tuned for the 2024 judging panel announcement.
kat Brayant
Freelancer
Aly Walansky
Forbes
MICHAEL NIETZEL
Forbes
THORNTON MAY
Computerworld
Chris Macdonald
Business Ethics Blog
B.L. OCHMAN
Beyond Social Media
KEN WENTWORTH
Mr. Biz Radio
DALE DAUTEN
King Features Syndicate
SAVAS ABADSIDIS
#GayNrd
JENN VANDEZANDE
Future of Customer Engagement & Experience
JEFF SIEGEL
Freelance
MICHELE LERNER
Freelance
PAST JUDGING PANELS
2020 judging panel
The 10th annual judging panel included writers from publications from Barron’s and Consumer Affairs to USA Today and Wired.
2019 judging panel
2019 judges included such top-tier publications as Associated Press, Barron’s, Consumer Affairs, Forbes, Inc. and Wired; highly respected vertical outlets such as Accounting Today, AdWeek, eWeek, Healthcare Innovation News, Investment Advisor Magazine or Multifamily Executive, and top local publications from across the U.S. and Canada.
2018 judging panel
The panel included 40 judges from publications ranging from Associated Press to Wired, including other top-tier publications such as Consumer Affairs, Forbes, Inc., New York Times, U.S. News & World Report, highly respected vertical outlets such as CIO Dive, Healthcare Innovation News, Investment Advisor Magazine and MediaPost, and top local publications from across the U.S. and Canada.
2017 judging panel
The 7th annual judging panel included judges from such top-tier publications as Associated Press, Business News Daily, Consumer Affairs, Entrepreneur, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, Inc. and Wired; TV stations like WLRN; respected vertical outlets such as AdWeek, eWeek, Healthcare Innovation News, Laptop, MediaPost, and Yahoo Tech; and numerous leading local business journals and daily newspapers including Atlanta Tribune, Bismarck Tribune, Keene Sentinel, L.A. Biz, Northwest Indiana Times, Pittsburgh Business Times and Tuscon Lifestyle Magazine.
2016 judging panel
The 50 judges in the 6th annual awards hailed from such well-recognized outlets as Associated Press, Consumer Affairs, Entrepreneur, Forbes, Inc. and Wall Street Journal; many top local newspapers and business journals such as Atlanta Tribune, Portland Business Journal and South Florida Business Journal; and such widely read vertical publications as AdWeek, CNET, Computerworld, eWeek, Information Week, InfoWorld, Investment Advisor Magazine, MediaPost, Network World, Wired and ZDNet.
2015 judging panel
The 5th annual program featured judges from ABC, About.com, Bloomberg Businessweek, Business News Daily, Computerworld, Consumer Affairs, CRN, eWeek Channel Insider, Fast Company, Forbes, FOX News Latino, Inc. Magazine, InfoRisk Today, Information Week, MediaPost, Motley Fool, PE HUB, ReadWriteWeb, San Jose Mercury News, Silicon Valley Business Journal, Small Business Digest, Wired, Woman’s Day, as well as numerous business journals and daily newspapers.
2014 judging panel
The 4th annual judging panel included 53 writers and reviewers from highly recognized newspapers, business, consumer and technology publications, radio outlets, and analyst firms, such as Adweek, Atlanta Tribune, Boston.com, Computerworld, Consumer Affairs, Detroit Free Press, eWeek, Gizmodo, Entrepreneur, IDG Ventures, Inc. Magazine, Information Week, MediaPost, Miami Herald, New York Observer, PC Magazine, Phoenix Business Journal, San Jose Mercury News, Silicon Valley Business Journal, Wired and ZDNet.
2013 judging panel
The 50-member panel for Best in Biz Awards, in its third year, included returning judges from the previous years’ panels, as well as notable new additions to the high-profile group, including such publications, as well as analyst firms, as Bloomberg Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, Computerworld, Crain’s New York Business, Entrepreneur, eWeek, Fast Company, Financial Times, Fortune, Inc. Magazine, Miami Herald, Network World, Orange County Register, PC Magazine, Reuters, San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News and USA Today.
2012 judging panel
The 2nd annual judging panel featured 32 high-caliber judges from top-tier news, business and technology publications, as well as analyst firms, including ABC, Bloomberg Businessweek, Computerworld, Entrepreneur, eWeek, Financial Times, Forbes, Fox News Latino, IDG, Inc., Network World, PC Magazine, USA Today and ZDNet.
2011 judging panel
vThe inaugural judging panel included high-caliber judges from established business and technology publications, as well as analyst firms, including outlets such as eWeek, Financial Times, FOX News, Investor’s Business Daily, Kelsey Group, Network World, PC Magazine, Portfolio and Wired. Combined, the 20 judges had more than 470 years of experience researching and covering numerous successful companies in the U.S. and abroad and have written for a combined total of more than 180 consumer, business, financial, trade and technology publications nationwide.
More info on the judging process
Entries in each category are judged by at least five media and industry analyst judges, with each judge providing scoring and other feedback separately from the others. Each judge can award a score from 1 to 10, with 10 indicating an entry the judge deems worthy of a gold win, 9 indicating a silver contender, and 8 indicating an entry deserving a bronze. The scores are then aggregated and averaged by Best in Biz Awards staff and winners selected based on these results.
Depending on category popularity and competition scoring, multiple gold, silver and bronze winners may be awarded in a single category. In addition, based on scoring metrics, not all categories will result in winners in each of the gold, silver, and bronze positions. To maintain a standard of excellence in Best in Biz Awards, to be selected a gold winner, entries require to have scored at least two 10’s from the judges or to have achieved a similarly high cumulative score threshold.
Award entries are only distributed to the authorized media and industry analyst judges selected to review entries. The entries and the underlying information about the nominees will never be released to anyone else. Furthermore, no entries, including the winning entries, will ever be posted in whole or in part on the Best in Biz Awards site or elsewhere without prior approval by the entrant.
