Nominations, Voting and Evaluation Rules
Project: Sibiu Music Fest – Best DJ Awards Edition 2026
Organizer: Asociația Culturală Viitorul Muzical
Website: www.bestdjawards.ro
Awards Gala: 19 November 2026
1. Purpose of the Rules
These rules establish the general framework for applications, nominations, evaluation and the selection of winners of Best DJ Awards 2026, organized as part of the Sibiu Music Fest – Best DJ Awards Edition 2026 project.
The competition aims to recognize artistic and professional excellence, creativity, contributions to the development of the music industry, and the impact of artists and industry professionals.
Depending on the award category, the evaluation process is based on public voting, assessment by a professional jury, verifiable statistical indicators, or a combination of these methods.
The guiding principles of the competition are transparency, fairness, independent evaluation, integrity of results, and compliance with the criteria established for each category.
2. Competition Schedule
- Evaluation period: 1 September 2025 – 1 September 2026, inclusive.
- Public voting and evaluation: 10–15 November 2026.
- Verification and compilation of results: After voting closes and before the Awards Gala.
- Awards Gala: 19 November 2026.
- Publication of final scores: Following the Awards Gala.
The exact opening and closing times for voting will be announced through the competition’s official communication channels.
Activities, events, releases and achievements considered for the 2026 edition must fall within the official evaluation period.
3. Candidate Eligibility
Eligibility is determined individually according to the specific requirements of each award category.
The following factors may be taken into consideration:
- Artistic or professional activity carried out during the evaluation period;
- Involvement in the Romanian music scene or the market relevant to the category;
- Professional experience and relevant achievements;
- Musical genre, project type and field of activity;
- Artistic, professional or statistical performance;
- Other category-specific requirements.
An individual or project may be nominated in multiple categories, provided that the eligibility criteria for each category are met.
Detailed descriptions and specific eligibility criteria are available in the official Award Categories section of the website.
4. Applications and Nominations
Best DJ Awards uses several methods to identify and nominate candidates, depending on the award category.
| Code | Method | Description |
|---|---|---|
| N1 | Open Applications | Applications are submitted through the official form and reviewed by the Organizer. |
| N2 | Internal Nominations | The Best DJ Awards team identifies and proposes candidates through research. |
| N3 | Professional Nominations | Candidates are proposed by designated industry professionals. |
| N4 | Mixed System | Combines open applications, internal research and professional nominations. |
| N5 | Direct Selection | Special distinctions are awarded through selection by the Organizer or an appointed committee. |
Applications and nominations may also be submitted by individuals other than the candidates themselves, using the available official forms.
All submitted information must be accurate, relevant and verifiable. Depending on the category, applicants may be required to provide professional information, audio or video materials, portfolios, links and supporting documentation.
The Best DJ Awards team, together with music industry specialists, verifies eligibility and validates the final list of nominees.
The number of nominees may vary between categories.
Submitting an application or nomination does not guarantee inclusion in the final shortlist.
5. Voting and Evaluation Systems
Best DJ Awards uses the following evaluation systems, depending on the nature of each award:
| Code | Evaluation System | Public | Jury | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | Mixed – Professionally Balanced | 30% | 50% | 20% |
| A2 | Mixed – Public-Oriented | 50% | 30% | 20% |
| B1 | Public + Jury – Balanced | 50% | 50% | — |
| B2 | Public + Jury – Popularity-Oriented | 70% | 30% | — |
| B3 | Public + Jury – Professionally Oriented | 30% | 70% | — |
| C1 | Jury Only | — | 100% | — |
| D1 | Public Only | 100% | — | — |
| E1 | Jury + Statistics | — | 70% | 30% |
| E2 | Jury + Statistics | — | 30% | 70% |
| F1 | Statistics Only | — | — | 100% |
The evaluation system applicable to each category is established and communicated before voting begins.
The weighting assigned to a category cannot be changed after voting has opened.
Special distinctions awarded through direct selection may follow separate procedures, as specified in the description of the relevant category.
6. Public Voting Rules
Public voting takes place exclusively through the official Best DJ Awards platform between 10 and 15 November 2026.
Each user may cast one vote per category in which public voting is available.
Once submitted and recorded, a vote cannot be changed.
Participation in voting may require users to log in or verify their identity through the verification mechanism implemented by the platform.
Unauthorized multiple voting, the use of bots, unauthorized automation, exploitation of technical vulnerabilities and any other attempts to manipulate results are strictly prohibited.
The Organizer may investigate and invalidate votes identified as fraudulent, based on documented verification procedures.
Only valid votes are included in the calculation of results.
7. Jury Evaluation
Categories involving professional evaluation are assessed by a common jury consisting of specialists with relevant experience in the music industry.
The jury may include professionals from music production, event organization, festivals, clubs, radio, media, artist management and other relevant fields.
Evaluations are conducted according to predefined criteria adapted to each category, which may include:
- Artistic and technical quality;
- Originality and creativity;
- Consistency of professional activity;
- Industry relevance and impact;
- Innovation;
- Contribution to the development of the music scene.
Jury members must conduct their evaluations independently and disclose any relevant conflicts of interest.
A jury member may not evaluate a candidate where a conflict of interest could compromise the impartiality of the assessment.
Sponsors and commercial partners may not influence the scores awarded.
8. Statistical Evaluation
For categories that include a statistical component, information may be obtained from verifiable public sources, music platforms, analytics services, and documented data provided by artists, their representatives or event organizers.
Depending on the category, the indicators may include:
- Number and relevance of performances and events;
- Participation in festivals and other events;
- Audience reach of published DJ sets and other content;
- Streaming figures and performance of music releases;
- Chart positions;
- Radio airplay;
- Use of tracks in digital content;
- Other relevant and verifiable indicators.
The indicators used must be relevant to the respective category and to the official evaluation period, 1 September 2025 – 1 September 2026.
Not all indicators apply to every category.
Statistical evaluation aims to use documented information that allows meaningful comparisons between candidates within the same category.
9. Calculation of Final Results
For categories combining multiple evaluation methods, the individual components are converted into comparable scores on a scale from 0 to 100.
The final score is calculated by applying the weights assigned to the evaluation system used for the category.
| Code | Final Score Formula |
|---|---|
| A1 | Public × 0.30 + Jury × 0.50 + Statistics × 0.20 |
| A2 | Public × 0.50 + Jury × 0.30 + Statistics × 0.20 |
| B1 | Public × 0.50 + Jury × 0.50 |
| B2 | Public × 0.70 + Jury × 0.30 |
| B3 | Public × 0.30 + Jury × 0.70 |
| C1 | Jury × 1.00 |
| D1 | Public × 1.00 |
| E1 | Jury × 0.70 + Statistics × 0.30 |
| E2 | Jury × 0.30 + Statistics × 0.70 |
| F1 | Statistics × 1.00 |
The winner of each category is the candidate who achieves the highest validated final score, subject to the applicable tie-breaking rules.
Final scores will be presented as percentages relative to the maximum possible score.
These percentages represent weighted final scores and must not be confused with the percentage of public votes received.
The percentages awarded to candidates within a category are not required to add up to 100%.
10. Tie-Breaking Rules
If two or more candidates achieve the same final score, the tie-breaking procedure established for the relevant evaluation system will apply.
Tie-breaking rules will be established and communicated before voting begins and will not be changed retroactively to the detriment of participants.
11. Integrity and Fairness
Best DJ Awards is committed to ensuring a fair, independent and verifiable nomination and evaluation process.
To achieve this:
- Candidates must provide accurate information;
- Nominations are subject to eligibility verification;
- Jury members must maintain independence in their evaluations;
- Relevant conflicts of interest must be disclosed;
- Sponsors and partners may not influence the results;
- Fraudulent votes may be invalidated;
- Statistical data must originate from identifiable and verifiable sources;
- Results must be validated before their official announcement.
The Organizer may take proportionate measures in response to violations of these rules, based on documented verification procedures.
12. Complaints and Verification
Participants may submit complaints regarding candidate eligibility, factual errors, inaccurate information or potential irregularities in the competition.
Complaints should be sent to:
Complaints must contain sufficiently clear information to identify the reported issue and, whenever possible, relevant documents or supporting evidence.
The Organizer will review complaints and may request additional information.
Artistic and professional evaluations are conducted according to the applicable methodology. A mere difference of opinion regarding an awarded score does not, in itself, constitute evidence of an irregularity.
13. Validation and Publication of Results
Following the conclusion of the voting and evaluation period, the Organizer verifies the votes, compiles the jury assessments, reviews the statistical data and validates the final results.
The winners will be officially announced at the Best DJ Awards Gala on 19 November 2026.
Final scores and the methodology used will be published after the Gala through the competition’s official communication channels.
14. Final Provisions
These rules apply to the 2026 edition of Best DJ Awards.
The Organizer may publish clarifications and updates necessary for the proper conduct of the competition, while respecting the principles of transparency and fairness.
Evaluation rules and weightings may not be changed retroactively to the detriment of participants.
The Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy available on the website also apply to matters concerning the use of the platform and the processing of personal data.
In the event of any differences in interpretation between the Romanian and English versions, the Romanian version shall prevail, to the extent permitted by applicable law.
Organizer: ASOCIAȚIA CULTURALĂ VIITORUL MUZICAL
Company/Organization Registration Number (CUI): 32692724
Registered Office: Str. Hermann Oberth, No. 2, Apt. 2, Sibiu, Sibiu County, Romania
Email: office@bestdjawards.ro
Website: www.bestdjawards.ro