There are two rounds of judging: Shortlist and Finalist.

During the Shortlist round, judges give each entry a 1-10 rating. To advance to the Finalist round, entries must have an average score of 7.0 or higher and be among the top 10 scored entries in its category.

During the Finalist round, judges give each entry a 1-10 rating. The entry with the highest total score will win the category.

There will be no second-place winners and no runner-ups.

For the Best New Talent and Best New Studios categories, things work a little differently. Only judges may nominate candidates for these two categories. After the nomination period has closed, The Motion Awards staff will review entries to ensure eligibility.

To determine winners, the public will vote. The top 10 Best New Talent entries and top 3 Best New Studio entries will be crowned winners. (These categories do not include a trophy.)