Behind the Scenes of the Canadian Game Awards: Ensuring Fairness and Integrity in the Adjudication Process

Jan 20, 2025

Dear Canadian Gaming Community, I am excited to share the details of our adjudication process for the Canadian Game Awards. This process has been overseen by Marcel Dee and Steve Vegvari from A Gaming Network, whose combined expertise in gaming journalism has been invaluable in ensuring that everything runs smoothly. Their experience and dedication have been crucial in maintaining the integrity of the awards, and I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to both of them for their hard work and commitment.

An important note: as the creator and executive producer of the Canadian Game Awards, I do not participate in the adjudication process in order to avoid any conflict of interest. This is a key aspect of preserving the fairness and integrity of the awards.

Here’s how the process works: Game Collection and Shortlisting: The process began in July 2024, with the selection committee's first task being to compile a comprehensive list of all games released throughout the year. After gathering this data, a shortlist of nominees was created for each category, with this phase being completed by mid-November. Even games released in December were considered, as many of the selection committee members had early access to these titles. Each committee member submitted their own impartial list of approximately five nominees, and our adjudication process managers tallied the results to finalize the shortlist, selecting the most popular submissions for each category.

Judging Committee: Once the shortlist was complete, it was handed over to the judging committee, responsible for selecting the winner for each category. It’s important to note that no one from the selection committee can be part of the judging committee, ensuring that all potential conflicts of interest are avoided. We believe this process is both thorough and fair, ensuring that the best games and talents are truly recognized for their achievements. If you have any questions about the adjudication process, please feel free to reach out to us at info@canadiangameawards.ca.

Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to celebrating the incredible contributions to the Canadian gaming industry.

Warm regards,
Carl-Edwin Michel Creator & Executive Producer,
Canadian Game Awards