Difficult decisions

I am getting a lot of emails and phone calls from companies that are miffed about not making the shortlists for the CRN Channel Awards 2008.
This is my first year of actually being involved in the judging process and I can assure every reader out there that we do not assume the task lightly.
Every entry is treated with an open mind and the judges are not influenced by who made the shortlists last year or even who won the categories.
It is purely on the quality of entry. And this year the standard was higher than ever. This I know because most of the judges have been involved in the awards for several years and can provide an accurate comparison.
There are some noticeable names missing from the shortlists and some lesser known names actually on the list. This is down to the sheer hard work put into the entries and the obvious effort that has been made to impress the judges. Successful entries were bursting with company facts, figures, testimonials and case studies. They were easy to read and well laid out - it all makes a difference.
I'm very sorry to all those that did not make it this year. I hope, as some suggest this does not cause them to lose interest or faith in the awards, but will spur them onto making even more of an effort to win in 2009.
One thing is certain. No-one is guaranteed a place in the shortlists next year either.