The competition to make it on the ballot, much less win, is fierce. In 2019, we received more than 600 entries from around the world, resulting in 154 nominees. Check out the 2019 Winners. The nominees are selected by a judging panel of industry experts from around the world who are identified by Licensing International officials.  The Licensing International membership then gets a chance to vote on their favorites, which is factored into the final decision. The induction of the newest Licensing International Hall of Fame member and the Rising Star Award, recognizing exceptional young professionals who are shaping the future of licensing, round out the honors. Last year, for the first time in the Awards’ history, submissions and judging were conducted fully online, making a process that was once limited by geography and time zones easily accessible to entrants and judges anywhere in the world. Not only did the pool of expert judges expand significantly (the 2019 panel included close to 150 executives from 18 different countries), but the submissions also reflected the diversity and innovation of our industry like never before. In 2020, we will continue to expand the international diversity of both our judging panel and our slate of nominees.