Every member of the iFANN International Editorial Board accepts this code when joining. It is written to be read, not skimmed: ten plain clauses that define independent judgment, prohibit every form of paid influence, and state the consequences of a breach. Where this code and any personal or commercial interest conflict, the code wins.
The code
1. Independent judgment. Members rank finalists based solely on their own professional assessment under the official review criteria. No one, inside or outside iFANN, may direct a member's ballot.
2. No payment for influence. Members shall not accept money, gifts, hospitality, services, or anything of value from nominees, their representatives, studios, labels, management companies, or anyone with an interest in an award outcome.
3. No self dealing. Members shall not rank in any category in which they have a personal, professional, or financial relationship with a nominee, as defined in the Conflict of Interest Policy.
4. Duty to disclose. Members must declare conflicts as soon as they recognize them, and recuse themselves from the affected category for that cycle.
5. Ballot confidentiality. Members keep their individual rankings confidential, before and after results are announced. Only iFANN's aggregated board ranking is public.
6. No campaigning. Members shall not publicly campaign for or against any nominee in a category they may evaluate, and shall not use their position to promote any nominee.
7. No coordination. Members vote alone. Discussing rankings with other members, or attempting to influence another member's ballot, is prohibited.
8. Independence from public standings. Because public vote totals remain visible, members must not use them to guide, mirror, or strategically adjust their rankings. Members must apply the official criteria through their own professional judgment and shall not manipulate the voting systems or assist anyone who does.
9. Honest identity. Members serve under their real professional identity, whether listed publicly or kept confidential, and keep their credentials accurate.
10. Duty to report. A member who becomes aware of a breach of this code, or of any attempt to buy influence, must report it to iFANN.
Enforcement
A breach of this code results in removal from the Editorial Board. Where a breach may have affected a category in progress, the member's ballot is discarded before scores are computed. Removals for cause are counted in iFANN's transparency reporting.
This code binds members for as long as they serve, and the confidentiality clause survives after they leave.