Every iFANN Award ballot is built in the open. This page explains what makes a person or work eligible for a category, how anyone can submit a nomination, how submissions are reviewed, and the specific reasons a nomination can be declined. The standard is consistent across all categories, from global film and music to regional drama industries.
Who and what can be nominated
Each category defines its own subject: some honor people such as actors, artists, athletes, and internet creators; others honor works such as films, series, and songs. A nominee must match the category's subject and its scope. A Turkish drama category honors work from that industry; a global category is open to every industry and country.
The awards deliberately span the whole creative world. Established global stars are eligible alongside rising talent, veterans, independent creators, and figures from industries that traditional award shows rarely cover. Fame is never a requirement; relevance to the category is.
The award period rule
Monthly awards honor achievement within their calendar month: a release, a performance, a breakthrough, a moment that defined that month. Annual awards honor achievement across their year. A nominee is eligible when the achievement the nomination points to falls inside the award period, even if the nominee's career is much longer.
Some categories, such as honors for career contribution or for work fans believe was overlooked, define eligibility by the nature of the achievement rather than a single recent moment. Each category's own About page states its definition.
How nominations work
While a category shows that nominations are open, any signed in member can submit a nominee directly from the award page, with an optional note explaining why. Editors also add nominees through the same review system, and monthly winners can advance automatically into annual consideration.
This review is conducted by iFANN's internal editorial team, not by the International Editorial Board. The board has no role in nominations and enters only after public voting closes. Every submission goes through editorial review before it appears on the ballot. Reviewers check that the nominee matches the category subject and scope, that the achievement falls in the award period, that the nominee is not already on the ballot, and that the submission is genuine. Accepted nominees join the public ballot; the ballot then belongs to the voters.
Why a nomination is declined
Nominations are declined for specific reasons: the nominee does not match the category subject or scope, the achievement falls outside the award period, the nominee is already on the ballot, the submission is abusive or a prank, or the nomination cannot be matched to a real person or work. Declining a nomination is a judgment about fit, never about worth.
No payment, relationship, or campaign can place a nominee on a ballot, and none can keep one off. The same review standard applies to a global superstar and an independent creator.
Nominee stages
iFANN describes nominees in three broad stages. Rising covers emerging names building their first major audience. Established covers figures at the height of their industry presence. Legendary covers veterans whose contribution spans eras. Stages exist so that recognition reaches careers at every point, not only their peak; several categories exist specifically to honor the first and third.