Judging Process
The Business to Arts Awards champion outstanding relationships between businesses, artists and arts organisations.
The Awards seek exceptional partnerships in areas such as sponsorship, commissioning, training and events, staff programmes, CSR initiatives and community engagement, irrespective of the scale or financial value of the partnership.
In their evaluation, the judging panel considers the level of success and creativity in achieving both the business' and arts organisations' (or individual artist's) objectives, the history behind the partnership and how the partnership has been successfully activated. The judging panel is looking for best practice or innovation, evidence of a strong collaboration and working relationship, and focuses on the impact achieved.
Bursary applications are considered against the strength of the artist's proposed project or the quality of the educational programme they wish to pursue, the artist’s previous experience, the support they receive from other funding bodies and their capacity to deliver on the proposed project or activity.
Judging Panel
The judging panel is selected annually to include representatives from the corporate supporters of the Business to Arts Awards, as well as independent leaders in the arts and representatives from the media.
Each entry is considered and scored independently by each judge, via our Awardsforce platform, before being convened for an in-person, chaired judging panel session. The shortlisted applications are vigorously discussed and debated before a decision on the winning entries is made by majority vote.
Judges must declare any conflict of interest at the outset of each category discussion and must recuse themselves where their organisation is shortlisted.
The judging panel for the 2025 Business to Arts Awards was:
- Bernice Harrison, Journalist & Co-Host of In the News podcast, The Irish Times
- Meadhbh McClean, COO & Executive Director, CBRE
- Mella Cahill, Senior Grants & Donor Care Executive, Community Foundation Ireland
- Sarah Sharkey, Corporate Reputation Manager, ESB
- Susan Jackson, Senior Marketing Manager, Irish Life
- Gerard McNaughton, Creative Director, TileStyle
- Chaired by Simon O’Connor, Director, Independent Arts (formerly Director of MoLI)
Pictured at the 2025 Judging Day at Accenture The Dock are Ger McNaughton (TileStyle), Simon O'Connor (Independent Arts), Bernice Harrison (The Irish Times), Sarah Sharkey (ESB), Louise O'Reilly (Chief Executive, Business to Arts), Mella Cahill (Community Foundation Ireland), Susan Jackson (Irish Life) and Meadhbh McClean (CBRE).
