You know that feeling when, as a performance ends, you are moved to jump to your feet and applaud until your hands hurt? That’s the sense that Standard Bank Ovation Award winners inspire. With more than 200 premier productions on the Fringe programme this year, the panel of judges have their work cut out for them.

• Running list of the winners of the 2017 Standard Bank Ovation Awards

Q: What are the Ovation Awards?

The Standard Bank Ovation Awards have become one of the most important indicators of a performance’s quality for the public. Recipients of the award benefit from the recognition, often being offered extended tours, international opportunities to perform, and increased opportunities for funding.

Q. Who decides on the awards?

A. A panel of judges. This panel includes industry professionals, critics and arts journalists from around the country. Members of the panel are chosen on the basis of their skill sets, their knowledge of the genre, their experience of the arts both nationally and internationally, their passion to celebrate excellence, and their integrity to endorse excellence when they recognise it.

Q: Who is on the panel?

The panel is convened by Tracey Saunders, but members of the jury review productions anonymously. The panel is revealed at the Awards event at the end of the Festival. 

Q: Does the jury use any specific criteria?

Jury members consider the production values, such as lighting, sound, costuming, staging, and so on. They consider the effectiveness, relevance and innovation used to integrate all these elements to create an excellent production. Strong consideration is given to the quality of the script, the subject matter, and the development of characters. The quality of acting and directing is crucial in how it impacts on the success of a production. Because members of the jury come from diverse backgrounds, their responses to these criteria are engaged with intensely before final decisions are made. The members of the jury work independently and their decisions are not influenced by the Festival.

Q: How does the process work? What happens after a panellist recommends a production?

Every eligible show is shortlisted for reviewing. Panel members meet each morning and nominate worhy productions. Each proposal is seconded and the nominator’s opinion is also tested against a number of other factors such as audience response and reviews written in the print and digital media. Discussions between the jury are fierce, intense, passionate and critical. It never loses focus about the objective of the Awards.

Q: Do artists win prizes or is it about the recognition?

Artists who win Silver and Gold Awards receive modest monetary incentives. The benefits that accrue to companies or artists from winning the award grant recognition spin-offs, which includes an invitation to submit a proposal for the following year’s Arena programme.

Q: Are there a predetermined number of awards?

The number of Awards announced each day depends on the number of gems that the jury will unearth in a day.

Q: If a show has won an award, what can a Festival-goer bank on?

Audiences can expect that Ovation Award winning productions are endorsed by a panel of professionals. Sometimes, audience members may disagree with the choices made by the jury. The Festival encourages the debate as we believe the discussion is healthy for the growth of the arts sector. Even though disagreements may sometimes arise, in the majority of cases the Award is seen as some kind of a reliable benchmark by visiting producers, presenters, managements and even audiences.

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