Grand Prix and Public Prize: why separate them in a competition?

In many online competitions, confusion often arises: is the participant who receives the most votes necessarily the one who deserves to win?

The answer depends on the type of competition.

If the contest is presented as a popularity vote, then the winner is naturally the one who mobilizes the most support. But if the competition seeks to reward the best creation, the best project, the best idea or the best submission, public voting is not always enough.

This is why it is often preferable to separate two rewards:

• the Grand Prix;
• the Public Prize.

This distinction makes the competition clearer, fairer and easier to defend after the publication of the results.

1. Public voting measures support, not always quality

The public vote is valuable.

It allows a community to participate, support creations and give visibility to projects. It can create engagement, attract new visitors, and help the organizer see which submissions interest the audience the most.

But public voting has a limit: it often depends on the ability of participants to mobilize their network.

A participant with a large following on social media can get a lot of votes. Another, more discreet one, may offer high-quality creation, but receive less support because it has a smaller community.

This is not to say that public voting is bad. It just means giving him the right role.

The public vote mainly answers this question:

Which creation received the most support from the community?

He doesn't always answer this one:

Which creation best meets the brief and the competition criteria?## 2. The Grand Prix rewards quality according to criteria

The Grand Prize must represent the main prize of the competition when the objective is to select the best submission.

It can be attributed by:

• a jury;
• an organizer;
• a committee;
• a mixed score;
• a criteria grid announced before the launch.

The Grand Prize may take into account:

• compliance with the brief;
• originality;
• quality of execution;
• feasibility;
• the potential impact;
• relevance to the target;
• consistency with the organizer’s objectives.

It therefore does not only depend on the number of votes. It is based on a more structured assessment.

This is particularly important for brand competitions, calls for projects, innovation challenges, educational competitions, hackathons or talent selections.

3. The Audience Award promotes mobilization

The Audience Award has a different role.

It rewards the creation which has received the most public support. This support can come from friends, customers, subscribers, a community, a school, a collective or people really affected by the project.

It’s a legitimate reward, because knowing how to mobilize an audience is also a strength.

In some cases, the popularity of a creation can be a very useful signal. It can show that a product attracts attention, that a visual speaks to the public or that an idea resonates with a community.

But this price must be named correctly.

If it is the public who decides, it is better to call it Public Prize rather than suggesting that it is necessarily the best creation in the competition.

4. Separating the two prices reduces disputesThe separation between Grand Prix and Public Prize helps avoid many misunderstandings.

Without separation, a participant can say:

“He won because he has more subscribers.”

With a clear separation, the answer becomes:

“He won the Public Prize. The Grand Prize was awarded according to the jury’s criteria.”

This distinction protects the competition.

It allows the strength of a community to be recognized without weakening the credibility of the main assessment.

Participants better understand the result. The public knows what their votes are for. The jury retains its role. The organizer can explain the decision more easily.

5. The two prices can coexist without competing with each other

A competition can perfectly reward several forms of value.

A creation may be technically excellent, but less popular. Another may be very popular, but less aligned with the brief. A third may succeed in combining quality and public support.

The Grand Prix and the Public Prize allow these differences to be recognized.

This logic avoids reducing the entire competition to a single figure. It gives a fairer view of the submissions.

In some competitions, the same participant can even win both prizes. But when this is not the case, each reward retains its meaning.

6. When should the Grand Prix and the Public Prize be separated?

Separation is particularly recommended when:* the competition includes a significant reward;

• the organizer wants to avoid disputes;
• the participants have networks of very different sizes;
• the competition is based on quality criteria;
• a brand or a school wants a credible result;
• a jury intervenes;
• the winning creation may lead to a commercial opportunity;
• the competition must be used as a selection tool.

For a simple community competition, public voting may be sufficient. But for a serious competition, the separation of prizes provides much more clarity.

7. How to explain it to participants?

The rule must be announced from the start.

A simple formulation may suffice:

The Grand Prize rewards the best creation according to the competition criteria. The Audience Award rewards the creation that receives the most votes from the community.

It is also useful to indicate:

• who makes up the jury;
• what are the criteria;
• if the public vote counts in the final result;
• if the Public Prize is separate;
• when the results become final.

The more visible the rules are, the less room there is for confusion.

8. The role of Dexyd

Dexyd allows organizers to build more readable competitions.

Instead of mixing all signals into one result, Dexyd can help distinguish:

• public votes;
• jury scores;
• final scores;
• the finalists;
• the Grand Prix;
• the Audience Award;
• provisional results;
• the final results.

This approach gives organizers a more professional setting and gives participants a better understanding of the competition.

9. The role of Oria

Oria can also help the organizer choose the right structure.For example, Oria may ask:

Do you want to reward the best creation, the most popular, or both separately?

Depending on the response, Oria can offer:

• a Grand Prize awarded by the jury;
• a separate Audience Award;
• a mixed score;
• a public shortlist followed by a final jury;
• a clearly framed organizing decision.

Oria helps prepare the rules, but the organizer keeps control of the important decisions.

Conclusion

A fair competition is not necessarily a competition where everyone wins. It’s a competition where everyone understands the rules.

Public voting has its place. It values ​​the mobilization, commitment and support of a community.

The jury also has its place. It protects the quality, criteria and credibility of the selection.

By separating the Grand Prix and the Public Prize, the organizer recognizes these two realities without confusing them.

It is a simple, but very effective solution to make competitions more transparent, more professional and easier to accept.