Darvideo Awards 
Official Rules

1. About the Awards

Organizer: Darvideo Animation Studio (Kyiv, Ukraine)

First Ceremony: 2020, Kyiv

Purpose: to inspire and support professionals to push creative boundaries, showcase their work, and connect with peers and industry leaders.

“Together with our creative team, we launched this award to nurture professional growth – encouraging artists to create ever bolder, deeper projects, work at full capacity and never stop in their creative quests.” – Yuriy Polyashko, Head of Jury

2. Eligibility & Entry Categories

Who May Enter

• Individual creators (animators, storyboard artists, sound designers)
• Teams and studios (up to 10 core contributors per entry)

Accepted Project Types

• Commercial and explainer videos
• Documentary and social-impact animations
• Frame-by-frame 2D or 3D character animations
• Innovative AI / VR / AR integrations in animation
• All entries must have been completed no earlier than one year before the opening of the entry period.

3. Submission Period & Procedure

Entry Window

• Opens June 1
• Closes July 31

How to Submit

   All the submissions should be sent to [email protected]

   Upload a single MP4 (H.264, 1080p, max 500 MB uploaded to google drive / dropbox)

   Provide a 300-word project synopsis, team credits, and technical details

Preliminary Review

Organizing Committee verifies eligibility, rights clearance and technical compliance

Shortlist Announcement

Up to 10 finalists revealed in the end of August

4. Judging & Evaluation

Jury Composition

Head of Jury: Yuriy Polyashko

Ukrainian Experts: leading motion-design directors, marketing leads from NSG, Media Post, Karan­dash, Lisenbart and more.

International Panel: Rick Livingston (Encyclopædia Britannica), Vincent Dolzall (Muthmedia, Germany), Susan Harris (Fluent Studios, USA), Robert Lehman (Crow Creative Agency, USA) and more, updated annually.

Evaluation Criteria

• Originality & Concept: uniqueness of story and visual idea
• Technical Excellence: complexity of effects, execution quality, creative use of tools
• Narrative & Sound: emotional impact, character development, audio design
• Innovation: inventive AI/VR/AR or hybrid techniques
• Effectiveness: clarity of message and relevance to target audience

Finalists’ projects are reviewed and scored; entries with the highest jury votes earn the top three prizes.

5. Awards & Special Honors

Grand Prizes

1st, 2nd and 3rd places – each team receives a statuette, cash award and individual diplomas for all core contributors.

Special Honors (may vary annually)

Audience Choice Award (voted by ceremony attendees)

Social Impact Award (documentary or non-profit work)

Innovation of the Year (AI/VR/AR integration)

Themed prizes aligned with current industry trends

6. Ceremony & Networking

When: October (exact date announced mid-September)

Where: Creative rooftop venue in Kyiv

Format:

   Live presentations of winning projects

   Prize-giving and acceptance speeches

   Informal networking over cocktails and live music

   Opportunity to meet jury members, sponsors and fellow creators

The event draws top Ukrainian talent alongside international guests – an atmosphere of collaboration, inspiration and industry insight.

7. Additional Notes

All submitted materials must be free of third-party rights issues.

Darvideo reserves the right to feature finalists’ work in promotional materials.

Detailed technical guidelines and FAQ are available at darvideo.com/darvideo-awards, additional questions may be sent to the awards committee  at [email protected]

Join Darvideo Awards to elevate your work, gain global recognition and contribute to the future of animation and motion design. We look forward to your boldest projects!

Read more about Darvideo Awards 2021