The Campaign Big Awards is for the first time opening the doors to its virtual judging room to invite students from the Brixton Finishing School to make a contribution to the process.

Twelve students will choose their own winner from the TV & Cinema shortlisted entries that have already been chosen by a pool of senior industry creative judges. This additional award does not require a submission and will be chosen from the shortlist detailed here.

The Brixton Finishing School students will be asked to facilitate discussions on the shortlisted entries before they select a winner. They will also receive a briefing from the chairs of the judges, Mother's Ana Balarin and Adam & Eve/DDB's Rick Brim before they begin. The group will then devise a unique way to present the award to the winner on the night and will be given a budget for the purpose.

The move is designed to help diversify the Big Awards judging so that judges and students can learn from each other through debate with people spanning different levels, skills and experiences.

Balarin and Brim said: “Judging the Bigs will only get better by being more open, and inviting the next generation of creative talent from Brixton Finishing School to share their thoughts on the work is a part of that.

"We hope having them in the virtual room on the day will give them a really powerful learning experience, and bring fresh perspective and insights to the judges too.”

It is planned to be the start of building longer-term engagement between Campaign and Brixton Finishing School talent, and an ongoing commitment by Campaign to prioritise diversity in its judging panels.

Gideon Spanier, Campaign’s editor-in-chief, added: "The judging for our awards is important because it's about dedicated people from across the industry coming together to recognise creative excellence and learn from each other during the process.

"We hope that by inviting students from Brixton Finishing School to observe and participate in the judging for the Campaign Big Awards, it will help inspire the next generation of talent. Awards don't just reward great work.

"They can help to raise morale, propel careers and win new business – all of which matters even more this year because of the coronavirus crisis."