
Meet The Team
Here you can view all the available categories for the DMAs 2023. Please note that not all categories will necessarily be awarded annually and their inclusion is at the discretion of the organisers.
CAKE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
This award is for a cake or sugar artist who has blown you away this year with their creativity and awe-inspiring pieces. Who do you think has stood out above the rest in the past 12 months?
Only work produced over the last 12 months will be considered. This category will be judged on the following:
* Innovation, creativity and originality
* Skill (including difficulty, range, ability and precision)
* Range, amount and quality of work produced
* Stand out appeal / WOW factor / impact
* Ability to create new and exciting designs
* The number of nominations received will also be taken into account.
COOKIE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
This award is for a cookie artist whose skill and precision is truly excellent. Which artist's work makes you think "that can't be a cookie!?"
Only work produced over the last 12 months will be considered. This category will be judged on the following:
* Innovation, creativity and originality
* Skill (including difficulty, range, ability and precision)
* Range, amount and quality of work produced
* Stand out appeal / WOW factor / impact
* Ability to create new and exciting designs
* The number of nominations received will also be taken into account.
SUGAR FLORAL ARTIST
This award is for the artist who can create amazing and beautiful floral and fauna out of sugar. Whether fantasy flowers or botanically correct, which floral expert produces the most amazing flowers in your opinion?
Only work produced over the last 12 months will be considered. This category will be judged on the following:
* Innovation, creativity and originality
* Skill (including difficulty, range, ability and precision)
* Range, amount and quality of work produced
* Stand out appeal / WOW factor / impact
* Ability to create new and exciting designs
* The number of nominations received will also be taken into account.
CUPCAKE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
This award is for the artist who can create amazing creations out of cupcakes. Whether they are fabulous with cupcake florals or magnificent at modelling cupcake toppers - we want to know about them.
Only work produced over the last 12 months will be considered. This category will be judged on the following:
* Innovation, creativity and originality
* Skill (including difficulty, range, ability and precision)
* Range, amount and quality of work produced
* Stand out appeal / WOW factor / impact
* Ability to create new and exciting designs
* The number of nominations received will also be taken into account.
PASTILLAGE ARTIST
Pastillage is definitely an under-represented medium in the sugar world but one that has so many benefits and uses. We want to know which artists have a way with pastillage that shows off its amazing capabilities.
Only work produced over the last 12 months will be considered. This category will be judged on the following:
* Innovation, creativity and originality
* Skill (including difficulty, range, ability and precision)
* Range, amount and quality of work produced
* Stand out appeal / WOW factor / impact
* Ability to create new and exciting designs
* The number of nominations received will also be taken into account.
SUGAR MODELLING
This award will go to the artist who dazzles us with their modelling skills and expertise. This award will be split into two - with one award going to the artist who excels at cartoon/comic based modelling and the other going to the artist who is a master of realistic modelling.
Only work produced over the last 12 months will be considered. This category will be judged on the following:
* Innovation, creativity and originality
* Skill (including difficulty, range, ability and precision)
* Range, amount and quality of work produced
* Stand out appeal / WOW factor / impact
* Ability to create new and exciting designs
* The number of nominations received will also be taken into account.
EDIBLE SCULPTOR
Think carved and sculpted cakes for this award. Is there an artist who can transform sponge into amazing sculptures and works of art?
Only work produced over the last 12 months will be considered. This category will be judged on the following:
* Innovation, creativity and originality
* Skill (including difficulty, range, ability and precision)
* Range, amount and quality of work produced
* Stand out appeal / WOW factor / impact
* Ability to create new and exciting designs
* The number of nominations received will also be taken into account.
EDIBLE PAINTER
This award is for the artist who uses the cake as their canvas. Painting with any edible medium is allowed. Who is your Picasso or Van Gogh of the sugar world?
Only work produced over the last 12 months will be considered. This category will be judged on the following:
* Innovation, creativity and originality
* Skill (including difficulty, range, ability and precision)
* Range, amount and quality of work produced
* Stand out appeal / WOW factor / impact
* Ability to create new and exciting designs
* The number of nominations received will also be taken into account.
CAKE DESIGNER
This award is for the cake designer who sweeps us off our feet with their stunning designs. Whether wedding cakes or celebration cakes, traditional or more contemporary, we want to see which cake designer wows you with everything they make.
Only work produced over the last 12 months will be considered. This category will be judged on the following:
* Innovation, creativity and originality
* Skill (including difficulty, range, ability and precision)
* Range, amount and quality of work produced
* Stand out appeal / WOW factor / impact
* Ability to create new and exciting designs
* The number of nominations received will also be taken into account.
ONE TO WATCH / FUTURE STAR
This award will recognise the talents of an up and coming star in the industry; someone we are sure will go on to great things. Do you have someone in mind?
Only work produced over the last 12 months will be considered. This category will be judged on the following:
* Innovation, creativity and originality
* Skill (including difficulty, range, ability and precision)
* Range, amount and quality of work produced
* Stand out appeal / WOW factor / impact
* Ability to create new and exciting designs
* The number of nominations received will also be taken into account.
BEST TEACHER / MENTOR
Is there an artist or a company that have taught you all you know? Who is the best teacher in the biz? Who has a teaching style to rival all others? Who has helped shaped you into the sugar artist you are today?
Only work produced over the last 12 months will be considered. This category will be judged on the following:
* The range of classes / tutorials / mentorship offered
* Reviews and feedback from customers
* Innovative / creative ideas
* Originality of classes
* The number of nominations received will also be taken into account.
BEST PRODUCT
We all have those amazing products that we just can't live without. Whether it's a modelling paste, a sugar paste, a colour range or a tool - whatever you think deserves an award, we want to hear about it.
This category will be judged on:
* Innovation, creativity and originality of the product
* The usefulness / helpfulness of the product
* The price point and need for the product in today's market
* Accessibility of the product for all levels of cakers
* The number of nominations received will also be taken into account.
FINISHING TOUCHES SUPPLIER
We spend hours creating masterpieces for our customers but it's the finishing touches that can sometimes just finish them perfectly and set us apart in the industry. From beautiful boxes to elegant stands, acrylic or glitter card toppers, balloon arches or dried flowers - what finishing touches make your work stand out from the crowd.
This category will be judged on:
* Innovation, creativity and originality of the product
* The usefulness / helpfulness of the product
* The price point and need for the product in today's market
* Accessibility of the product for all levels of cakers
* The number of nominations received will also be taken into account.
BEST ONLINE COMMUNITY
We want to reward the people behind the online communities who help you the most. You could be a member of a Facebook group or part of an online community or maybe you subscribe to a podcast that helps guide and advise you. Whoever helps you in terms of business, coaching, time management, exposure, collaborations etc we want to hear about them.
This category will be judged on:
* Content quality and consistency
* Accessibility for all
* Usefulness / helpfulness
* The number of nominations received will also be taken into account.
TUTORIAL OF THE YEAR
Which D'licious Magazine tutorial did you love the most? Which was the most in-depth, most helpful? Which did you enjoy reading?
Tutorials from January 2022 up to and including September 2023 will be considered.
This category will be judged on:
* Innovation, creativity and originality of the tutorial
* The usefulness / helpfulness of the tutorial
* The quality of the photographs
* How easy it is to follow
* The range of skills taught
* The number of nominations received will also be taken into account.
INNOVATOR / MODERN ARTIST
Do you know a sugar artist who is always one step ahead of the game? Maybe they are a real trend setter in the industry? Perhaps they work with different materials and mediums in new and exciting ways? Maybe their designs are always super fresh and modern? We want to know all about them and reward them for their bravery in tackling designs and challenges. We want to shine a spotlight on those who really stand out from the crowd.
Only work produced over the last 12 months will be considered. This category will be judged on the following:
* Innovation, creativity and originality
* Skill (including difficulty, range, ability and precision)
* Range, amount and quality of work produced
* Stand out appeal / WOW factor / impact
* Ability to create new and exciting designs
* The number of nominations received will also be taken into account.
SUGAR AUTEUR
Taken from film theory, the term auteur refers to an artist (usually a director) whose individual style and control over all elements of a film give it a distant and recognisable look. So adopting this idea, the Sugar Auteur of the year will be the sugar artist who has such a distinct and personal style and has honed their skills so well, that their work is instantly recognisable as theirs without us even being told!
This category will be judged on the following:
* Recognisable style and look across the work
* Innovation, creativity and originality
* Skill (including difficulty, range, ability and precision)
* Range, amount and quality of work produced
* Stand out appeal / WOW factor / impact
* Ability to create new and exciting designs
* The number of nominations received will also be taken into account.
A SPRINKLE OF KINDNESS
Do you know a person or group within the sugar world who has shown unprecedented kindness? Maybe they are a person who has dedicated time or donated classes, goods or services to help others. Maybe they have shared their time, expertise or advice or just helped others? Perhaps they are a charity or a group of volunteers? We want to hear about these amazing people who help to make the world a better and sweeter place.
This category will be judged on the following:
* The range of services / goods / things offered
* Reviews and feedback from others
* How the person or group helps others
* The number of nominations received will also be taken into account.
If you have any queries regarding the awards please email: info@TheDMAs.co.uk