Everything you need to know about the EISA Awards

Who decides upon the EISA Awards?

The EISA Awards are chosen annually by Panels representing more than 50 prominent Photo, Video, Audio, Home Theater and Mobile Electronics magazines from up to 19 European countries. All Panels work separately, but are under contract to the European Imaging & Sound Association.

How are products nominated for the EISA Awards?

Only one magazine from each Panel may represent each country. Representative special interest magazines in each group make regular, detailed and objective test reports on Photo, Video, Audio, Home Theater, In-Car Electronics and Mobile Devices equipment. Every year, each member magazine nominates an initial short-list of products to be considered at the Panel’s Awards voting sessions, held during EISA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM). Prior to submission, every magazine’s short-list is approved by each title’s Editor-in-Chief. The short-list reflects each magazine’s findings during tests, as well as day to day use, and is based upon the results of each magazine’s standard test procedures.

The final shortlist of nominated products will be debated in detail, according to EISA’s rules, at the organization’s AGM, which is attended by Editors-in-Chief from all member magazines. All nominations are kept strictly confidential.

What makes a product eligible for nomination?

All products to be awarded - with the exception of those awarded in Innovation and Design categories - must have been available for detailed test evaluation for the magazines in each Panel concerned. Latest and brand new products will only be accepted if they have been available for detailed testing before June 1st (latest delay) by at least 5 member magazines of the Panel concerned.

In addition, awarded products must also be for sale to the general public no later than October 1st in the year of the Awards in at least 10 European countries. Awarded products sold on ‘pre-ordering’ base must be delivered to the customer within 2 weeks after ordering, at the latest at October 14th. ‘Pre-ordering’ base is only liable to products with a price-tag of at least € 5.000.

What marks out the EISA award winning products?

Every year, the EISA Awards applaud the new products that combine the most advanced technology, the most desirable features, the ultimate expression of design, the most satisfying ergonomics and, of course, the greatest value for money. In short, EISA recognizes the features most likely to be appreciated by an enthusiast public seeking high quality and creative facilities.

Due to the ever-changing nature of consumer markets, EISA’s Awards Panels reserve the right to update and/or change the Awards selection criteria or Award titles during the selection period.

When are the winning products announced?

Winning companies will be informed as soon as possible after the Annual General Meeting, and no later than 48 hours after the AGM has concluded. The Awards confirmation will take the form of a fax to the President of the winning company, sent to the company’s global headquarters and/or European office. In two weeks this will be followed by an official letter and all further information, including an Award Agreement and a Copyright Agreement. National importers will be informed by each country’s magazine representative.

May companies publish their winning products immediately after the Awards?

No. All EISA Awards announcements are solely for internal use of winning companies, and remain under strict embargo (see Rules).

When will the EISA Awards be presented?

Every year the EISA Awards will be presented during an official ceremony, attended by all Editors-in-Chief of EISA’s member magazines, and to which Presidents of all winning companies will be officially invited. The ceremony will be held to coincide with the most convenient world exhibition or show of Photo, Video, Audio, Home Theater, In-Car Electronics and Mobile Devices products, the IFA in Berlin. At the Awards ceremony the official representative of every winning company will receive an trophy.

When will EISA magazines report the winning products?

Each member magazine will publish the winning products from its own panel’s Awards (Photo, Video, Audio, Home Theater, In-Car Electronics or Mobile Devices) in their September issues, at a minimum size of a third-page for each award. However, each magazine is free to publish the winning products at a bigger size if it wishes. All Awards from the other panels will be reported by model name and title only. There will be no grading of other products or identification of an individual magazine’s nominations.