Medal Winners and Photos

Awards at the Advanced level are divided into three Divisions: Ordnance, Painters, and Open. There are no categories of any kind in any of the Divisions. All exhibits are eligible for the same awards. The Ordnance Division is for vehicles, aircraft, and other entries without figures. The Painters Division is for painted figures, and is judged entirely on painting skill. Scratchbuilt and converted figures may be entered, but enjoy no advantage over stock commercial kits. The Open Division is intended for converted and scratchbuilt figures, dioramas, and vignettes.

 The Divisions are judged separately. Each exhibit is viewed by three judges. Together, the judges select what they feel is the best piece or group of pieces by each exhibitor. The Judges then separate and score the selected exhibits individually, awarding zero to four points to each. Their scores are then compared by the Awards Committee. A piece achieving at least 11 of 12 possible points from the three judges receives a Gold Medal, 8 to 20 points a Silver Medal, 5 to 7 points a Bronze Medal, and 1 to 4 points a Certificate of Merit.

 We would like to emphasize that Gold, Silver and Bronze do not in any way represent first, second or third place. All the judges do is rank the pieces in the show in four levels of achievement. The standard against which pieces are measured is set by award winners at that level in previous years. This means that that this is not a competition at all. Nobody wins an award at anyone else's expense. We give as many Gold Medals as the quality of the work demands, whether that be two or twenty, and the same is true of all the other awards given at this show.

Chicago Medal

The Chicago Medal is the MMSI’s highest award, instituted not long after the start of the annual Chicago Show, nearly half a century ago. It is given for consistent excellence over a period of years. Wrote the club’s original head judge, Shepard Paine: “Of the many exhibitors who display their work at the show every year, there are a select few whose work has a special quality that leaves a lasting impression on everyone who sees it. These people are clearly in a class by themselves, and this award is our way of recognizing that fact. The Chicago Medalists are the people who, by the example they set each year, expand the horizons of the hobby and set the standards by which we judge ourselves. Recipients are chosen by a vote of the current holders of the medal.