WGI Judge Candidate applications for color guard, percussion, and winds are now open! WGI seeks qualified individuals to join its judging community yearly. Becoming a judge is a multi-step process, beginning with an application including letters of recommendation and and past commentary files and culminating in a live performance trial.
Learn about the application process for each division below:
Ahead of the applications opening, the WGI Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee held a virtual town hall titled “Shaping the Future of Judging.” Committee members walked the more than 250 registered attendees through the process of becoming a judge, and discussed the importance of diversity in the judging community.
Panelists emphasized that judges inevitably bring their lived experiences and perspectives to the adjudication process, so judges with diverse backgrounds can better reflect the variety of performers and artistic approaches that make up WGI’s competitive body.
“We recognize the need to be vigilant and have active intent to work on [diversity, equity and inclusion]. Recognizing our unconscious biases, looking to not only be inclusive but welcoming. It’s our activity that creates an environment for people of various diverse lifestyles, religions, ethnicities, and abilities to thrive,” said committee member Wayne Harris during the town hall. “And our judging community needs to reflect that intent, and not only needs to to recognize a diversity in styles, but have a willingness to be open and supportive of unfamiliar perspective.”
The path to becoming a WGI judge normally begins at the local circuit level, with multiple years of experience necessary to move to the WGI level. Judges continually improve through training, mentorship, and hands-on experience.
“It’s important to make sure the judges are seeing the actual people on the floor… It’s about the longevity of WGI that performers see [judging] as a potential path after performing,” said committee member Kennedy Riles.
