SUBMISSIONS FOR THE 32nd ANNUAL THEA AWARDS JUDGING CYCLE ARE NOW OPEN!
The Thea Awards submission period begins on 1 May 2025 and closes 11 July 2025.
The prestigious Thea Awards of the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) celebrate excellence in the creation of compelling places and experiences. This page provides support for the 2025-2026 judging cycle.
The TEA Thea Awards recognize innovation in the themed entertainment and international visitor attractions industry and reinforce the value of experience design and themed entertainment approaches to engaging people worldwide. Each year hundreds of submissions are received and considered by the TEA Thea Awards Committee for outstanding destination attractions, breakthrough technology, event spectaculars, cultural attractions or guest experiences, as well as for individuals who have made their mark through a lifetime of distinguished achievements.
TIPS TO SUBMIT YOUR PROJECT
RECOGNITION & AWARD TYPES:
- The Buzz Price Thea Award – Recognizing a Lifetime of Distinguished Achievement
The Buzz Price Thea Award is given once each award cycle to a single individual. It can be given for Lifetime Achievement or for Outstanding Contribution(s) to the compelling places and experiences industry. The achiever’s contribution(s) to compelling places and experiences exemplify the highest standards of excellence and achievement.
- The Thea Classic Award
The Thea Classic Award is given to an outstanding compelling place and experience achievement from the past, which set new standards and has operated continuously for at least 20 years.
- The Thea Catalyst Award
The Catalyst Award recognizes an individual, group, or organization for its role in causing or leading a specific, beneficial change or action in our industry – an impact that:
- Benefits, uplifts, and inspires the entire themed entertainment industry;
- Brings fresh perspective;
- Expands our collective thinking;
- Raises and expands our vision of who we are as an industry and/or who we can become.
- Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement (AOA)
AOAs will be awarded to outstanding achievements that exemplify the highest standards of excellence associated with the arts and sciences of creating compelling places and experiences.
The AOAs will be given to achievements, rather than to any individual or company. There is no set number of AOAs. There are no established achievement type categories for AOAs. The Thea Awards Judging Committee reserves the right to determine the appropriate category for proposed achievements.
- Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement (AOA) on a Limited Budget
The Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement on a Limited Budget is reserved for any project created for budgets totaling less than $10 million USD. To be considered in this category, projects are required to submit a cost summary breakdown confirming actual final project costs. Failure to attach such a budget breakdown will disqualify the submission from consideration in the Limited Budget category. See the full Thea Award rules here for a detailed breakdown of project budget inclusions and exclusions to meet the limited budget qualifications.
- Thea Award for Outstanding Technical Innovation
The Thea Award for Outstanding Technical Innovation is reserved for a new idea or technical innovation that broadly improves our entire industry, or which otherwise advances the art and science of compelling places and experiences.
- The TEA Recognition of Merit (ROM)
A TEA Recognition of Merit is intended to spotlight achievements that exemplify superior creative and/or execution associated with the arts and sciences of creating compelling places and experiences, which the Thea Awards Judging committee believes to be deserving of industry attention and consumer engagement. This Recognition is determined by the Thea Awards Judging Committee from the main pool of Thea Award of Outstanding Achievement (AOA) submissions.
WHO CAN SUBMIT:
Anyone can submit a project or individual for a Thea Award
- Submissions can be made by the project owner, associated creative, production or vendor teams, or by individuals with no project affiliation.
- There is no requirement for the project owner, associated project teams to be members of the TEA.
If you are the project owner:
- The TEA will require a detailed credits list be published for the project prior to being publicly announced with a TEA or Thea recognition.
WHAT MATERIALS ARE NEEDED:
Each Thea submission should include three key components for proper evaluation by the Thea Awards Judging Committee:
- Narrative Submission Description
- Submission Video (submitter produced or sourced from public platforms)
- Submission Photos and or Supporting Visual Documentation
Successful Thea Submission videos DO the following:
- They are short: Videos should be no shorter than two (2) minutes and no longer than five (5) minutes. Three (3) minutes is a good target length.
- Include a brief overall submission description and context for the achievement: where is it located, what were the objectives, etc.
- Clearly illustrate what the typical visitor experience would be like from the guests’ point-of-view. For example: Show the building exterior with guests arriving. Show the attraction entrance with people going in. Provide a view of each space inside, with people entering, leaving, etc. boarding a ride, moving on it, exiting, etc. Show what the audience sees, hears and experiences in each space. Tell the story. You can summarize what happens or verbally narrate effects that don’t play on the video.
- Summarize what the experience was about.
- Illustrate guest engagement.
Successful Thea Submission videos AVOID the following:
- Utilizing footage from grand openings, which does not reflect a typical guest experience.
- Focusing on facts and figures over guest experience.
- Featuring behind-the-scenes or “making of” footage, unless it explains some unique aspect of the guest experience.
- Showing empty spaces. Preferable to show what visitors do in those spaces.
- Excess usage of guest testimonials.