Is SJ affiliated with any companies? If so, doesn that affect the judging process?
SJ is an independent, non-profit organization. However we have members who work for anime related companies, but the companies do not sponsor us in any way. As for the companies who sponsor awards in masquerade contests, no member has been with SJ while working for the company at the same time. So the companies had no influence in handing out awards. In the future, if the companies we are currently working for DO sponsor awards, we will not accept them (or those who do not work for them will be given the award) – however the company will already have the mentality of not awarding their own employees.
