Announce the winners

Close Contest on the contest's page ends voting and opens Contest Results (later, Manage Results gets you back). The top row counts Total Entries, Total Votes, Categories, and Voters (only confirmed votes count; while voting is open, a note under Total Votes says how many are still awaiting email confirmation), and below it each category has a tab ranking its entries by votes, with the entrant's contact details and View Full Entry. Export CSV downloads every vote: category, the entry, the voter, and when.

The entry with the most votes in each category is its winner, marked with a trophy at the top of the ranking. To apply a judges' pick, drag a different entry to the top: it becomes the winner and shows a Manual Override badge. When entries tie for first, the category has no winner until you decide: its tab shows Tie, and a Tie, pick a winner notice names the tied entries. Drag one of them to the top to pick it, or choose Make them co-winners so they share the win (Undo co-winners takes that back). Winners are what the results page, the winner emails, and the announcement all use, so settle them before you send anything.

Winner Communications opens to Winner notification settings (the Reply-To email address replies should go to, and CC emails for announcements to copy on them), then one box per category for a personal Winner Message. Save Message keeps it, and Send Test emails you the winner's email exactly as the winner will get it.

Send Winner Notifications, in the Quick Actions bar along the bottom of the results page, emails each category winner their congratulations with your note; co-winners each get their own email saying they share the win. It first shows you the list of addresses it's about to send to, so you can stop if a winner looks wrong. While a category is still tied for first, the button stays off and says which category to settle.

Results Announcement holds the Announcement Message, which also appears at the top of the public results page, plus Send Test. When it reads right, Send Results Announcement in the Quick Actions bar emails the results to every voter and entrant; co-winners are listed together under their category as a tie. If your community requires approval for mass email, it waits for that approval first. Once it goes out, the section is stamped with when.

You don't have to wait for the close to draft it. The Winner Announcement section on the edit form has the same Announcement Message and reply-to and CC settings, an Email Preview of the announcement with the contest's theme and its current standings, and Send Test Winner Announcement Email to see it in your own inbox.

Organizer Notifications on the edit form decides what the contest tells you. Primary notification email is where they go (leave it blank for none) and CC additional emails copies other organizers. Then tick the triggers: All entry submissions, All vote submissions (sent when a voter finishes every category), Unverified address entries (the moment one needs approval), and Contest results (when the contest closes).