For each competition the Directors appoint a three member Jury consisting of at least one established puppeteer and at least one established non-puppeteer theatrical designer. No Director may serve on the Jury and no Juror may serve more than two competitions in succession.
The Jury is charged to find not more than one example of "truly outstanding" design in the puppet theatre. There is no set criteria: each Jury determines its own standards which are briefly explained when their Arlyn Award selection is announced. At that time the names of the Jurors are also announced.
The Jury's evaluation is based solely on the submitted portfolios and videos. The Jury can withold the Arlyn Award if they feel none of that year's entries is "truly outstanding."
The Jury's selection is final and cannot be overturned or altered by the Directors or the Society.
In 2004, the Board of Directors created the Arlyn Citation of Design to recognize and encourage entries remaining into the final round of judging.