Asking judges to join your event takes careful planning. The words you choose can make the difference between a “yes” or “no” answer. Each email must show respect while giving all the needed facts about your event.
Judges get many requests for their time. Your invitation needs to stand out by being clear and well-written. The right approach shows you value their skills and will treat their time with care. The samples below will guide you through writing emails that help secure the best judges for any type of event.
Judge Invitation Email Samples
These email samples will help you craft the perfect invitation for judges to participate in your events.
1. Academic Competition Judge Invitation
Subject: Request to Judge the Annual Science Fair at Lincoln Middle School
Dear Professor Johnson,
The Science Department at Lincoln Middle School asks you to be a judge at our Annual Science Fair on May 15, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
Your deep knowledge of biology would add great value to our panel of judges. Our students have worked hard on projects about clean water, plant growth, and small animal habits. Your expert review would mean so much to them.
The fair includes:
- Student presentations (9:30 AM – 12:00 PM)
- Lunch for judges (12:00 PM – 1:00 PM)
- Award choices (1:00 PM – 2:00 PM)
Please let me know if you can join us by April 25. I can answer any questions you have about the event.
Thank you for thinking about this request.
Best wishes,
[Signature block: Name, Title, School, Phone number, Email address]
2. Legal Moot Court Competition Invitation
Subject: Invitation to Judge the Regional Law School Moot Court Finals
Dear Judge Martinez,
The Law School Association wants to invite you to judge our Regional Moot Court Finals on June 10, 2025, at City University Law School.
We picked you because of your ten years on the bench and your work in contract law. Your real-world view would help our student lawyers learn.
The event runs from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, with lunch served. We need you for one or two 90-minute sessions, based on your schedule.
Can you join our judge panel? Please reply by May 1st so we can plan the day.
Thank you for your time.
With respect,
[Signature block: Full name, Title, Organization name, Contact details including phone and email]
3. Local Art Contest Judge Request
Subject: Join Us as a Judge for the Downtown Youth Art Show
Dear Ms. Thompson,
The Downtown Community Center asks you to judge our Youth Art Show on July 8, 2025.
As a known local artist and past teacher, you would bring a fresh eye to our contest. Your past work with young artists makes you perfect for this role.
The show has art from kids ages 8-18. We need you from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM to look at the art and pick winners in five groups.
We offer a small thank you gift and will list your name in our program and press news.
Can you help make this day special for our young artists? Please let me know by June 1st.
Thanks for your time,
[Signature block: Name, Role at Community Center, Contact phone number, Email address]
4. Business Plan Contest Judge Invitation
Subject: Request for Your Expertise as a Judge at the StartUp Challenge
Dear Mr. Rodriguez,
The Small Business Growth Center asks you to join the judge panel for our yearly StartUp Challenge on August 21, 2025.
Your success with three start-up companies and your help to new business owners make you perfect for this role. The teams would gain much from your feedback on their plans.
The event needs about four hours of your time (1:00 PM – 5:00 PM). You would hear ten short talks and ask questions. Then you would meet with other judges to pick the top three plans.
Drinks and snacks will be served. We also host a dinner after for all judges and teams to talk more.
Can you join us? Please reply by July 15th with your answer.
Thank you,
[Signature block: Name, Position, Organization, Phone number, Email, Website]
5. Music Contest Judge Invitation
Subject: Invitation to Judge the County Music Talent Show
Dear Mr. Davis,
The County Arts Board wants to ask you to judge our yearly Music Talent Show on September 12, 2025, at the Main Street Theater.
As the head of the City Symphony and a music teacher, your ear for talent would help us find the best acts. Last year, the winner went on to a TV talent show thanks in part to good judge feedback.
The show runs from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. We ask you to score each act on skill, stage presence, and song choice. We will send you the full score sheet two weeks before.
Please let us know if you can join our three-judge panel by August 1st.
Thank you for your time,
[Signature block: Full name, Role at County Arts Board, Phone number, Email address]
6. Food Competition Judge Request
Subject: Will You Judge Our Charity Bake-Off?
Dear Chef Williams,
The City Food Bank wants to ask you to be the main judge at our Annual Charity Bake-Off on October 5, 2025.
Your years as head chef at Gold Star and your food column in the Daily News make you the best choice. Bakers have signed up from all over town, and they would love tips from you.
The event runs from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM at Central Park. You would taste 15-20 items and pick winners in three groups: Cakes, Pies, and Cookies. Two other food fans will join you on the panel.
This fun day raises money for food programs. Last year we raised $5,000 to help feed people in need.
Can you help us? Please let me know by September 1st if you can join us.
Best wishes,
[Signature block: Name, Position at Food Bank, Phone, Email, Food Bank website]
7. School Debate Team Judge Invitation
Subject: Request to Judge High School Debate Finals
Dear Dr. Adams,
Jefferson High School asks you to judge our Senior Debate Team Finals on November 15, 2025, from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
Your past work as a college debate coach and your public speaking skills would add so much to our event. Our students have studied hard and would gain from your smart feedback.
The debate topic is “Should social media have more rules?” You would join two other judges to score teams on facts, speaking style, and how well they answer the other side.
We will send you a guide on our score system one week before. We also give a small gift card to thank you for your time.
Could you help shape these young minds? Please reply by October 10th.
Thank you,
[Signature block: Name, Debate Team Coach, School name, Contact phone, Email address]
8. Fashion Show Judge Invitation
Subject: Invitation to Judge Student Fashion Show
Dear Ms. Parker,
The Design School of New York asks you to be a judge at our Student Fashion Show on December 3, 2025, from 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM.
Your work as a style writer and your past jobs with top fashion brands make you a great fit. Our students have made clothes for all types of people and would love your skilled eye on their work.
The show has three parts: Day Wear, Evening Wear, and Future Trends. You would score each set on style, skill, and if it fits the theme. Four other style experts will join you.
We will send you more details on what to look for. We also pay for your travel costs and give you a front row seat.
Can you join us for this big night? Please let me know by November 1st.
With thanks,
[Signature block: Name, Head of Fashion Department, School logo, Phone number, Email]
9. Writing Contest Judge Request
Subject: Request to Judge Teen Writing Contest
Dear Mr. Garcia,
The Public Library asks you to judge our Teen Writing Contest, with final picks due by January 20, 2026.
As a loved local writer with three books and many news stories, you know what makes writing good. Your help would mean so much to the young writers in our town.
The contest has three groups: Short Story, Poetry, and Essay. We will email you 10-15 papers in each group by December 15th. You would have about a month to read them and pick your top three in each group.
You can do this work from home on your own time. We will thank you in our press news and at the award event on February 1st.
Would you lend your skills to help young writers? Please let me know by November 30th.
Best wishes,
[Signature block: Name, Youth Programs Manager, Library address, Phone, Email]
10. Science Project Judge Invitation
Subject: Invitation to Judge District Science Fair
Dear Dr. Wilson,
The School District Science Team asks you to judge our yearly Science Fair on February 12, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM at Central High School.
Your work at the Research Lab and your past help with school science makes you a great match. The top students from ten schools will show projects on all kinds of science topics.
The day starts with coffee at 8:30 AM. Then you would walk around to see the projects and talk to students. We serve lunch at noon, then you would meet with other judges to pick winners in the afternoon.
We group projects by age and type of science. We will give you a list of what to look for in each group.
Can you join our judge team? Please reply by January 10th so we can plan for the day.
Thank you for your time,
[Signature block: Full name, District Science Lead, School district name and logo, Contact details]
11. Tech Contest Judge Request
Subject: Will You Judge Our Coding Challenge?
Dear Ms. Chen,
Tech Future Group asks you to judge our High School Coding Challenge on March 18, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Your job as a software team lead and your work teaching code camps make you an ideal judge. Students will try to solve real-world problems with code, and your feedback would help them grow their skills.
Teams of 2-3 students will have five hours to build a small project based on our theme. You would check their code, watch their demos, and score them on how well the code works, how clean it is, and how they solved the problem.
We feed you lunch and give you a tech gift bag to thank you. We also list you as a helper in our news.
Could you help find the next big tech stars? Please let me know by February 15th if you can join us.
All the best,
[Signature block: Name, Position, Tech Future Group info, Phone, Email, Website]
12. Dance Contest Judge Invitation
Subject: Request to Judge Spring Dance Contest
Dear Ms. Torres,
The Dance Academy asks you to judge our Spring Dance Contest on April 25, 2026, from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
Your years as a lead dancer and dance teacher give you the right skills for this task. Young dancers from ages 8-18 will show solos and group dances in many styles.
We need you to score each dance on skill, style, and stage use. Two other dance pros will join you on the panel. We will send you the score sheets and rules two weeks before.
We pay a small fee for your time ($150) and also cover any travel costs. The dancers highly value the tips you can share.
Would you help make this a great day for these young dancers? Please reply by March 20th.
Thank you,
[Signature block: Name, Dance Academy Director, Address, Phone, Email]
13. Public Speaking Contest Judge Request
Subject: Invitation to Judge Youth Speaking Contest
Dear Dr. Hayes,
The Youth Leadership Group asks you to judge our Public Speaking Contest on May 15, 2026, from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at City Hall.
Your work as a speech coach and your talks at big events make you perfect for this job. Kids ages 12-18 will give short talks on “How to Make Our Town Better” and would learn much from your feedback.
You would score speakers on clear speech, good points, and how well they hold the crowd’s focus. We have a score sheet to guide you. Four other speech pros will help judge.
We serve dinner before the event and give you a small gift to thank you. We also list you in our program and news.
Can you help these young speakers grow? Please let me know by April 10th.
Best regards,
[Signature block: Name, Youth Programs Lead, Organization info, Contact details]
14. Film Festival Judge Invitation
Subject: Request to Join Our Short Film Festival Judge Panel
Dear Mr. Lee,
The Local Film Group asks you to judge our Short Film Festival on June 20, 2026, at the Grand Theater.
Your work making award-winning short films and teaching film classes makes you a great match. We will show 15-20 short films (5-10 minutes each) made by new filmmakers.
The screenings run from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Then you would meet with two other judges for dinner to talk about the films and pick winners in three groups: Best Story, Best Look, and Best Sound.
We offer a $200 gift card for your time and will list you as a special guest in our press news.
Would you lend your film smarts to help new artists? Please reply by May 15th with your choice.
Thank you for your time,
[Signature block: Name, Film Festival Director, Organization name, Logo, Phone, Email]
15. Scholarship Selection Judge Invitation
Subject: Invitation to Help Select Student Scholarship Winners
Dear Mrs. Reynolds,
The Community Fund asks you to help pick winners for our College Scholarship Program. We need your picks by July 25, 2026.
Your work with student success and your deep ties to our town make you a trusted voice. Each year we give ten $2,500 scholarships to local high school seniors, and your input would help us find the most worthy students.
We will email you 20-25 applications by June 30th. You would have about three weeks to review them and score each one based on our form. You can do this from home at times that work for you.
We thank all judges at our award dinner on August 15th, where you can meet the students you helped.
Could you give some time to help these hard-working students reach college? Please let me know by June 15th if you can join our five-person panel.
Warmly,
[Signature block: Full name, Scholarship Committee Chair, Fund details, Contact information]
Conclusion: Email Invitations for Judges
Writing a good judge invitation takes a bit of care. The right words show you respect the judge’s time and skills. A clear, kind email makes judges more likely to say yes.
Keep all emails simple and on topic. Add just the right details about the event and why you picked each judge. Allow them enough time to answer and make sure they know how to ask questions.
With these tips and the samples above, you can write emails that help get the best judges for your events. This leads to better contests and happier people all around.