I like to think that my judges are honored to be part of the Julia M. Usher’s Cookie Art Competition™ team, but, let’s be frank: judging is a lot of hard work that requires an incredible commitment to excellence, thoroughness, and careful review. Judging is also very quiet work that goes on behind the scenes to ensure a bias-free process that’s fair and even-handed for all. That said, my competition judges often skirt under the radar, not getting all of the recognition that they truly deserve.

Well, today, I’m here to correct the latter – and to let my judges know how deeply honored I am to have them on my team! Four of the five judges – Sandie Beltran (You Can Call Me Sweetie), Stephanie Kappel (The Hungry Hippopotamus), Beatriz Muller (Gingerneers), and Laura Saporiti (Laura Saporiti Pastry & Cake Art) – have returned and are bringing with them multiple years of judging experience. I am also thrilled to welcome a new judge, Anna Oliinyk (Sunday Cookers), whose stellar reputation as a cookie artist precedes this introduction. Not only is she a two-time winner of my competition, but she was also a finalist in the 2024 American Cake Awards and has been recognized on Food Network and as an instructor across the country. Together, my judges bring well over 50 years of decorating experience to the table and have distinguished themselves in nearly every aspect of cookie decorating, from painting and piping to dimensional sculpting and 3-D construction. In other words, they are nothing short of amazing!

These judges are also the reason why my competition is such a wonderful learning experience, as they are the ones who contribute to the epic feedback that entrants receive (when feedback is requested). Remember: You must email me (sweetlife@juliausher.com) to request feedback prior to the entry deadline on May 31, 2025. Since each individual feedback form can take a couple of hours to write, we only process detailed feedback for those who request it.

Anywho, back to the judges! Please join me in giving them a huge round of applause! 👏🏻 (And, please ignore my mug in the context of the next photo. As I explain in the official judge reveal post on Cookie Connection, I don’t actually evaluate any of the entries; I am merely an overseer and organizer of the judging process.)

You can also hear directly from three of the 2025 judges in the video below. Though created back in 2021, the video and its messages are still relevant to this year’s competition. In it, Sandie, Stephanie, and Laura share more info about their own cookie journeys, as well as tips about the things that make competition entries truly stand out. (If you’re entering, this video is very much worth the eight to nine minutes that it takes to review.)

And, of course, I encourage you to learn more about these incredibly talented cookiers by jumping over to Cookie Connection and exploring all of their bios in the official 2025 judge reveal post. They’re certainly an impressive lot!

P.S. Don’t forget to spread the word of this competition on social media via this post’s “SHARE” links. I’m also aiming for a record turnout this year! 😀

KEY COMPETITION LINKS: