Gold Awards are judged from 8 x 10 gloss prints, unlike many pro competitions, and the judges are former Gold winners - selection by a peer-group, if a self-perpetuating one. However, the judging process is non-subjective and involves many judges. Innovation is generally rewarded.
Green's Gold Awards for electronic prints have caused the greatest rift in the professional photographic community for some time. Further 'digital Golds' have been awarded to others, but professionals are deeply divided, some saying that this is not photography and not the work of the author, others saying that all routes to the creation of art are valid means.
The opponents seem to be under the impression that the computer or program is in some way deciding the result, or responsible for it. This is not the case, and Green's final wall portraits from electronic work are all enlargements made on conventional paper, after copying the dye-sub print to color negative stock.
The controversy seems set to continue, and parallel arguments are taking place in industrial and advertising photography circles.