​Florida Magician Of The Year Contest (FL-MOTY)

Florida's most magical celebration of all times--The Florida Magician of the Year (FL-MOTY) Contest is held annually in Historic Cocoa Village, Florida. This magical performance highlights Florida's most talented magicians. Magicians from the state of Florida compete for the coveted title of Florida Magician of the Year. This annual event brings amateur and professional magicians of all ages together for one unforgettable magical performance. The contest is open to all Florida magicians from across the entire state, however, only the finalists will make it to the live contest. Florida champions of magic come together for a friendly battle to earn the prestigious title of Florida Magician of the Year. The Florida Magician of the Year Contest is designed to preserve and promote the art of magic by highlighting magical talents performed by Florida magicians. Three titles are awarded each year starting with the junior division for ages 7-11, which awards the title -- Junior Florida Magician of the Year. The youth division covers ages 12-17, which leads to the title-- Youth Florida Magician of the Year. The adult division leads to the title of Florida Magician of the Year

Magic Dove History:

Magic Dove Magic Shop, located in Cocoa Village, Florida, has been the host for youth magic contests since the summer of 2006. After hosting many youth magic contests throughout the years, in 2009 Magic Dove implemented a monthly contest and added an adult division. In 2010 the Magician of the Year program was implemented with two divisions--youth and adult. The winners of each monthly contest qualified for the final competition held in December of each year. Magic Dove introduced the title Magic Dove Magician of the Year and Youth Magic Dove Magician of the Year. In 2016 a junior division for ages 7-11 was added to give younger magicians an opportunity to compete with their peers. Magic Dove plans to continue their monthly contests for years to come. Each year Magic Dove's contest experience is put to good use for the Florida Magician of the Year Contest.

Florida Magician of the Year Qualification Requirements:

To enter the contest you must first meet two qualifications:
1. Show proof of Florida residency.
2. Show proof of winning first place in a qualifying magic contest within the previous year of which you are competing. If you wish to compete in 2023, you must qualify in 2022. All nationally recognized magic contests automatically qualify for entry. All official state magic contests also qualify. Therefore, if you are a Florida resident and win first place in any national or state reputable magic contest, you automatically qualify. Below we have a list of approved qualifying contests, but the list may not be inclusive of all approved contests.
International Brotherhood of Magicians (I.B.M.)
Society of American Magicians (S.A.M)
Approved Florida Magic Contests:
Daytona Beach Festival of Magic Contest
Florida Magicians Association Contest
Magic Dove Monthly 4-4-4 Magic Contest

If you know of a Florida contest that should be added, please send the information to the Florida Magician of the Year committee ([email protected]). If you are part of a magic club located in the state of Florida, and wish to host a contest to qualify for Florida Magician of the Year, please contact the Florida Magician of the Year Committee and provide the official rules and official judging criteria. Please gain approval prior to hosting the contest.

Florida Residency Requirement:

Please note that just because you win a contest in Florida, does not automatically qualify you to enter Florida Magician of the Year. You must show proof of Florida residency and proof of winning first place in a magic contest.

Florida Magician of the Year Submission Process

Video Submission:

If you qualify to enter the Florida Magician of the Year Contest, submit an eight minute or less video to be judged. The video must be from start to finish of your act with no camera cuts. Video must be recorded within the same year of submission. The video you submit does not have to be the actual act you plan to perform for the final contest.  The video is only used to select the finalists.  What you perform for the live show, may be different from your video submission.

Cost: 

Must pay a $20.00 fee and have entry form submitted with your video by the end November. You may mail a DVD or provide a link to your video. Finalist are selected from the video submissions. Contestants will be notified of the results by email on or before December 15. If you are selected as a finalist to participate in the live performance, you must submit an additional contest fee of $15.00 by December 20. Registration fees are not refundable. Make checks payable to Magic Dove Magic Shop. To pay by PayPal, go to paypal.com and send to [email protected]

Mail registrations to Magic Dove Magic Shop, 604 Brevard Ave., Cocoa, FL 32922

Or email packet to [email protected]

If four or fewer for each category are known to have qualified, the video submission is not required. You will be notified if you have automatically qualified to be a finalist. Once registration fee is received, you are officially registered.

Florida Magician of The Year Divisions:

There are three divisions with three separate awards—junior division, youth division and adult division.

Junior Division is for ages 7-11.

Youth Division is for ages 12-17.

Adult Division is 18 years of age and above.

Note:

If a contestant wins first place at age 17 at a qualifying magic contest, but turns 18 by the date of the Florida Magician of the Year Contest, he/she must compete in the adult division for the finals, but a first-place win in the youth division still qualifies that person to be in the finals. A person who knows they are going to age out of the youth division for the finals, may select to compete in the adult division from the beginning.

Performance Time: Time limits are different for the different age categories.

Adult Division (18+):

No more than two minutes of set-up time and no more than eight (8) minutes of performing time. No more than one-minute tear down time. Any act longer than eight minutes will be disqualified. Only first and second places are awarded trophies.

Youth Division (12-17):

No more than two minutes of set-up time and no more than six (6) minutes of performing time. No more than one-minute tear down time. Any act longer than six (6) minutes will be disqualified. Only first and second places are awarded trophies.

Junior Division (7-11):

No more than two minutes of set-up time and no more than six (6) minutes of performing time. No more than one-minute tear down time. Any act longer than six (6) minutes will be disqualified. First, second and third places are awarded trophies.

Prize Amount:

The award amount may increase based on sponsorships, but the minimum first place prize will be $100.00 gift certificate from Magic Dove Magic Shop, and a trophy.

Judging:

Judges use a score sheet with points up to 100 as a guide to rank the contestants (see judge score sheet). Judges submit ranks of first, second, third, fourth, fifth, etc.… that correspond to the number of contestants (e.g. If there are six contestants, each judge will use their own score sheets as a guide to rank the contestants from one to six). Each rank equals the number value of the rank (e.g. First rank = 1 point, Second rank = 2 points, Third = 3 points, Fourth = 4 points etc.…). The person with the least amount of ranked points wins first place. The person with the next fewest ranked points wins second place. Please note that it is at the judges’ discretion how to rank each person. In each judging category, judges may add additional points or subtract points during the ranking process (AFTER he/she has reviewed all the performances). Judges are encouraged to share their thoughts during the deliberation process. Judges may adjust the points in the AFTER/Deliberation column during the deliberation process. Ultimately, the judges should consider all aspects when ranking the contestants.

Special Note:

The rationale for the AFTER/Deliberation column is for the judges to fairly compare all the acts at the end. It may be that during the performance, the judges assign points that may not accurately reflect their true judgment of the act as it relates to other contestants after seeing ALL the performances. A final deliberation score from each judge, will be used at the end to rank magicians for the FL-MOTY.

Communication with the Judges:

On the day of the contest, contestants and contestants’ family members are not allowed to communicate with the judges prior to the competition. Judges may select to give feedback orally if they wish, but no written feedback will be provided.

Judging Rule of 80%:

To win first place, the contestant MUST score at least an average of 80% of the judging points on the Florida Magician of the Year Judging Form. If this 80% rule is not met, there will also not be a second place. There MUST be a first place for there to be a second place. If there is only one person competing, the 80% rule still applies. If there is only one contestant, the person is competing “against” the score sheet. In this case, the contestant wins first place if he/she has earned at least an average of 80% on the Florida Magician of the Year Form.

Breaking Tie Rule:

In the event of a tie with ranking points, the judges should use the Florida Magician of the Year Form points to break the tie. If these points are the same, it is a true tie and the lowest and highest points are dropped to break the tie. If the points are still the same, the judges should deliberate until a decision is made.

Music and Lighting:

Contestant’s music and lighting needs will be addressed and noted on a cue sheet created at the pre-rehearsal meeting.(See Below)

Performance Content:

The act must have at least one magic trick.

Performance Order:

The order of the acts is selected randomly by a drawing. Contestants who show up late to any contest, including the finals, are not guaranteed a spot in the contest.

Tickets:

Advance tickets available at Magic Dove Magic Shop on December 15.

After Final Contestant Selection is made:

Each contestant must contact Dr. Dan Ezell ([email protected]) and setup a phone conversation appointment. This appointment must be at least five days prior to the performance. This MANDATORY walk-thru is designed to go over the contestant’s act to be shared with the FL-MOTY production team members to prepare for the actual performance. Send music (if any) to ([email protected]) prior to the phone appointment. During the phone conversation we will be preparing cue sheets for the tech team. All cue sheets are final and can not be changed. Efforts will be made to accommodate everyone’s individual needs, but specific time slots may not be available. Your flexibility is appreciated.