The Global Finals are held each August in Boston, bringing together competitors who have advanced from the preliminary rounds. Finalists may perform live on stage before the jury or enter the online division by submitting a video from anywhere in the world. Both formats are judged by the same panel and under the same criteria — technical accuracy, musicality and expression, and stage performance. Every finalist receives detailed written commentary from the judging committee, with criterion-by-criterion feedback rather than a score alone.