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Celebrate someone amazing.
Nominate a Master.
They’re the quiet legends. The creators. The solvers. The mentors.Experts in design, technology, project management, finance – dozens of individual professionals who represent the themed entertainment industry at its best.
These are the TEA Masters.
Nominations need not be a secret. Feel free to contact your nominee to get all the information you need... You may even learn something new about them.
The TEA Masters of Their Craft program recognizes the achievements of individuals — the artists, writers, producers, engineers and craftspeople with distinguished careers who’ve made significant and enduring contributions to the industry through their innovation, leadership, and expertise.
This program recognizes a small number of individuals each year, whose skills epitomize the highest standards within their disciplines and who have used those skills to advance their field and the themed entertainment industry. Each TEA Master has built a body of work over decades that demonstrates consistent quality and execution. Often unknown except among their peers and collaborators, TEA Masters help create visceral stories, rides, attractions, events, and places that thrill, delight, and educate guests worldwide.
Masters come from a wide variety of individual backgrounds and disciplines, with growing international representation. The TEA Masters of Their Craft program celebrates diversity in many forms and appreciates the extreme importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in our chosen fields as it increases the pool of new creative ideas, and broadens the audience that will resonate with, and see themselves in our themed environments. We encourage you who submit nominations to think broadly as you consider your nominees. Let’s seek out those shining stars of more diverse backgrounds who might have been overlooked in the past.
The selection of TEA Masters is more than an honorary recognition; it’s also an invitation to service. Individuals who receive this honor also agree to participate in a range of mentoring and education projects that help students and fellow professionals grow their skills, advance their careers, and establish international standards of excellence.
Notice of Masters Nominations Change for 2025:
Please note that a significant procedural change is being implemented for the 2025 nominations cycle. Prior to this year, eligible nominees of all previous years were carried over for consideration each year since the inception of the TEA Masters in 2018. Starting this year, only nominations within the last three years of submission (2022-present) will be considered for review. Moving forward, existing nominations will only be considered within the 3-year cycle.
We thank those nominators who made submissions prior to 2022 and invite them to refresh their nomination using the current Nominations Form. We also encourage you to submit additional nominations.
If you know someone who represents the highest level of craft and professionalism in their field, we invite you to submit their name for consideration as a TEA Master. Share your stories; tell us why you feel they deserve to be honored. Nominate a colleague you know… who you’ve worked with… shared experiences with… and whose work has impacted our world.
TEA Masters of Their Craft
QUALIFICATION CRITERIA
The TEA Masters of Their Craft program was established by the TEA to annually recognize career-long outstanding achievement by the individuals who plan, create, and build compelling places. These talented people represent over a hundred disciplines that collaborate to make the best rides, theme parks, exhibitions, interactive attractions, and the many other great destinations that attract millions of visitors around the world.
The following are the qualification criteria to be a Masters of Their Craft:
Professional Achievement
- Outstanding performance over a 20+ year career within their discipline
- Experience on the national or global stage
- Played a distinctive role on multiple major or signature projects
- Is a role model and widely respected within their discipline and the industry
Mentorship
- Enthusiastically shares professional knowledge as a mentor
- Empowers others to excel in their own skill and brings out the best in people
- Instills confidence in those around them by epitomizing the highest standards of their discipline
Industry and Subject Matter Achievement (where applicable)
- Has developed innovative ways of creating/producing evidenced by patents, inventions, etc.
- Instrumental in improving/revolutionizing industry or subject matter means and methods
- Long track record of improving the quality and efficiency of their product or service
Willing to Commit to be an active Participant
- Will participate in the TEA Masters recognition ceremony and panel discussion
- Will participate in TEA education and/or mentoring programs with a minimum of two years of commitment and service
Nominees may be asked to submit resumes, photos of completed projects, designs, artwork, work samples, graphics or video containing highlights of their craft to support the selection process.
Owners, operators, or managers of themed entertainment venues, except when directly involved in the creation of compelling places or experiences, Members of the current TEA International Board of Directors, Buzz Price Thea award recipients are ineligible for TEA Master consideration.
If you have any additional questions, please email: [email protected] or call the TEA Global Headquarters: +1 818-843-8497
Some Examples of Crafts & Disciplines
(Non-exhaustive list - for reference only)
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Process
1. Register
Click on the "Register" link and complete and submit the registration form.
2. Login
Login to the nomination portal with your email and password.
3. Create
Create your online nomination.
4. Save
During the Call for Nominations period, your nomination can be saved as DRAFT until all the required information is completed and attachments uploaded. As each section is complete, you will see a 
appear in the tab when the nomination is saved. At any time, you can download and print your nomination by clicking on the 
icon in the Nomination Summary section.
5. Submit
On completion, save your Nomination as FINAL. Download and print a copy of your nomination for your records by clicking on the icon in the Nomination Summary section in the right column. Note: If an update is required prior to the Call for Nominations period, you can make the update and resave as FINAL.
If you require assistance or additional information, please contact Terry Lascon at [email protected]
Log In/Register
NOTE: This form does not use your TEA member information. You will be requested to create a new account for award nominations.
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Key Dates 2025
Contact Us
303 N. Glenoaks Suite 200
Burbank, CA 91502
Phone: +1 818 843-8497
Email: [email protected]
