Opus

The Codecraft Opus Award recognizes a codebase for outstanding craftsmanship in most or all of the following areas: architecture/design, coding, testing, and delivery. It is shared jointly by those people “in the trenches” who contributed blood, sweat, and tears to build something great–and those contributors are named, along with their codebase, in the citation. Because it characterizes excellence during a specific calendar year, the same codebase may receive the award more than once.

Crescendo

The Codecraft Crescendo Award exists because many of us have a big ball of mud to clean up before we can build something awesome–and the cleanup can exhibit its own kind of awesomeness. A Crescendo recognizes a dramatic uptick in code quality–a praiseworthy refactoring effort that moves the needle in ways that make a big difference to a team’s morale and prospects. Like the Opus, both a codebase and its team receive the award. Unlike the Opus, it can’t be awarded repeatedly to the same recipients; we don’t get to refactor forever. :-)

Maestro

The Codecraft Maestro Award recognizes an individual for providing skilled, unselfish, and impactful leadership to a team that receives an Opus or Crescendo award.