Speaking as a professional magician for almost 25 years, I feel it's important to point out that Tony Hassini and the International Magicians Society is a bit of a "flash with no substance" kind of thing. It was created as a business model for Hassini and he gives awards to famous magicians to bolster the reputation of the IMS. Nothing really wrong with this - it's business. Just don't give any real praise to award recipients. They won solely due to their press value.
Speaking as a professional magician for almost 25 years, I feel it's important to point out that Tony Hassini and the International Magicians Society is a bit of a "flash with no substance" kind of thing. It was created as a business model for Hassini and he gives awards to famous magicians to bolster the reputation of the IMS. Nothing really wrong with this - it's business. Just don't give any real praise to award recipients. They won solely due to their press value.