Lots of different categories, with each quilt having a very specific category to be in, is obviously the best way to handle a quilt show. And usually there are many categories in the large shows. The problem occurs on a smaller, local level. In a small quilt show there just aren't enough entrants to have a multitude of categories. You'd end up with very few quilts in each category, and it could happen that there were only four quilts in one category. Then in that category everyone would be a winner with one poor soul singled out as "not a winner". Bad, bad, bad. Can't have that. Much as we'd like it to be, it's just not a perfect world, even for us quilters. (sigh)