I was a quilt judge in a small county fair. We gave only blue or red ribbons to all with merit ribbons to those who deserved it. Not all categories got a merit ribbon and some got more than one. But entering a quilt in a judged show should be a learning experience, so we added comments to the tags. Even those with merit ribbons might have room for improvement or special feature that earned a comment. No money was given.
At another fair I entered, all quilts got a ribbon; blue, red or white. (Very few whites.) No comments were given but we got money. These were beautifully displayed on racks.
At another fair, only one blue, red, white or pink are awarded. No comments are given, but we got money. If you want to hear any comments you need to be there when they are judged. Then those quilts were folded and put behind glass doors in a cabinet.