Wait, let me get this straight, you go to shows where the spectators vote on who gets class awards? I've never seen such a show and one wouldn't last beyond its first year if they did. I go to lots of shows and they are always participant votes or judged by some group without conflicts.
My big surprise this year was going to Moparfest in Ontario. Biggest Mopar show in Canada. Over 1500 cars on the showfield. No classes, no awards, no voting, no judging. A good time was had by all! I got to see 1500 Mopars that I had never seen before!
Oh and for the complainers about the Dead Pecker Bench crowd (I'm 67) I drove 6000 miles to that show, snagging one of the only prizes there - long distance, and spent quite a bit of time helping the first effort 19 year old next to me get his dead Duster running so he could get home (with a list of suggested work before he drove it again).