The association said it was inviting experts in the direct marketing industry in order to get more people involved in the annual and to increase transparency in the judging process.
The DMA said it would be considering potential judges with skills from all sectors of the industry, including art direction, planning, media and data, as well as representatives with environmental expertise to judge its newly introduced Green Initiative category.
According to the DMA's rules on judge nominations, candidates do not need to have won an award in the past, or need to have been recommended by a previous DMA award winner or judge.
Heather Westgate, chair of the DMA Awards Committee, said: "We are committed to ensuring that the calibre of judges is of the highest possible standard.
"This means reviewing the panel every year to include more people with the appropriate levels of skill and insight in the judging of the most prestigious awards in the industry."
Nominations for judges need to be made online via the award's homepage by August 31, with nominations for entries closing on September 14.
The final ceremony takes place on December 4 at Grosvenor House Hotel in London's Park Lane.