The International Magicians Society (IMS) is a magic society created by Tony Hassini to "help promote and preserve the art of magic and provide a format where magicians could share their secrets and ideas."
[1][2] The IMS claims on its website that it was founded in 1968, though this date has been questioned, and asserted to actually be 1994.
[1] The IMS website also claims that the Merlin Award statuette, designed by Hassini, was created in 1964 by Carol Michaud, a New York University art student.
[2][4] Illusionist Morgan Strebler blogged that he received a Merlin Award in 2011.
[8] The distribution of Merlin Awards to virtually unknown magicians in relatively remote areas of the world has drawn scrutiny.