Who decides Who is a "Master Modeler"?

I do not go to modeling shows and have competed in any competitions either. Mainly because I have a long way to go before I could compare to some of the stuff I have seen. From my point of view we have a lot of individuals on this web site that could be considered masters, mainly because the stuff I see is darn good. That is good enough for me. I understand the competition point of view and those people have formally earned that title and they deserve it. That is my   worth.

Not pertaining to modelling contests but in a more general sense,I would think that one's peers would recognize ones abilities as above and beyond,even if he has never entered or won a contest.for example off the the top of my head,on this site I feel I can call Doog,Manstein,and Espins master modelers,and this is not knowing whether or not they won any contests,but by just observing the quality of their work.Not to slight anyone else because there are probably a dozen more here that I can't call to mind,but I'm sure that the community ie our forum would feel the same way,you just recognize masterful work when you see it.If you enter a contest and win a medal that's just the topping but not absolutley necessary to recognize a "master".

There are few places where master applies with any validity.

In general modeling, it can be applied to a class at a contest reserved for previous first place winners, especially from the sponsoring club's shows. This has become increasingly rare as it is hard to administer.

In the world of AMPS, Masters is a category for particularly advanced builders who have consistently won gold in the Advanced category. In some figure shows, it is the class for professionals and those who consistently win golds in the open classes.

In the figure world, certain events, such as World Expo will bestow the title on painters/sculptors who have shown exceptional skills in the field of figure painting and sculpting.

Anything else is just and as meaningless as "museum quality" and "professionally built."

Generally, someone who has won modeling awards in higher level competitions, i.e. National level or international level.