Has anyone tried getting into Red Dot awards? How did it go?

Red Dot is an annual design award, and winning one seems to provide a great boost to one’s career.

But has anyone here tried to apply? They have steep entry pricing for something barely guaranteed, so I wanted to get some insights.

To anyone who has tried applying, have you received any suggestions from the judges board? How was the communication with the board? How significant was the difference between applying early vs late?

Or, have you come across any interviews that discuss any of these topics?

What do tou think about similar design awards in general?