How is this usage of 選ばれる understood?


I encountered an odd use of 選ばれる in the sentences below:

> 毎年「流行語大賞」が選ばれている

> 本屋大賞はなぜ選ばれるのですか

It is weird to say that "[award] gets selected" in English. How is 選ばれる best
understood here?




選ばれる in this context refers to the fact that a winner is selected (as in,
somebody designed an award, criteria and goes through the process of finding
candidates and selecting the winner).

E.g. 毎年「流行語大賞」が選ばれている simply means they every year do 流行語大賞. This sentence:
本屋大賞はなぜ選ばれるのですか asks why they have 本屋大賞.

You can also say things like 選ばれる旅行会社 仲間は選ばないと 選んでる場合ではない etc.

