Nominating someone for an award is a fantastic way to acknowledge their hard work, influence, and contributions to their field and to society. Having conducted some research in this area, we chose to participate in the Top 100 Influential People Award, a prestigious recognition aimed at celebrating outstanding professionals such as entrepreneurs, scientists, social workers, educationalists, those in the charity sector, and more. In this article, we will share our experience of the nomination process, offering useful insights and tips on how to make sure your nominee truly stands out and merits acknowledgment of their achievements.
Top 100 Influential People Award
Run in association with Awards Intelligence, the Top 100 Influential People Award is set up to reward those who have had a real impact within their sector and beyond; to acknowledge the positive influence they have had. We knew that if we were to have a chance of success, we had to get this right, and we turned initially to the organisation’s website to see what information we could glean.
Firstly, we couldn’t help but be impressed. All the information necessary to completing a nomination is readily available and it makes the whole process straightforward and stress-free. Not only can you find out about the award itself and the benefits for winners, but there is also the opportunity for nominators who lead busy lives, to have their nomination professionally drafted by Awards Intelligence – more of this later.
What you need to know before applying
Before starting the nomination process, it is essential to carefully review the deadlines and timelines. Make sure you know when nominations open, close, and any key dates for submissions or additional materials. Missing a deadline can mean missing out on the opportunity to have your nominee recognised. The deadline for nominations this year is 14th November 2024, so there is still time to enter.
If you decide to make the nomination yourself, as we did, there is plenty of advice on the website in the form of ‘Hints and Tips’, and suggestions as to what to include in the pursuit of a successful nomination. This can seem daunting, especially if you are undecided as to whether your nominee is likely to succeed. However, should you be unsure as to your nominee’s potential, the Top 100 have a Helpline, and will provide at no cost an honest assessment of this possibility. Our enquiry met with a swift and considered response, and it was good to know that we were on the right track.
Nomination Process: Key Steps
The entry form can be conveniently downloaded from the website, and we found it to be self-explanatory, with guidelines on the information required and indications of the length in words for each section. Easy to negotiate, there was nothing to trip up the unsuspecting nominator and each step clear-cut and uncomplicated. Moreover, the team at Top 100 couldn’t be more helpful in terms of providing assistance; and the fact that there is the possibility to place the entry into the capable hands of Awards Intelligence – whose experience at creating individual, bespoke nominations is very reassuring – makes the whole process very positive indeed.
Completing the form
Completion of the form is straightforward, and we made sure that we adhered to the criteria which cover short and long-term impact, commitment to sector growth, evidence of innovation, sustainability and ESG commitments, along with benefits to others, be they those affecting customers, employees and/or investors, plus the local community. Alongside these, there is the opportunity to outline the nominee’s charitable endeavours and the respect in which they are held, both within their sector and the community in which they operate. We also added details of previous recognition of the nominee, including awards already received, media coverage of their achievements and, in their case, the bestowal of academic honours.
Our top tips
It is worth emphasising here that clarity is everything, and it’s always a good idea to avoid long-winded explanations; we aimed for a concise style. Having said that, this is not a CV, and we cannot imagine that the judges will be impressed with a chronological list of posts held. Similarly, we avoided the inclusion of generic comments.
Form submission
Once we had completed our form, we double-checked to ensure that the information we had provided was accurate, clearly presented and within the 2000 words limit – with, in addition, the required additional 200-word summary for inclusion on the Top 100 website should the nomination be successful. We then asked someone else to read it through to reduce the risk of including any errors, then uploaded the form in PDF format and submitted it with our entry fee of £114. To reiterate, nominations are open until the 14th of November 2024.
Benefits for Winners
The benefits for winners could be termed as endless, as to receive such significant recognition is something that will always be associated with them. On the Top 100 website, the organisation gives a list of the many benefits which include: an enhanced reputation, as a pillar in the Top 100 Centre of Excellence; increased business growth; a boost to existing client trust and loyalty; improved visibility and impressed potential investors and partnerships; and enhanced brand equity with current and prospective projects.
Announcement of Winners
The Top 100 website states that the results of this year’s judging process will be announced at the beginning of December. Successful nominees will be formally listed on the website along with a 200-word summary of their background and achievements and a photograph. We are looking forward to this event with anticipation and hoping that our nominee is successful. It will be a wonderful early Christmas present for them and well-deserved acknowledgment of all they have achieved in their sphere.
If you are looking to do the same for someone you know, we would recommend this as a thoroughly worthwhile experience.
