When it comes to winning awards, writing a great nomination is half the battle.
If you’re thinking about putting a cloud superstar, an innovative organization, or a transformative digital project forward for one of our awards, we’ve pulled together some top tips to help you smash your nomination and give your nominee the best possible shot at landing one of our coveted Digital Revolution Awards trophies!
Plus, read advice from our expert judging panel on what they’ll be looking out for.
Right off the bat, your nomination needs to make it clear to the judge reading it who you’re nominating and why. Think of your nomination like a news story—you open with the key points, summing up the story in a few lines, and get into more detail as you go.
Make sure your nomination covers who the nominee is, what they do, why they or their work is notable, and what impact has their work has had up top, so the reader has proper context as you expand on your nomination.
Providing hard evidence to back up your reasoning is the best way to sell your nomination. Make sure you include links to news articles, case studies, videos, social media posts, or testimonials in your nomination; basically anything that backs up what you’re saying and showcases your nominee’s work or achievements!
“Before you even begin writing or filming your submission, it’s important to plan ahead and consider the category that you’re entering,” advises Zoë Morris, President at Frank Recruitment Group.
“Firstly, you’ll want to make sure the person or organization you’re nominating meets the criteria, but also that your submission will highlight this. If you’re unsure where to start, looking at previous winners or shortlists can show you examples of what has caught a panel’s attention before.”
Judges will look for tangible examples of excellence and achievement; it’s easy to say that your colleague is great, but make sure you explain why!
Focus on outcome and impact: What did your nominee achieve, and what effects did it have? How did their actions improve or change things? Don’t exaggerate, but don’t be afraid to blow your own or your nominee’s trumpet either!
“You need to figure out the key points you want to make, and those that tick the boxes of the award itself,” says Zoë Morris, “to ensure it’s a clear and concise submission. Remember that great work speaks for itself, so don’t be tempted to go overboard explaining the reasoning behind your nomination.”
Referring back to the award criteria to make sure you hit the key points is a valuable way to stay on track and make sure you’re delivering everything judges need to weigh up your submission.
“A nomination needs to be crisp, concise, and focus on outcomes achieved without loads of motherhood statements,” advises Wendy O’Keeffe, Executive Vice President and Managing Director at NEXTGEN Asia.
“Be clear about what you have achieved and what impact that had on your business, customer, or community.”
Of course, quality matters, but an outstanding nomination isn’t about being word-perfect; it’s about letting your passion and admiration for the nominee shine through.
Be personal and feel free to include anecdotes and personal stories if they’re relevant; these may be cloud computing awards, but we’re all about celebrating the human achievements behind the tech. (Don’t feel that you need to move anyone to tears here either, though. This isn’t the Oscars.)
Nothing undermines your efforts to celebrate excellence like poor spelling and grammar, so spellcheck your nomination before you send it! The judges have many nominations to read, and no one wants to second-guess a nomination because it’s difficult to read or understand.
Don’t leave it too late! There’s nothing worse than writing a panicked nomination hours before the deadline, only to realize later that you’ve missed out important information. Of course, you don’t have to submit your nomination immediately but start on it in good time in case you think of something else to add later.
Ready to submit your nomination and give an outstanding individual or organisation in tech the recognition they deserve? Here’s what you’ll need to submit your Digital Revolution Awards nomination:
Nominations should be a maximum of 800 words (we need those juicy details, although not so many that they fill a book!), and you can include links to supporting evidence within that limit. You also can submit a short video outlining your nomination if that’s more your style!
Get your entry submitted before our October 31st deadline and it could be your name that’s celebrated during one of our ceremonies!
Follow the Digital Revolution Awards on Twitter for the latest news and updates.
