Award Nomination Writing Guide

Crafting a compelling nomination can be the difference between a welldeserved win and an overlooked achievement. This guide walks you through the essential steps, tips, and examples to help you write nominations that shine.

Why Nominations Matter

Recognition programs exist to celebrate excellence, inspire peers, and reinforce organizational values. A strong nomination not only showcases the nominees accomplishments but also conveys the impact of those achievements on the team, client, or industry.

A great nomination tells a story that the judges can see themselves in.

1. Preparation

Gather Evidence

Quantitative data sales numbers, cost savings, performance metrics.
Qualitative feedback client testimonials, peer comments, manager observations.
Relevant dates project start/end, milestones, deadlines met.

Understand the Criteria

Read the award description carefully. Most programs list:

Core competencies or values.
Specific categories (e.g., leadership, innovation, community service).
Eligibility requirements (tenure, role, geography).

Match each criterion with a concrete example from the nominees record.

2. Structure Your Nomination

A clear, logical structure helps judges follow your narrative.

Introduction Briefly state who you are, your relationship to the nominee, and the award you are entering.
Overview of Achievements Summarize the nominees most significant contributions.
Detailed Evidence Provide specific stories and data aligned with each award criterion.
Impact Explain the lasting effect on the organization, customers, or industry.
Closing Statement Reaffirm why the nominee deserves the award and thank the selection committee.

3. Writing Tips

Be Specific, Not Vague

Instead of John is a great leader, write John led a crossfunctional team of 12, delivering a $3M product launch 4 weeks ahead of schedule while maintaining a 95% customer satisfaction rate.

Use Active Voice

Active phrasing (She created a new workflow) reads stronger than passive (A new workflow was created by her).

Quantify Whenever Possible

Numbers give credibility. Reduced processing time by 30% is more persuasive than Improved efficiency.

Show, Dont Just Tell

Include short anecdotes, quotes, or case studies that illustrate the nominees actions.

Stay Within Word Limits

Most awards cap entries at 500800 words. Edit ruthlessly: remove redundancies and focus on the strongest examples.

4. Common Mistakes to Avoid

Overinflated language Hyperbole can undermine credibility.
Irrelevant details Stick to achievements that align with the award criteria.
Missing deadlines Late submissions are automatically disqualified.
Formatting errors Follow the submission guidelines (font size, file type, etc.).
Too many nominees If the form asks for a single nominee, choose the strongest candidate rather than a list.

5. Sample Nomination Excerpt

Note: This is an illustrative excerpt, not a full nomination.

Nominee: Maya Patel  Senior Project ManagerAward: Innovation in Process ImprovementMaya identified a bottleneck in our contractreview workflow that added an average of 7 days to close deals. She assembled a crossdepartmental task force, mapped the endtoend process, and introduced an automated approval system. Within three months, contract turnaround time dropped to 2 daysa 71% reductiondirectly contributing to a $1.2M increase in quarterly revenue. Thanks to Mayas solution, we can now respond to client requests in real time, says senior VP of Sales. This improvement not only boosted customer satisfaction (NPS rose from 68 to 82) but also set a new standard for operational efficiency across the organization.