Seven red flags to look out for before entering an award

Awards are fantastic ways to gain recognition, boost your brand, and stand out against the competition. With numerous awards progammes out there, it’s crucial to recognise potential red flags that may indicate an award is not legitimate or worth your time.  

Here are some key warning signs you should look out for before entering an award.  

The process for who gets on to the shortlist/wins is unclear 

A big red flag is a lack of transparency around how the award is judged. It’s a sign that the competition might not be operating on fair and objective grounds. Legitimate awards will have a well-documented and clearly communicated judging process. This might include a panel of industry experts and or/clear scoring rubrics. 

You can’t get hold of the organisers to ask questions 

Legitimate awards should have a team of organisers who are available to answer questions about the process, the judging criteria, and any other details. You should be able to contact them through phone, emails and on social media, (or at least one of these).  

The same companies seem to win every year (and you’ve never heard of them) 

If you notice the same companies winning year after year – especially companies you’ve never heard of – this should tingle those Spidey senses. While a genuinely outstanding company can win multiple times, it’s unlikely that an award would consistently favour the same winners if they were running a truly competitive and fair process. 

The awards are linked to a group, and that group judges them  

Some awards are closely tied to a specific group or association, which can limit the fairness of the judging process. If you’re not a member of that group or don’t fit into their ideal demographic or industry profile, you might find it nearly impossible to win. 

No published criteria for judging 

Awards programs that don’t explain how finalists are chosen or how winners are determined should make you suspicious about whether the results are credible.  

The judging is based on votes only (or a strong majority)  

Another big red flag is when the outcome of the awards is based solely, or predominantly, on votes – especially when voting is open to the public. While this can work in specific contexts, like the Mother & Baby Awards where consumer experiences directly reflect product quality, it’s not ideal for many other sectors, particularly for smaller businesses. This format is about popularity, not quality, and you’ll end up in a social media race to generate votes in order to be successful. Quality awards are given on the merit of the company, project or team, not on their ability to get people to vote for them. Read our blog on whether an award as valuable if it’s won based on a public vote rather than judged.  

They’ve contacted you to say you’re shortlisted without you giving them any info  

One of the biggest red flags we know is being contacted out of the blue by an awards organisation to tell you that you’ve been shortlisted – even though you haven’t provided any information about your business. This is particularly concerning when they claim to have “validated” your business through social media or online content. 

Legitimate awards require an application or nomination process, where you provide specific details about your achievements, products, or services. Suppose you’re shortlisted without ever submitting an entry. In that case, it’s likely the organisation is more interested in getting you to attend their awards ceremony (for a fee) than recognising your true accomplishments. Some legitimate awards encourage others to nominate people they think should enter. If that’s the case you’ll be approached to provide lots of information to flesh out the details of the entry. They’re unlikely to tell you who nominated you, but this is more legitimate than somehow being pre-qualified by desktop research.  

How you can save yourself time and energy  

Navigating the maze of award programmes can be tricky, which is why partnering with a team like Awards Writers can make all the difference. With industry knowledge and experience, we can help guide you toward awards that offer real value and recognition while steering you away from competitions that aren’t worth your time. 

Whether you’re new to entering awards or looking to enhance your chances of winning, having a team with insider expertise ensures you’re on the right path. Don’t leave your success to chance – work with professionals who can boost your business’s profile the right way. If you want to avoid the seven red flags to look out for before entering awards,  contact us today!