What to check before entering a business award

Not all awards are created equal. Entering the wrong ones can cost you time, money and credibility. New awards programmes appear regularly, and it’s easy to be tempted by a shiny logo and a promising title. Before entering a business award, you should check things like the judging criteria, voting structure, trophy fees, deadlines and who runs the programme to make sure it’s credible and worth your investment.  

As professional awards writers and experienced judges, we welcome new opportunities to celebrate brilliant work. Healthy competition raises standards. However, when certain elements start to look questionable, it’s important to pause and assess whether an award is genuinely recognising excellence or simply creating noise. 

Here are some of the key red flags to look out for, followed by a practical checklist to use before entering any programme. 

When voting carries too much weight 

Public voting has its place, particularly in community-driven or people’s choice categories. But when a significant percentage of the final score is based on public votes, the focus can shift from quality to popularity. 

Awards should reward strategy, innovation, measurable impact and results. If scoring is heavily influenced by who has the largest audience or the most persuasive marketing campaign, the playing field is no longer level. The best work does not always belong to the biggest mailing list. Always check how entries are assessed and how points are allocated. Transparency here is essential because popularity is not the same as quality. 

“Free” entry, but winners pay 

Some awards advertise free entry but require winners to pay a fee for trophies, tables or promotional packages. There is nothing inherently wrong with charging for tables or event tickets. Almost all established awards programmes operate on this model. Award programmes are a business and need to make money. They can get this from various places, including sponsors and event ticket sales.  

The important question is balance. If the commercial model relies heavily on monetising winners rather than funding a robust judging and administration process upfront, it’s worth asking how selective and rigorous the programme truly is. 

Credible awards are transparent about what fees cover and how revenue supports judging integrity, event production and promotion. 

We’re not saying free to enter awards are bad. Just check out what you will need to pay for if there’s no entry fee.  

Entry limits that don’t match the criteria 

If complex categories require entrants to demonstrate strategy, innovation, implementation and measurable impact, but only allow a very small word count, it becomes difficult to evidence work properly. 

Strong awards strike what we call the Goldilocks balance: enough space to present a compelling, evidence-based case, but not so much that it becomes inaccessible or overly burdensome. If the format does not allow depth, judges may struggle to meaningfully differentiate between entrants. 

Clarity about the judging process and panel 

Fundamentally, you need to know the details of the process you’re considering taking part in. That means the full process should be available on the award programme website. Ideally, scoring criteria would also be easy to find, so you know what you’re being judged against.  

It takes a lot of effort to recruit enough suitably qualified judges for popular awards programmes, so it’s fine that some awards add to the list of judges after entries have opened.  

What really matters is that the judges have the right experience and expertise to assess entries and that there are enough of them to do it.  

Ideally, entries will be assessed by more than one judge to balance out any subjectivity. And judges shouldn’t have any conflicts of interest – a link to the organiser creating a need to sell tables for the ceremony, for example. Or a link to any of the companies whose entries they will be assessing.  

A practical checklist before you enter an award 

To protect your brand and your budget, ask yourself the following: 

Are the judging criteria clear and measurable?
You should be able to see exactly what is being assessed and how. 

Who are the judges?
Do they have relevant expertise and independence? Are potential conflicts of interest addressed? 

How is scoring weighted?
Is it primarily expert-led judging, or does public voting significantly influence the outcome? 

Are the timelines fair and realistic?
Do they allow enough time to prepare a strong entry? 

Are the entry requirements proportionate?
Too little detail suggests limited rigour. Too much can signal unnecessary barriers. Look for balance. 

Why you need award writing experts on your side  

Awards should enhance your credibility, not raise questions about it. The right award can boost your reputation, support recruitment, attract new clients and validate your strategic direction. A 2024 study shows that award-winning companies often experience a substantial increase in earnings, up to 63% for small businesses and 48% for larger corporations. But the wrong one can dilute your brand or deliver very little return on investment.  

After reading this blog, you should be able to identify credible programs and avoid red flags with our checklist. But if you want a strategic, credible and results-focused awards plan for 2026-7, speak to us today.