In a recent article, we talked about why winning awards is important in PR—now let’s hone in on how to write an award submission that will knock the socks off of the review committee to bring home the gold.
Crafting a compelling award nomination is both an art and a science. It’s a strategic endeavor that, when done right, can greatly enhance your brand visibility. (If you’ve been watching this corner of the internet, you might be aware that the Scatena Daniels team knows a ‘thing or two’ about how to write winning award submissions. Get the full scoop in Headlines, our agency news and information hub).
Selecting Influential Award Opportunities to Pursue
The first step in how to write award submissions is to identify the awards that will be most impactful to your organization. You can start by diving into industry research. Look into trade associations, industry publications, and professional organizations to find awards tailored to your field. Alternatively, consider working with a consultant or PR firm that can offer expertise to guide you toward the most relevant and influential opportunities.
Think about local, regional, and national industry awards. Consider free and paid award opportunities, if your budget allows. Be sure to carefully evaluate paid award nomination opportunities to ensure they come from credible sources and recognized industry organizations.
Keep a detailed list of the awards you are considering, with deadlines, ideas for supporting materials you can compile to showcase your work, and any other relevant information you’ll need. At Scatena Daniels, once a great award opportunity is identified, we build out a project timeline that accounts for review, collaboration, and approval with our clients. We find it helpful to give a longer lead time than necessary (when deadlines allow) to minimize last-minute surprises.
How to Write an Award Submission Tailored for Success
Okay, award submission writers: now that you’ve narrowed down the awards you will be crafting submissions for, it’s time to do your homework on each. Make it your mission to have a good grasp of the award guidelines and criteria.
It’s important for award submission writers to tailor submissions to align seamlessly with the expectations of the organizers. This means adhering to specified format requests, word limits or character counts, and file size constraints. Whenever possible, use specific examples in your nomination copy—stats, case studies, press coverage, and other outcomes—to demonstrate your nominee’s accomplishments, whether nominating an organization or an individual. And, while we all want to shout about our good work from the rooftops, do your best to avoid embellishment.
In a 2024 award-winning submission for the Healthcare Communicators of Southern California Finest Awards, Scatena Daniels detailed campaign goals, the strategies for achieving those goals, and specific outcomes. We included quantifiable results like the total number of media placements, publicity value and reach of each, and any noticeable increases in donations that occurred during our outreach campaign. By including specific details, we demonstrated how the results met and even far exceeded campaign goals.
Lastly, if you are nominating someone from your organization for an individual award, see if you can interview them. What are they most proud of during their time with the organization? What do they want others to know about the organization and their role? These answers will help you craft a more detailed and personalized story that stands out from the competition. Some of the best ‘soundbites’ heard in informal interviews could be the tipping point toward an award-winning submission.
Document Learnings for Future Award Submissions
Finally, document your learnings from each award submission. Was this nomination worth the time and effort you and your team invested? Are there internal processes to tweak that will streamline the process next time? Do you need to ask for testimonials or assemble new case studies to use as supporting materials?
Jot down those thoughts while they’re fresh in your mind. If there are several awards you are considering the following year, it can be helpful to look back at your reflections to recall the awards you want to prioritize.
By heeding these recommendations, you can create award-winning submissions that effectively highlight your nominee’s strengths, align with award criteria, and boost your organization’s reputation.
Are you interested in talking more about boosting visibility for your brand through award wins and nominations? Get in touch with us.