How to Write a Winning Award Nomination: A Guide for PR Pros

Major editorial awards are now open for nominations — and thousands of companies are submitting for these prestigious honors.

These awards are more than just bragging rights; they serve as third-party validation, offering credibility and visibility that money alone can’t buy. Strong recognition also fuels recruitment, strengthens business development, and, for startups, signals confidence to investors.

But here’s the catch: winning isn’t just about listing your company’s most significant accomplishments. In fact, there’s a formula for writing a powerful award nomination. As PR practitioners, we know the difference between a solid entry and one that gets shortlisted often comes down to strategy, structure, and storytelling. Below, we break down the three core elements every strong application should include.

The Application: Start with the Basics, Then Go Beyond

Every award nomination begins with a form. While it may seem straightforward, the strongest applications don’t just “fill in the blanks.” Instead, they approach the form as an opportunity to present the company’s narrative in a way that mirrors the editorial voice of the awarding outlet.

Tips for PR teams:

• Know the audience: If Fast Company emphasizes innovation, highlight the “new” and “first.” If Inc. is focused on business impact, spotlight growth and social responsibility. Tailor each response to the award’s criteria.
• Answer every question directly: Skipping or brushing off even one field can knock you out early. Write with clarity and confidence because judges read hundreds of applications.
• Stay concise: Editors don’t want jargon-filled essays. Use tight, punchy sentences that get straight to the point while making the impact clear.

Think of the form as a pitch: it needs to be complete, compelling, and accessible to someone unfamiliar with your brand.

The Data Points: Proof Wins Over Puffery

Editors and judges are trained to look past marketing fluff. Data is what validates your claims. That means moving beyond adjectives (“best,” “fastest,” “unmatched”) and offering specifics that prove the point.

What works well:

• Growth metrics: revenue, user adoption, ARR, or market share.
• Impact numbers: carbon saved, hours reduced, communities served, dollars donated.
• Benchmark comparisons: show how your company outpaces the industry or fills a market gap.

Tie numbers back to real-world results. For example, “reduced clients’ energy costs by 30% in one year” carries more weight than “we save clients money.”

For PR teams, this is also where you can add context. Translate numbers into impact: don’t just say “10,000 customers,” explain what it means in terms of reach, scale, or industry influence.

The Story: Make It Human

Awards aren’t just about companies. They’re about people, purpose, and the “why” behind the business. The best applications strike a balance between complex data and a compelling story.

Elements to weave into your narrative:

• Origin story: Why was the company founded? What problem did it set out to solve?
• Mission and values: How are these reflected in your day-to-day work?
• Human impact: Share customer anecdotes, employee spotlights, or case studies that put a face to your results.

Judges want to feel the story. That doesn’t mean turning the form into a novel, but adding just enough human detail to make the company memorable. For example: “We built our platform to help single parents manage their finances more easily. Today, over 40% of our customers have saved over $10,000.”

PR teams should think of this section as editorial storytelling: put the numbers into narrative form, highlight tension and resolution, and emphasize the company’s broader role in the world.

Pulling It Together

The best award submissions are equal parts well-organized application, hard proof, and memorable story. PR professionals have a unique advantage here: we’re trained to distill complex company narratives into concise, compelling, and media-ready language.

When done right, award nominations can be another channel for thought leadership and reputation building. And for the companies that win, the validation can open doors no marketing budget can buy.