Accountancy Award Categories 2024
The Awards are designed to showcase and celebrate finance talent across the region. The following award categories reflect the breadth of specialisms and roles across the profession, and enable talent to be recognised across the career span from Rising Star of the Year to Firm of the Year. The relevant period for work for the awards from April 2023 to April 2024. Judging Day will take place on Thursday 23rd May at St. James’ Park, Newcastle upon Tyne.
Deadline for nominations 19th April 2024
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Accounting Apprentice of the Year
Eligibility: This award is open to those in an apprentice or trainee position actively studying towards an accounting qualification, such as ATT or AAT.
Judges will require evidence of the following:
- Innovation – examples of new ideas, fresh prospectives and ways to improve in the role
- Above & beyond – evidence of a proactive approach in meeting and exceeding customer or team leader expectations
- Continuous learning – commitment to ongoing professional development and a keen willingness to acquire new skills
- Enthusiasm – commitment to the role and an enthusiastic attitude towards the profession.
- Team work – effective collaboration within the team
Excellence in Finance Award
Eligibility: This award is open to all individuals working in finance including accountants, finance managers, credit controllers, tax advisers, finance controllers, auditors etc.
Judges will require evidence of the following:
- Impact – Evidence of instances where the nominee has added significant value to the business or clients through their contributions.
- Innovation – examples of the implementation of new initiatives that have positively impacted their own business or the clients
- Above & beyond – exceptional client service, ensuring a high level of satisfaction, and exceeding expectations
- Continuous learning – Commitment to ongoing professional development and keeping abreast of industry changes
- Technical ability – demonstrative skillset and ability in their specific areas of expertise
- Leadership – examples of strong leadership, project management skills and collaborative team work
Partner of the Year
Eligibility: This award is open to all partners or managing partners in an accounting firm or practice
Judges will require evidence of the following:
- Impact – Evidence of achieving and exceeding financial targets, contributing to the overall success and growth of the firm
- Innovation – examples of the implementation of new initiatives that have positively impacted the business and/or the clients
- Strategy – tangible examples of how financial strategies and decisions have contributed to the overall growth and success of their clients
- Culture – Investing in the professional development of team members, fostering a positive and inclusive workplace
- Leadership – develops and executes a clear strategic vision for the firm’s future, aligned with the overall business goals and industry trends
Rising Star Accountant of the Year
Eligibility: This award is open to accountants who have been in their role for 5 years or less and can demonstrate rapid progress and achievement in this time. Applicants should be qualified chartered accountants or studying towards a chartered accountancy qualification.
Judges will require evidence of the following:
- Impact – Specific examples highlighting the nominee’s recent achievements that have directly benefited clients or the company
- Innovation – examples of the implementation of new initiatives that have positively impacted their own business or the clients
- Above & beyond – exceptional client service, ensuring a high level of satisfaction, and exceeding client and/or managers expectations
- Continuous learning – commitment to ongoing professional development and a keen willingness to acquire new skills
- Enthusiasm – Commitment to the role and an enthusiastic attitude towards the profession
- Team work – effective collaboration within the team and examples of emerging leadership skills
Category Sponsored by:
Finance Leader of the Year
Eligibility: This award is open to all individuals holding a senior level position with overall responsibility for a team, department or business. Positions include – senior managers, directors, CFO’s etc
Judges will require evidence of the following:
- Impact – Evidence of achieving and exceeding financial targets, contributing to the overall success and growth of the company
- Innovation – examples of the implementation of new initiatives that have positively impacted their own business or the clients
- Strategy – tangible examples of how financial strategies and decisions have contributed to the overall growth and success of the organisation
- Culture – Investing in the professional development of team members, fostering a positive and inclusive workplace
- Relationships – Building and maintaining strong relationships across departments. Working proactively with key stakeholders, board members and external partners.
Category sponsored by:
TEAM AWARDS
Business Finance Team of the Year
Eligibility: This award is open to all finance teams working in the private sector. Teams must consist of two or more people.
Judges will require evidence of the following:
- Impact – evidence of how achieved results have positively impacted the company and/or clients
- Innovation – examples of the implementation of new initiatives that have positively impacted the business and/or the clients
- Technical ability – demonstrate a strong and varied skillset across the team providing evidence of continued professional development
- Team work – ability to effectively contribute and work together as a team
- Collaboration – demonstrate effectiveness in collaborating seamlessly with other departments for achieving common goals
- Culture – initiatives undertaken for staff development, creating a positive team culture and fostering diversity and inclusivity within the work environment. Provide details on ESG initiatives.
Category Sponsored by:
Corporate Finance Deal of the Year
Eligibility: This award is open to corporate finance departments and corporate recovery departments operating within accountancy firms and corporate financial advisers. Nb: Due to the popularity of this category nominations will be blind reviewed by the judges prior to the judging day with only the top 6 going through to the interview stage.
Judges will require evidence of the following:
- Innovation – Display of innovative thinking in the initiation and negotiation of the deal
- Impact – Illustration of how the deal has been optimised to provide maximum benefit to the regional economy
- Collaboration – Effective collaboration between stakeholders and advisors to ensure the success of the deal
- Results – Showcasing how the deal contributes to increased financial strength for all involved parties, including advisors, customers, employees, financiers, and owners
Category sponsored by:
Public Sector Finance Team of the Year
Eligibility: This award is open to all finance teams working in the public sector or third sector. Teams must consist of two or more people.
Judges will require evidence of the following:
- Impact – evidence of how achieved results have positively impacted the organisation
- Innovation – examples of the implementation of new initiatives that have positively impacted the organisation
- Technical ability – demonstrate a strong and varied skillset across the team providing evidence of continued professional development
- Team work – ability to effectively contribute and work together as a team
- Collaboration – demonstrate effectiveness in collaborating seamlessly with other departments for achieving common goals
- Culture – initiatives undertaken for staff development, creating a positive team culture and fostering diversity and inclusivity within the work environment. Provide details on ESG initiatives.
Category sponsored by:
INDIVIDUAL & TEAM AWARDS
Excellence in Tax
Eligibility: This award is open to all those working in the field of tax, including tax advisers, tax teams, accountants specialising in tax etc.
Judges will require evidence of the following:
- Impact – demonstrate how achieved results have benefitted clients and/or your business
- Innovation – examples of the implementation of new initiatives that have positively impacted the clients and/or business.
- Technical ability – demonstrate technical proficiency and provide examples of navigating complex tax issues
- Above & beyond – exceptional client service, ensuring a high level of satisfaction, and exceeding expectations
- Collaboration – demonstrate effectiveness in collaborating seamlessly with peers, other departments or third parties to reach a common goal
- Continued learning – commitment to ongoing professional development and keeping abreast of industry changes
Category sponsored by:
ESG Impact Award
Eligibility: This award is open to teams and individuals who can demonstrate their commitment and achievements in the realm of Environmental, Social, and Governance.
Judges will require evidence of the following:
- Demonstrate commitment to minimising the environmental impact of business operations.
- Development and implementation of programs that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within the organisation
- Implementation of robust governance structures that ensure accountability and ethical decision-making.
- Evidence of employee-driven ESG initiatives or involvement in community service projects.
- Clear and comprehensive reporting on ESG performance, goals, and outcomes.
- Tangible evidence of the positive impact resulting from ESG initiatives.
FIRM AWARDS
Emerging Firm of the Year
Eligibility: This award is open to Accountancy firms who started trading within the last 5 years (from January 2019 onwards)
Judges will require evidence of the following:
- Impact – evidence of how achieved results have positively impacted your clients, including revenue growth and stability
- Above & Beyond – demonstrate excellence in delivering high-quality client services
- Innovation – Implementation of innovative practices and new technology to enhance service delivery
- Culture – initiatives undertaken for staff development, creating a positive team culture and fostering diversity and inclusivity within the work environment.
- Strategy & leadership – show a clear strategic vision for the firm’s future, aligned with the overall business goals and industry trends
- CSR – Provide details on any pro bono work, involvement in the local community and sustainable working initiatives
National Accountancy Firm of the Year
Eligibility: This award is open to national Accountancy firms with an office based in the North East. This award will be judged on the basis of the North East office(s) rather than that of the firm as a whole
Judges will require evidence of the following:
- Impact – evidence of how achieved results have positively impacted your clients, including revenue growth and stability
- Above & Beyond – demonstrate excellence in delivering high-quality client services
- Innovation – Implementation of innovative practices and new technology to enhance service delivery
- Culture – initiatives undertaken for staff development, creating a positive team culture and fostering diversity and inclusivity within the work environment.
- Strategy & leadership – show a clear strategic vision for the firm’s future, aligned with the overall business goals and industry trends
- CSR – Provide details on any pro bono work, involvement in the local community and sustainable working initiatives
Independent Accountancy Firm of the Year
Eligibility: This award is open to independent Accountancy firms based in the North East. Firms may have more than one office but they must be located within the region.
Judges will require evidence of the following:
- Impact – evidence of how achieved results have positively impacted your clients, including revenue growth and stability
- Above & Beyond – demonstrate excellence in delivering high-quality client services
- Innovation – Implementation of innovative practices and new technology to enhance service delivery
- Culture – initiatives undertaken for staff development, creating a positive team culture and fostering diversity and inclusivity within the work environment.
- Strategy & leadership – show a clear strategic vision for the firm’s future, aligned with the overall business goals and industry trends
- CSR – Provide details on any pro bono work, involvement in the local community and sustainable working initiatives
Category sponsored by:
SPECIAL AWARDS
Outstanding Achievement Award
Eligibility: This Award is for individuals who have shown significant achievement over many years and made an outstanding contribution to the accountancy profession or the company which they are part of. Nb: There are no interviews taking place for this award as the winner is chosen by a committee.
Judges will require evidence of the following:
- Background and experience in relation to finance
- Stand out achievements and key results over the years
- Impact on the finance community and the region
- Current position, ambitions and focus areas
- What makes them stand out above the rest
Category sponsored by:
Why Nominate?
There’s no better feeling than walking up on stage and collecting that award. Knowing all your hard work, enthusiasm and diligence has been recognised, not only by your company and clients but by the whole region.
But there’s more to our awards than that, the journey starts long before the night of the awards and is a fantastic way of putting your company in the spotlight. Finalists are announced prior to the the awards through the press, social media and industry bodies as well as the awards website and email marketing. Promo banners are sent to display on your email signature and website offering valuable promotional activity for you and your company. You’ll also have the opportunity to purchase advertising space in our special awards supplement which is published straight after the event and includes editorial, photos, winners and finalists from the awards.
Our awards are much more than one evening, they’re a year long process which offers our finalists and partners unique exposure that can’t be gained through traditional advertising.
We look forward to receiving your nomination and good luck!
Had a great night at the @NEA_Awards yesterday! Winning the award has got to be the highlight of the night!