Nomination and Award Guidance
Who can make a nomination, and who can be nominated?
Nominations can be made by the prospective nominee themselves, by their company / organisation or by a third party. Practices, employers, institutes, clients, suppliers and colleagues who have had positive contact with the accounting profession are encouraged to make nominations to ensure the fullest range of candidates are put forward.
The relevant period of work for any given category is from April 2025 to April 2026, other than the Outstanding Achievement award which is assessed over a longer period.
Entries are open to all individuals, teams and firms from all industry sectors operating within the following areas: Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne & Wear, Teesside and Redcar & Cleveland.
Criteria for each award can be viewed on the categories page. Please note individuals can only be entered into one of the following categories: Accounting Apprentice of the Year, Rising Star Accountant of the Year and Excellence in Finance Award.
The deadline for nominations – Thursday 2nd April 2026
How are nominations made?
Making a nomination is very straightforward and is designed to be targeted and not overly time consuming. From the category page click on the nominate now link and it will take you to an online submission form. Once you select the category you wish to enter from the drop down it will reveal the set criteria for that specific category. We recommend around 200 words per criteria point. Please provide as much detailed information for each criteria as you can. Tangible evidence such as facts and figures can better help judges assess the outcome of your work.
We strongly recommend drafting and saving your application in a word document before copying it into the submission form in case the form times out or encounters a technical error.
Following the nomination deadline the Judges will review all entries and those selected as finalists will be invited to attend a judging day.
What is the Judging Day.
A “Meet the Judges” event will take place for all finalists. This will be an opportunity for the Judging Panel to discuss the nomination face to face with the nominee in a dedicated interview slot. Please note all shortlisted nominees should be present for this event, non-attendance may significantly affect your nomination.
The Judging Day is scheduled to take place on the Tuesday 12th of May 2026 and will be held at the Hilton Newcastle, Gateshead. Please ensure you have this entire day available in your diary.
When are the winners announced?
The winners of the Awards will be announced at the Awards Dinner on 25th June 2026 at Hilton Newcastle, Gateshead
