What Makes a Great Awards Submission? Advice for Entering the NAJ Awards

17 Jun 2025

When it comes to securing a nomination for a top industry award, there are certain tips and tricks that can transform a lacklustre entry into something that lands on the shortlist and instantly captures the judges’ attention. Here, previous NAJ Award winner Sarah Jordan, Founder and Director of The William Agency, shares her top advice for submitting a winning entry and developing your brand awareness in the process.

The jewellery trade has several significant awards processes that have been known to provide tangible benefits to those who go on to win. These include the National Association of Jewellers (NAJ) Awards, the UK Jewellery Awards, the Professional Jeweller Awards, and others. What they all have in common is an application process – the time in which a business must (typically) nominate itself by answering questions, sticking to a tight brief, and submitting images that provide supporting evidence.

As this is the only opportunity a brand or business gets to ‘sell itself’, it’s important to make the absolute most of the submission and really give it your all from a marketing and quality perspective. Over the years, I have seen some truly fantastic submissions to awards, but I have also seen some that really miss the mark. This is especially frustrating when I have first-hand experience working with a business or an individual who I know has far more to offer than their rushed application would imply.

I have also enjoyed success at industry awards myself, securing a shortlisted position at the 2021 UK Jewellery Awards for The William Agency in the Service Supplier of the Year category and winning the NAJ Award for Unsung Hero of the Year in 2024. Therefore, from a marketing, copywriting and brand promotion perspective, I have some thoughts on what makes a stand-out awards submission.

Ahead of the deadline for this year’s NAJ Awards, here are my top tips for approaching an application and submitting something that you and your team can be proud of.

Choose Your Category Carefully

Enter one or two categories to a high level rather than spreading yourself too thinly by producing multiple applications. Choose the category that best reflects your business or pick the one that you would most like to win, i.e. the one for which recognition would most benefit you as a business development and/or marketing tool. Application processes can take time and resources, so invest that effort wisely.

Follow the Instructions

I have seen countless applications fall foul of judges because they simply don’t follow the rules of entry. If you are being asked for evidence of successes in the last 12 months, don’t spend valuable paragraphs discussing a collection that is yet to launch. It’s so tempting to share beyond what is being asked, but most judges are looking for clear, concise and accurate information that they can read in just a few seconds.

Answer the Questions

Sometimes, there may be a question that you struggle to answer or don’t feel is relevant to you. Personally, I always recommend answering every question, even if it is just a few carefully considered lines of text. A blank space gives the impression you have nothing to say, which can reflect poorly and make an application appear lacking. At the same time, don’t be tempted to waffle. Keep your answers short, sharp, concise and relevant to the question.

Provide Useful Evidence

Award processes are usually bound by strict confidentiality agreements (which you can check with organisers), so this is a great opportunity to spotlight favourable metrics. Percentage increases in sales, growth in followers on social media, year-on-year results… numbers are a godsend to help judging panels visualise all the successes you are describing in your answers. In my experience, applicants with measurable results and good evidence always perform better.

Don’t Overwrite

Some submission processes will give a strict word count, whereas others won’t. Don’t be tempted to overwrite when 150-200 words can easily get your point across. Avoid repetition, use bullet points to make digesting information easier, and try to put your most impressive/relevant information at the top of each answer box. If a judge only has a few minutes to scan your entry, they will see the best bits of what you have to say straight away.

Include Testimonials

Customer and client testimonials are a useful addition to any application, no matter whether you are entering supplier or retailer-specific categories. Google reviews, Trustpilot reviews, or feedback you’ve received via email can all be relevant and give judging panels a flavour of the customer service you provide. Remember, it’s all in the formatting – separate a testimonial out in a new paragraph, and make sure you include quotation marks, the name of the person/business reviewing you and, ideally, the month and year to prove its relevance.

Don’t Rely on AI

It may be tempting but don’t revert to ChatGPT and other AI tools to write your entry. At a push, it may help to format your thoughts, but it won’t demonstrate the kind of authenticity and personality that you want to come across in your entry. As a leading stakeholder in your business, what’s written in your application should reflect your experiences, opinions and voice. That’s what most judges will want to read, not something dreamed up by an algorithm.

Show Your Personality

On that note, don’t be afraid to showcase your brand identity and personality through an application. Remember, entering an awards initiative, being shortlisted and (hopefully) winning is a branding exercise – it leads to awareness, press mentions, and social media fodder that you wouldn’t otherwise have. Think of it as a tool for brand promotion at every opportunity – how can you highlight your business values and unique selling points at every turn?

Provide the Right Supporting Documents

If a submission asks for high-res images, a business logo or store photographs, make sure to supply them. Just like answering every question, it is best to provide the most complete and well-rounded application that you can. In my experience, high-quality photographs taken on a smartphone more than suffice and can give judges a better understanding of your company.

Triple Check Your Content

It goes without saying but check for spelling mistakes, repetition, poor grammar and punctuation before sending. An application reflects your brand, and your brand does not (or should not) make mistakes. My advice is to draft your application in a Word document first and have one or two people responsible for completing, reviewing and editing the copy for complete peace of mind upon submission.

Submit on Time

Finally, give yourself plenty of time to submit an application. A great entry can be time-intensive and require lots of back-and-forth with relevant stakeholders. My advice is to start working on a submission as soon as nominations open and aim to submit one week before the deadline – this gives you some wiggle room should approvals or images get delayed. Remember, good things come to those who put in the work! A rushed application will likely read that way to a judging panel, reducing your chances of success.

Hopefully, armed with this information, you will feel ready to submit a fresh application that showcases your business in the best possible light.

As a next step, check out the NAJ Awards 2026 and see how you can enter.

View NAJ Awards 2026

Source: National Association of Jewellers