Throughout your life, you’ll connect with people, both personally and professionally, who you feel are deserving of recognition. If you come across an award that would be perfectly suited for them, you may be required to submit a formal nomination letter, but finding the right words can be challenging.
The person or panel who is responsible for determining who the award recipient will be must often do their due diligence by reviewing a complete package on each nominee. This typically includes a resume, social media profiles and a recommendation or nomination letter.
Whether you were asked to write an award nomination letter or chose to submit one on your own, following these four tips will help you craft a compelling nomination that will impress any selection committee.
Naturally, most people who are nominated for an award are qualified in some way to receive it. So, to ensure your nominee stands out from the rest, try to include interesting details about their career and experiences that will help sway the person or panel who will be selecting the award winner. While your nominee may have similar professional achievements to others in their category, the unique combination of their personal and professional accomplishments could give them the edge over their competition.
Of course, you’ll need to include some key points from their work experience, but try to provide additional detail that goes beyond their resume. For instance, your nominee might have an impressive history of community contributions or they may have spent time on a mission trip abroad. These are details that could make them a more attractive candidate to receive the award.
When you’ve spent an extended amount of time with someone, whether they’re a personal friend or colleague, you are bound to have firsthand experiences that you can share in your award nomination letter. Because decision makers are typically tasked with taking a wholistic view of each nominee when choosing a recipient, it’s helpful to include personal anecdotes about your nominee to give additional evidence of their qualifications. This will not only make your nomination more credible, but also more compelling.
Before you begin writing your nomination, take some time to research the history of the award and previous award recipients. While there’s typically a list of qualifying criteria available to help you better determine if your nominee would even be eligible, doing some additional research on past winners will help you better determine the type of information you should include about the person you’re nominating. If the award has historically been given to people who are involved in the community, you’ll know to put more emphasis on your nominee’s volunteer contributions.
When writing the nomination, highlight your nominee’s accomplishments by not only stating what they did, but also showcasing why it matters. For example, your nominee may have implemented an impressive new program or process at work. Rather than just including that simple statement, dive deeper into the ways that the program has saved the company time, money or manpower. If they volunteer on a nonprofit board, go into detail about the ways the organization impacts the lives of the people it serves and how your nominee’s service has contributed to the mission.
Though there can never be a guarantee that your nominee will win an award you’ve submitted them for, ensuring that you present a complete profile of the person’s professional and personal achievements is the best way to set them apart in a pool of qualified applicants.
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A compelling nomination letter can be the difference between a candidate progressing to the next stage or missing out on an opportunity. When done right, nomination letters showcase why the nominee is deserving in a clear, memorable way.
Follow these tips to craft nomination letters that make an impact and truly boost your candidate’s chances.
Clearly Explain the Nomination Context
Start by providing key background on the nomination:
- What award/role/opportunity are you nominating the person for?
- Who requested nominations or will be reviewing submissions?
- What are the key qualities or qualifications the nominee should demonstrate?
- What is the nomination deadline?
Providing this context helps reviewers understand the fit and relevance right away
Highlight the Nominee’s Unique Value
A nomination letter must convincingly answer the question “Why this person?” Show what makes the nominee special by
- Describing standout skills, experiences, and qualities that meet the role or award criteria
- Comparing their capabilities and achievements to peers
- Explaining how they surpassed expectations or went above-and-beyond
- Noting any hardships they overcame demonstrating resilience
Back claims with specific, memorable examples. Help reviewers picture the nominee’s value.
Focus on the Nominee’s Relevant Strengths
With limited space, zero in on strengths specifically relevant to the nomination. For example:
- For a teaching award, highlight instructional skills over research
- For a sales role, emphasize sales outcomes over management capabilities
- For a creativity award, showcase innovative ideas not academic achievements
Tying capabilities directly back to the award or opportunity requirements is crucial.
Blend Facts With Stories and Emotion
Quantify achievements with data like awards won and sales generated, but also bring the nominee to life:
- Share interesting anecdotes that show key strengths in action
- Use vivid language to create images in the reviewers’ minds
- Convey the emotion and passion you feel about the nominee
- Illustrate how the nominee impacted you or others they worked with
Stories show, don’t just tell, why the person stands out.
Address Weaknesses or Gaps Proactively
If the nominee lacks experience in key areas of interest, acknowledge it but reframe it positively:
- Note they are eager to learn and grow in the role
- Highlight transferable skills that will enable quick development
- Suggest the gaps are not critical or could be filled by other team members
- Emphasize capacity for growth and potential over just current skills
Use Your Position to Add Credibility
Leverage your relationship and background to reinforce endorsements:
- Highlight insights drawn from directly working with or observing the nominee over time
- Note any expertise you have related to the nomination area that lends you credibility
- Mention past nominations or endorsements you made that were successful
Keep Letter Focused Yet Flexible
Maintain focus on the nominee’s most relevant strengths and suitability. But build in flexibility:
- Provide varied examples, data points, and anecdotes to choose from
- Include capabilities beyond just the minimum required so reviewers see well-roundedness
- Show the nominee could thrive in multiple types of roles/environments
Too narrow a pitch could limit the nominee’s opportunities.
Checklist for a Polished, Persuasive Letter
Before submitting your letter, ensure:
- Content portrays the nominee as an ideal fit based on role/award criteria
- Tone balances professional depth with accessible warmth
- Information flows logically from background to capabilities to achievements
- Stories and examples vividly illustrate the nominee’s value
- Content is free of grammar errors, typos or unfamiliar terms
- Letter is formatted well and follows any requirements
With a thoughtful, well-written nomination letter that persuasively positions the nominee’s qualifications, you can give your candidate the convincing boost often needed to progress to the next stage.
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Writing a Successful Nomination
How do I write a nomination letter?
The following information is a sample nomination letter that you can use: [Your full name] [Your title and organization] [Your phone number] [Your email address] [The date] [Greeting], I am writing to you today with great pleasure to nominate [nominee’s name] for the [award or recognition].
How do you end a nomination letter?
Lastly, you should end the letter with a closing statement. Here, you can write more clearly as to why you feel the nominee deserves an award and if possible, include testimonials from others who also think the nominee should get an award.
What should be included in an award nomination letter?
In conclusion, the award nomination letter should contain concrete evidence as to why the nominee is deserving of this award. The implication is that the nominator should be innately aware of who the nominee is.
How do you write a nomination summary?
In your summary, you can briefly summarize each of the key points in the letter. You might write a full paragraph or use a bulleted list to share the nominee’s specific skills or contributions. You can also reiterate why you think your nominee is the best choice. A summary typically includes a closing salutation and a personal signature as well.
