Award announcements are the emptiest press release type. Most say a company is proud to have won something, name the award, and stop — which tells a reader nothing except that an award exists. This guide covers how to make one worth publishing, and how to judge whether the award itself is worth announcing at all.
First: is the award credible?
An uncomfortable question, but worth asking before you spend anything. Some awards exist to sell trophies and gala tickets, and announcing one of those does more harm than staying quiet.
| Credible | Be careful |
|---|---|
| Named judges with relevant backgrounds | No judging panel disclosed |
| Published criteria you were assessed against | Criteria are vague or absent |
| Free or low-cost entry | Substantial entry fee, plus a fee to attend |
| A shortlist you can verify | Everyone who entered appears to have won something |
| Run by a trade body or established publication | Organiser has no track record you can find |
If several of the right-hand column apply, publish it on your own channels and leave it there. Journalists recognise pay-to-win awards, and associating your company with one costs more credibility than the award adds.
Say what you did, not just what you won
This is the whole difference between an award release that gets read and one that does not. The award is the occasion. The story is what earned it.
| Empty | Working |
|---|---|
| Named Practice of the Year at the Regional Care Awards | Named Practice of the Year after cutting new-patient waiting time from 21 days to 9 |
| Recognised for outstanding service | Staff turnover of 4%, against a sector average the organisers put at 17% |
| We are honoured to receive this award | We stopped booking check-ups and treatments into the same slots, which took a year to implement properly |
What to include
- The exact award and category, spelled as the organiser spells it
- Who runs it, and the date and location of the ceremony
- The field — how many entrants or finalists, if published
- What was assessed — the criteria
- What you actually did, with numbers — this is the paragraph that matters
- One quote explaining the change, not the emotion
A worked example
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Fairweather Dental Named Practice of the Year at the 2026 Regional Care Awards LEEDS, United Kingdom — 17 June 2026 — Fairweather Dental has been named Practice of the Year at the 2026 Regional Care Awards, held in Manchester on 14 June. The category assessed patient outcomes, waiting times and staff retention across 90 entrants. The practice reduced average new-patient waiting time from 21 days to 9 days during 2025 by restructuring appointment blocks, and reported staff turnover of 4% against a sector average the awards organisers put at 17%. “We stopped booking check-ups and treatments into the same slots, which sounds trivial and took a year to implement properly,” said Dr Susan Achebe, Principal Dentist at Fairweather Dental. “The waiting time fell out of that change rather than being the target.” About Fairweather Dental Fairweather Dental is an independent dental practice in Leeds providing general and cosmetic dentistry. Established in 2009, the practice has 6,400 registered patients and employs 22 staff. Media Contact Owen Bradley Practice Manager owen.bradley@example.com +44 113 496 0190 ###
Why it works: the field size (90 entrants) and the criteria are stated, so the reader can judge the award. The before-and-after numbers explain why it was won. And the quote describes an operational change rather than expressing gratitude — which is the sentence a journalist would lift.
Shortlists and nominations
Being shortlisted can be worth announcing when the shortlist is genuinely selective — say, five finalists from ninety entrants. State the numbers so the reader can see that.
What does not work is announcing a nomination when anyone can nominate themselves. If the organiser’s entry process is open, calling it a nomination overstates it, and someone will check.
Use the logo correctly
- Most organisers supply a winner or finalist badge — use theirs, not a recreation
- Include the year, and keep it on the badge afterwards. A 2023 badge presented without a year reads as current and is noticed.
- Check whether the licence limits where you can display it
Frequently asked questions
Is winning an award worth a press release?
Only if the award is credible and you can explain what earned it. An award with named judges, published criteria and a verifiable shortlist is worth announcing. A pay-to-enter award where every entrant wins something is better left on your own channels.
How do you tell if an award is legitimate?
Check for a named judging panel with relevant backgrounds, published assessment criteria, a verifiable shortlist, and an organiser with a track record. Substantial entry fees combined with a fee to attend the ceremony, and no disclosed judges, are the usual signs of a commercial awards operation.
Should you announce being shortlisted?
Yes if the shortlist is selective and you state the numbers — five finalists from ninety entrants is meaningful. Announcing a self-nomination as though it were a selection is not, and it is easy for a reader to check the organiser’s entry process.
What should the quote in an award release say?
Explain the change that earned the award, not how pleased you are. “We stopped booking check-ups and treatments into the same slots” is quotable because it is specific and slightly self-critical. “We are honoured to receive this recognition” will not be used by anyone.
How long should an award announcement be?
Around 250 to 350 words. The award and category, who runs it, the field size and criteria, what you did with numbers, one quote, boilerplate and contact. Award releases are short by nature, and padding one makes the award look smaller rather than larger.
Next
For the underlying format see how to write a press release, and press release examples for other announcement types. When the draft is ready, submit it or see the plans.
