This might sound like a strange question to ask. When writing an award entry, enjoyment will probably not be the first word that springs to mind. Judges wouldn’t necessarily use the word “enjoy” either, especially when they have a daunting pile of submissions and tight deadlines to meet.
Yet it is a question worth asking. Think of the judge who has given up their evenings or weekends to read endless entries. This is the person you want on your side.
Judges have a challenging job. They read many entries quickly, often while handling their own busy schedules. Many entries are good, some are technically strong, and a few truly stand out. Still, even strong work is hard to judge if it’s rushed, pieced together from scattered details, or built on evidence that wasn’t planned from the start.
A hastily written entry, however genuine the achievement behind it, can fail because it does not meet the specific criteria or provide enough evidence of impact. Judges don’t want volumes of information. They want clear proof that the entry deserves recognition.
The Hidden Burden of Last-Minute Evidence
Many businesses don’t realise how much pressure they create by collecting evidence at the last minute.
A typical submission might need impact data, testimonials, screenshots, case studies, campaign materials, customer feedback, internal documents and proof of results. Some of this may already exist, but if no one has been intentionally collecting it, the final entry often becomes a scramble to find whatever can still be recovered.
Judges can usually sense this. The entry might describe a real achievement, but the proof feels incomplete, disconnected, or added at the last minute.
When evidence is disorganised, the work shifts from the entrant to the judge. They are left trying to understand what changed, why it mattered and whether the claim is properly supported. That is risky. No matter how committed the panel is, judges do not have unlimited time or patience. Even a strong achievement can lose impact if it is too hard to understand.
Why Good Entries Sill Lose
Many entries might describe a strong business, a meaningful project, or a team that delivered under pressure. They might even be well written and show impressive results.
But they still lose because they don’t make their case clear enough.
Common mistakes include letting the story overshadow the evidence or focusing so much on numbers that the entry feels dull. Some entries rely too much on narrative, leading judges to wonder if the claims are supported. Others are full of data, making them logical but hard to connect with.
The best entries do both. They give judges the human story and the proof. They show what changed, who benefited, how the result was achieved, and why it deserves recognition in that category.
That last point is often missed. Judges aren’t looking for businesses that are just impressive overall. They score based on specific criteria. Even a great company can submit the wrong story, in the wrong category, with the wrong evidence. That’s why we always stress the importance of “running in the right race”.
Planning Beats Panic
Award-winning entries rarely begin at the deadline. They begin much earlier, when the project, campaign or business initiative is still taking shape.
If you know what you want to be recognised for, you can start collecting evidence from the beginning. You can decide what success looks like, what data to track, which stories to capture, and which outcomes will matter most when it’s time to enter.
Instead of scrambling at the end of the year, you work towards the result you want. The entry isn’t a last-minute effort to explain old activity. It becomes the final version of a story you’ve built on purpose.
Evidence is strongest when it is gathered intentionally, not rescued under pressure.
Why Preparation Helps Judges Believe You
Judges aren’t part of your business. They don’t know the tough decisions, the original problems, the challenges, the progress, or the impact unless your entry explains it.
That’s why preparation matters. It gives judges a full picture. It helps them see the journey from challenge to action to result. It shows the outcome wasn’t accidental, exaggerated, or only loosely connected to your claims.
A well-prepared entry also gives judges confidence. When the story, evidence, and criteria match up, the submission is easier to score. Judges don’t have to search for the main point or guess why the result matters. The case is clear and ready to be judged.
That confidence can make the difference. In competitive awards, strong entries are often very close. A small gap in clarity, evidence, or category fit can decide whether you’re shortlisted, highly commended, or win.
That’s why preparation isn’t just an admin task. It’s part of your strategy.
Enjoyable, But Not Frivolous
An enjoyable award entry doesn’t try to just entertain judges or impress them with extra polish. It simply respects their time.
It answers the questions. It makes the achievement easy to follow. It shows the impact instead of making the judge guess. It uses evidence as part of the story, not as a last-minute add-on to support claims that should have been planned from the start.
Judges usually enjoy reading an entry because it’s clear. They can see the work's strength, understand the context, find the proof, and score it with confidence.
Make Your Entry Easy to Judge
Before you ask if your entry is persuasive, ask if it’s easy to judge. Before waiting for the deadline, ask what evidence you should collect now. Before submitting your usual story, ask if an outside judge would understand its importance without extra explanation.
A successful business has clear plans for growth, marketing, recruitment and customer experience. Awards should be treated with the same intention. With the right strategy, you can work towards the recognition you want, rather than looking back later and hoping the evidence is enough.
Judges may not expect to enjoy reading your award entry. But a clear, well-prepared submission gives them every reason to keep reading, remember it and score it well.
