Great awards start with great nominations, and this year’s end-of-year award nomination form makes it easy for colleagues to put forward the people who deserve recognition. The portrait US Letter form opens with a navy header band and gold stripe, showing Annual Employee Awards 2026, the title Award Nomination Form, the closing date and where to return the form, alongside a gold trophy icon. Four clearly numbered sections follow: the nominee’s details, award category checkboxes, a large lined box explaining why the person deserves the award, and the nominator’s details with signature and date. A confidentiality note finishes the page.
Why Use a Formal Nomination Form
A nomination form gives every employee an equal chance to recognise colleagues, not only managers. It collects the same information from everyone, which makes comparing nominations fair and straightforward for the awards committee. Written nominations also provide real stories and examples that can be quoted on certificates and during the ceremony.
Section One: Nominee Details
The first section asks for the nominee’s full name, job title, department or team, and manager. These fields help the committee identify the nominee and understand their role. You can add fields such as employee ID, location, or start date if your organisation needs them.
Section Two: Award Categories
Twelve checkboxes list the award categories, including MVP of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Team Player, Rising Star, Leader of the Year, Sales Champion, Above and Beyond, Problem Solver, Culture Champion, Safety Champion, Team of the Year and Other. Edit the labels to match your awards, and ask nominators to tick one category per form.
Section Three: The Nomination Reason
A large lined box gives nominators space to explain why the person deserves the award. The prompt asks for specific examples, results, and impact on colleagues or customers. Clear guidance like this leads to stronger, more useful nominations.
Section Four: Nominator Details
The final section collects the nominator’s name, department, signature, and date. Knowing who submitted the nomination lets the committee follow up for more information. If you prefer anonymous nominations, simply delete this section.
Editing the Header and Deadline
Update the header with your awards programme name and year, and change the closing date and return instructions. Make the deadline clear and allow at least two weeks for people to submit nominations.
Navy and Gold Form Design
The navy header and gold accents match the formal awards templates in this collection, giving your nomination process a professional look. Change the colours to your brand palette by recolouring the header band and section lines.
Printing and Distributing Nomination Forms
Print copies for notice boards, break rooms and reception desks, and provide a box where completed forms can be dropped. The form prints well in black and white if needed, since all fields remain clear.
Using the Form Digitally
Download the form as a PDF to email to staff. Employees can print, complete, and scan it, or fill it in using a PDF editor. For larger organisations, use the form as a guide when building an online survey with the same questions.
Tips for Better Nominations
Encourage nominators to describe a specific situation, what the nominee did, and the result. Examples like resolving a major customer complaint or training five new colleagues are far more persuasive than general praise. Share these tips in the email announcing the awards.
Nomination Forms for Schools and Clubs
Schools can use the form for teacher, student, or volunteer awards, and clubs for member awards. Change the categories and header text to fit your organisation and audience.
Keeping Nominations Confidential
The footer states that all nominations are confidential and reviewed by the awards committee. Keep forms in a secure place and share them only with committee members to protect the privacy of nominees and nominators.
Reviewing Nominations as a Committee
Once nominations close, the committee can score each one against agreed criteria, such as impact, effort, and alignment with company values. Shortlist the strongest nominees for each category, then choose winners or put the shortlist to a vote using our voting ballot template.
Thanking Nominators
Thank everyone who submitted a nomination, even if their nominee did not win. Consider sharing anonymous highlights from nominations at the ceremony. Nominations themselves are a form of recognition and help build a culture of appreciation.
Saving the Nomination Form
Save the edited form in your account and reuse it each year, updating the year, deadline, and categories. A consistent form helps staff become familiar with the process over time.
Nomination Form File Formats
Download a PDF for printing or emailing, or a PNG for sharing on screens. The fields and lines remain aligned in every format.
Promoting the Nomination Period
Nominations only work if people know about them. Announce the awards in a team meeting, send an email with the form attached, put printed copies on notice boards, and send a reminder a few days before the deadline. Managers can encourage their teams to nominate colleagues from other departments, which helps uncover hidden heroes across the organisation.
Adding Your Company Values to the Form
If your awards are linked to company values, add a short line asking nominators which value the nominee demonstrated. This helps the committee see patterns and ensures that awards reinforce the behaviours your organisation wants to encourage throughout the year.
Self Nominations and Team Nominations
Decide in advance whether people may nominate themselves or whole teams. If team nominations are allowed, ask for the team name and members in the nominee section. Clear rules in the email announcement avoid confusion.
Nomination Boxes and Collection Points
Place a labelled box next to printed forms in shared spaces, and empty it regularly so nominations stay confidential. For multiple sites, assign a coordinator at each location to collect forms and send them to the committee before the deadline.
Nomination Forms for Peer Recognition Programs
Beyond annual awards, the form works for monthly or quarterly peer recognition. Change the header to Peer Recognition Form and the categories to your company values for an ongoing appreciation programme.
