Frequently asked questions

Now in its 16th year, the LGIU & CCLA Cllr Awards are an annual celebration of the outstanding work and achievements of councillors in England, Scotland, and Wales. The Awards recognise the hard work and dedication of councillors who have made significant contributions to their communities and residents. There are five categories and the winners are selected by a panel of independent judges – experts in local government. The awards ceremony is now a staple in the local government calendar.

Any elected councillor in England, Wales, and Scotland is eligible for nomination. The only kind of nominations we don’t accept are self-nominations or for councillors outside Great Britain. View the full rules.

Board members of the LGIU are eligible for nomination as an impartial judging panel selects the winners.

You will be asked to provide information for the following three questions:

Q1. Tell us more about your nominated councillor. You might like to give some background to their life, their roles within the council, how long they have served on the council, how you came to know them, etc. (200 words)

Q2. Why does your nominated councillor deserve to win in this particular category? What makes this councillor stand out? Be specific and give vivid, concrete examples. (200 words – explore the category criteria.)

Q3. Describe a project or projects that your nominated councillor has led that have a positive impact on the community. Be specific about their role within this project and how their contribution led to success as it relates to this category. Provide evidence/links if possible. (200 words)

Successful nominations will be at least one paragraph and refrain from answering ‘see above’. We request that nominations are the original thoughts, words and experiences of the nominator. Make a nomination now!

The information provided in the nomination is the only information that will be used during the judging process, so be sure to include everything we’ll need to understand the councillor’s impact in the nomination.

Winning nominations will provide thorough answers (at least a few sentences) for each question asked and avoid answering “see above” for any of the three parts.

We kindly request that nominations are not copied and pasted or written by someone else but that they are the original thoughts and experiences of the nominator.

Ready to nominate? Submit yours now!

We automatically ask nominated councillors to verify the accuracy of their nomination when nominations are submitted. They also have the opportunity to withdraw the nomination.

Nominations close at midnight on Wednesday 11 June 2025. Don’t delay – make a nomination now!

Yes. We use this information solely for the purpose of the Cllr Awards – the information you provided about your nominated councillor helps us decide the final shortlists and winners for each category. Your data is kept secure and confidential; we do not share it with third parties. As part of our Cllr Awards process, we anonymise your nomination. We reserve the right to use the information you provide about the nominated councillor for the purpose of publicising the shortlist and winners (if your councillor is successful), but this information will be anonymised and your personal details will not be used. View our Cllr Awards privacy notice.

The winners are selected by the judging panel based on their contributions to their communities as conveyed by their nomination. The judging panel is made up of independent, impartial experts in local government, including former councillors, senior officers, and academics.

The shortlist will be announced in autumn 2025. Finalists will be notified directly, as well as any councillors who were nominated but who aren’t selected as finalists this year.

Attendance is free of charge, thanks to our founding partners, CCLA. We will release ceremony details soon and encourage all finalists to bring guests with them on the evening.

The dress code for the awards ceremony is smart/business casual. Take a look at the highlights from our 2024 ceremonies in London and Edinburgh.