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Want to win? Here’s what our judges actually want to see.
Entries for the 2026 Global Good Awards are open – and if you’re thinking about putting a submission or two together, this is a blog that you’ll want to read!
Every year, our judges see entries that are genuinely impressive… buried under language that obscures rather than communicates. So before you start writing, here’s a straight-talking guide to what works, what doesn’t, and how to give your entry the best possible chance.
Say what you actually did. Not what you’re committed to.
“We are committed to reducing our carbon footprint” tells judges precisely nothing! What did you do? What changed because of it? Commitments are intentions. Awards recognise action.
✅ We reduced our Scope 1 emissions by 34% between 2023–2025 by switching our entire fleet to electric vehicles and renegotiating supplier contracts.
❌ We are committed to a net zero transition and are working towards a greener future.
Quantify your impact – then explain what those numbers mean.
Numbers without context are just noise. “We reached 150,000 people” prompts one immediate question from every judge: so what? What did those people do, think, or change as a result?
✅ We delivered workshops to 4,200 students across 18 schools. Post-session surveys showed 71% reported changing at least one daily behaviour within a month.
❌ We engaged with over 150,000 people through our campaign.
‘Huge’ is not a metric.
Judges can’t score “massive impact” or “significant change.” They can, however, score a 40% reduction in food waste, 600 volunteer hours delivered, or a policy change that affected 12,000 residents. You get the idea. If the impact was real, describe it specifically. Let the scale speak for itself.
Tell us what was hard.
The strongest entries don’t just list achievements – they show the journey. What obstacles did you face? What didn’t work first time? What did you learn? Judges are experienced professionals; they know nothing worthwhile is straightforward. Entries that acknowledge challenge feel credible. Ones that don’t, often don’t.
Show, don’t claim, that you’re different.
“We took an innovative approach” is one of the most common phrases in award entries, and it’s also one of the least convincing. Instead of simply claiming innovation, describe what you did that hadn’t been done before – and why it worked.
One more thing: match your effort to the marks available.
We publish the scoring criteria with percentage weightings for every GGA category. Use them! If 35% of the score is available for measurable impact, don’t spend most of your word count on background context. Write to the criteria.
Read our Judges’ Top Tips
The GGA has held the Awards Trust Mark Outstanding rating since 2018, and with good reason. Our judges don’t award gold just because an entry is the best in its category – entries must meet minimum standards. That’s not to put you off entering; it’s to let you know that when you do win, it means something. We’ve put together this handy document that sets out 20 top tips for winning award entries, compiled in conjunction with our brilliant judges – it covers areas we’ve mentioned above, plus a host of other topics that could make all the difference to your submission. Take a look!
Ready to enter? You have until 8 May (or 15 May with a late entry fee).
Good luck – and, remember, write like your judges are sceptical…because they are.
Ready to get going with your submission? Click here for all the info you need!
2026 entries are NOW OPEN! You can read the full line up of 2025 winners here.
