Digital​

From websites, videos and podcasts, to the best overall use of technology, these awards celebrate digital innovation and creativity, highlighting what is possible to fundamentally change the way membership organisations interact with members, consumers and the general public.

01 - Best Website

02 - Best Use of Video

03 - Best Podcast

04 - Best Use of Technology

05 - Best AI Adoption

Events​

Events are an essential part of non-profit membership organisations and the four awards in this category recognise creativity and innovation in a range of areas, from event management and venues to the events themselves.

06 - Best Celebration Event

07 - Best Event (non celebratory)

08 - Best Event Management

09 - Best Venue

Membership​

Membership is the lifeblood of our sector and the four awards in this category recognise genuine creativity and innovation in a range of areas, from strategies and member support, to creative campaigns and communications.  ​

10 - Best Membership Strategy

11 - Best Membership Support

12 - Best Integrated Membership Campaign

Engagement

Engagement with stakeholders is the lifeblood of our sector and these four awards celebrate everything from Education initiatives and social media, through to impactful campaigns and lobbying.  

13 - Best Lobbying Campaign

14 - Best Public Awareness Campaign

15 - Best Education Initiative

Publishing​

A hugely popular category, the following four awards honour excellence in print publications within the membership sector. We’re looking for superior execution of editorial objectives, engaging content, innovative design, cutting-edge techniques and noteworthy commerciality.

16 - Best Magazine Launch or Relaunch

17 - Best Magazine, Circulation less than 20K

18 - Best Magazine, Circulation more than 20K

19 - Best Publication

Innovation​

This category celebrates genuine transformation and focuses on three popular areas: inclusivity, sustainability and more general transformation projects, such as digital transformation.

20 - Best Inclusion Initiative

21 - Best Sustainability Initiative

22 - Best Transformation Project

Organ​isation

The four awards in this section recognise the hard work across an entire organisation to go above and beyond the efforts of your peers. No matter the size of your organisation, if you’ve achieved something exceptional and made a tangible difference, this is your opportunity to share it with the wider membership community.

23 - Best Trade Association, Body or Union

24 - Best Professional Body and Learned Society

25 - Best Agency

26 - Best Collaborative Partnership

People

This final section celebrates the talented staff and volunteers who make an extraordinary contribution to the membership sector and society at large. From future leaders to exceptional teams, CEOs and Board Chairs or Presidents, nominating those who make a difference in your organisation is the perfect way to demonstrate your gratitude and thanks.

27 - The Future Leader

28 - Team of the Year

29 - Best President or Chair

30 - The CEO Leadership Award

The Memcom Grand Prix

This award is given after all judging has taken place, in recognition of the organisation which wins the most awards in the Memcom Excellence Awards 2026. All awards placings are taken into account, so the more you enter, the more likelihood you have of winning the Grand Prix.

Winning entries are awarded three points, and highly-commended entries gain one point, so the winner of the Grand Prix award for 2026 can be truly proud of their achievements, and know that they are the best in show at the Memcom Excellence Awards 2026.   

NB: This award cannot be entered directly as it is purely based on the judges' scoring. ​

​How to enter

Application process
⇒ Register on our awards platform Evalato - enter here
⇒ Select the awards you wish to enter
⇒ Pay at the time of registration with a valid debit or credit card
⇒ An email with your login details will be sent to you giving you access to your personal workspace
⇒ Start your application whenever you're ready, save it as you go and submit before the deadline

When you start filling out your application, you can save your progress as you go - and then come back to Evalato at any time to complete your entry using your login details. 

Once you have submitted your application, you can no longer edit it.

Application format
Submissions for all awards are limited to a maximum of 1000 words (or 7000 characters; spaces count towards the character limit) and nominees are also able to upload a maximum of 2 documents (1x supporting evidence, 1x visual). Each of the Awards can cover the last 12 - 18 months.

⇒ Each award has its own criteria, but generally nominees should think about how to answer the following question:
Why do you think this initiative/person/campaign/event/venue deserves to win this award right now?

Judges will look for:
⇒ Evidence of strategy and clearly defined goals: What are the goals and objectives of the project, magazine, campaign, event, person? What is the strategy you applied? How does this project, magazine, campaign etc...contribute to the purpose of the organisation? 
⇒ Execution & activities: In your application, please provide a list of the various activities that have been executed. What resources humans and others have been used to undertake the activities? 
⇒ Innovation, creativity and originality: What was innovative in the execution, approach etc…? 
⇒ Success metrics and results achieved: Comment on your achievements in relation to the finance and human resources utilised. Show Evidence of success and impact in the form of feedback, testimonials or other KPIs, including any outcomes such as measurable increased engagement.

Changed your mind...?
You selected the awards you'd like to enter in the registration stage, but then have a change of mind? Don't panic! We can easily add, subtract or change your chosen categories, so simply email us at awards@memcom.org.uk and we'll sort it for you!

Want to see what the application form looks like BEFORE you apply? That's not a problem! Simply email us at awards@memcom.org.uk and we'll send you a pdf example of our simple-to-complete application form!

Supporting materials
You are advised to upload supporting materials that can be used alongside your entry. Unless you ask us not to, these materials may subsequently be used on the Memcom website, on screens during the awards ceremony, or within other Memcom-related marketing and promotional materials.

Digital copies are requested for the Publishing, Editor of the year and other categories where it is needed.

Please kindly note that no supporting materials will be accepted after submission.

Key Dates &  Deadlines

Benefits of entering an award

Awards and recognition can enhance your organisations’ reputation and give a boost to your members. They can also encourage innovation and raise productivity amongst your staff. Winning the Memcom Membership Excellence Awards are GREAT for your profile, your staff, your volunteers and your members...

Some of the benefits of winning a Memcom Award:
⇒ Be recognised for excellence in the sector
⇒ Show your members the quality of the work you produce on their behalf
⇒ Gain exposure through Memcom's communications across social media channels, newsletters and blogs
⇒ Receive recognition that can support career progression
⇒ Great for team morale - Show appreciation for the hard work and results of your employees and volunteers
⇒ Great opportunity to celebrate your success

Each Memcom Award Winner or Highly Commended will receive:
⇒ An elegant trophy to display in your organisation
⇒ A digital badge to add to your website and email signature
⇒ An editorial and social media coverage, featured on our website, newsletters, blogs and social media 
⇒ A quote from the judges to feature in a press release

Entry fees & Payment

Description	Fee	Valid time
Early Bird Entry	£199+VAT	26 Sep 2025 to 31 Dec 2025
Standard Entry	£249+VAT	01 Jan 2026 to 31 Mar 2026
Late Entry	£299+VAT	01 Apr 2026 to 15 Apr 2026

Remember, the 3 for 2 offer is valid until 15 April 2026!

The cost of entry is per application, this includes a non-refundable administrative fee of £39 per application. Memcom reserves the right to change the cost of entry to the Awards without prior notice.

⇒ All award entries must be paid at time of registration with a valid debit or credit card. Failure to pay will result in entries being withdrawn from the judging process.
⇒ When submitting your debit/credit card details at time of registration, enter the postcode/ZIP Code of where the card is registered in capital letters with no spaces in between.
⇒ Duplicate/individual trophies are available to purchase at just £125 per trophy, which includes shipping to an address of your choice. Other size trophies may be available - details upon request.

General Rules & Eligibility

The Memcom Excellence Awards are fully independent and completely impartial, and are organised and facilitated but not judged by employees of Memcom. The awards are  open to all membership organisations, working (globally) within the not-for-profit sector (including professional bodies, trade associations, trade unions, membership charities, cultural or campaigning organisations and learned societies) as well as third-party sector suppliers working within the not-for-profit membership sector.

Click here for the Memcom Awards Terms & Conditions.

Judging & Recognition

Top tips for an award winning entry

Remember, you've got to enter to win, but before you do, here is a little more advice from judges and past winners of the Memcom Excellence Awards:

⇒ Research suitable awards: can you enter the same piece of work under different categories?
⇒ Register early and get planning: there's nothing worse than missing the boat, so plan early to avoid disappointment - and take advantage of the early-bird pricing offer!
⇒ Read and then follow the instructions: it sounds obvious, but different awards might require different criteria, word limits or supporting information and KPIs.
⇒ Make time: don't leave it until the last minute to submit. Draft your application and bake in time to get someone else to review your entry before you press submit.
⇒ Use storytelling to demonstrate success and impact: make your successes come alive and inspire the judges with their impact.
⇒ Create joint entries with your suppliers: share the costs, the efforts of submitting and celebrate your wins together!

In the words of one of our judges: 

You know your work inside out, but take a step back before you write your award entry and look at it through a stranger’s eyes. What really makes it shine? What were the original objectives and does your measurement support them? How would you describe your audience and find a way to write simply and concisely what you delivered... and why. 
It’s also really motivating to read an entry that shows your pride in your work – not empty boasts or how fabulous everyone says you are – but an entry that clearly defines what you set out to do and the impact it made. 
These may seem obvious but we see a large number of entries that presume we know your organisation and project inside out, thinking that using corporate jargon or flowery words will do the trick. They don’t!

Susanne Peck, Director at Sequel

Contact us

Whether you have a specific query or would like advice, the awards team is here to help - Contact us at awards@memcom.org.uk or call 020 7148 6749. We aim to respond within 24 hours, even at the weekend!