Founding-Year Prestige
Be remembered as a winner of the very first The Legacy of Leadership Award — a distinction no one who comes after can ever claim.
Cardiff City Stadium · Cardiff · Award Ceremony
Some leaders build businesses. Others leave a legacy.
The Legacy of Leadership Award celebrates visionary leaders, founders, directors, innovators, mentors, creators and changemakers whose impact deserves to be remembered.
Thursday 29 October 2026
Cardiff City Stadium
Free to enter · Takes 10 minutes · No payment, ever · Explore the 35 categories
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The Legacy of Leadership Award 2026
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Free to Nominate
Find My Award
Not sure which award fits you?
Answer four quick questions and we will rank the 5 categories that fit you best — with the reason for each.
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1Who are you entering?
Why enter
Recognition that outlasts the role
An award is more than a trophy. It is a record of leadership worth remembering — and independent proof that compounds across reputation, opportunity and the people you lead.
You do not need to be famous to deserve recognition. Some leaders change lives quietly — the founder who kept everyone paid through a bad year, the director who took the unpopular decision because it was the right one, the mentor a dozen careers trace back to. Whether you are stepping up, mid-career or looking back on all of it, your impact may be greater than you realise.
Build Credibility
Earn independent recognition of your leadership, and the trust that comes with it.
Increase Visibility
Gain exposure through trade press, social reach and year-round award promotion.
Celebrate Your People
Honour the team your leadership built and give them a moment they will never forget.
Define the Standard
Be named among the leaders others are measured against, in a year that only happens once.
Open Doors
Third-party proof of your leadership that opens boardrooms, panels and platforms.
Accelerate Growth
Open doors to new partnerships, investment, talent and expansion opportunities.
Explore the Categories · Free to enter
There's a category with your name on it
35 honours across founders and business owners, the C-suite and the board, specialist leaders, mentors, creatives and lifetime achievement — each a different stage for a different story. Find the one built for yours, and enter as many as genuinely fit.
Outstanding Leadership AwardCEO of the Year AwardFounder of the Year AwardVisionary Leadership AwardEntrepreneur of the Year AwardManaging Director of the Year Award+ 29 more
Your awards journey
Six steps from entry to ovation
A clear, considered path — designed so the only hard part is deciding to enter.
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Nominations Open
Entries and public nominations are open now — completely free to enter.
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Submit Your Entry
Tell your story across one or more categories. Enter as many as you like.
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Independent Judging
A panel of independent experts reviews and scores every single entry.
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Finalists Announced
The highest-scoring entries are revealed and celebrated as finalists.
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The Awards Ceremony
An unforgettable celebration at Cardiff City Stadium, Thursday 29 October 2026.
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Winners Revealed
Winners are crowned live, on stage, in front of the whole room.
The Judging Process
Credibility is earned, not awarded
The value of recognition rests entirely on how it is judged. Ours is independent, transparent and built on merit — so winning genuinely means something.
Independent Judges
No pay-to-win. Judges are external experts with no commercial stake in the outcome.
Transparent Scoring
Every entry is scored against a published, weighted criteria framework.
Merit-Based Evaluation
Winners are decided on evidence and results — never on reputation or budget.
Industry Experts
Panels are matched to each category so your entry is judged by people who get it.
Scoring Framework
100 pointsAn illustrative weighting. Each category publishes its own criteria so you know exactly how you will be assessed.
- Impact & Results30%
- Innovation25%
- Leadership & Culture20%
- Sustainability15%
- Evidence Quality10%
The Inaugural Edition · 2026
Be among the very first
Every legacy begins with a first chapter. The inaugural edition is your opportunity to join the founding circle — the first leaders, founders, creators and changemakers recognised on a platform built to celebrate long-term impact. The founding class of 2026 won’t be following a benchmark. They’ll be the benchmark.
Set the Standard
As an inaugural winner, your business becomes the benchmark every future entrant aspires to match.
Only Ever One First
There is just one inaugural edition. Once it has been held it can never be entered again — this moment does not come back.
Claim Your Place in Year One
Free to enter · Takes 10 minutes · No payment, ever
The Awards Ceremony
One day. A career-defining moment.
Winners are revealed at an awards ceremony in Cardiff — a day of celebration, high-calibre networking and the kind of recognition you remember for a lifetime.
Thursday 29 October 2026
Awards ceremony, 10:00am – 4:30pm
Cardiff
Cardiff City Stadium
Finalists & guests
Leaders, finalists & partners
An unforgettable day
Recognition & networking
FAQs
Questions, Answered
Everything you need to know about eligibility, fees, judging or the ceremony. Our team is glad to help.
Any leader, or the organisation a leader built — founders and business owners, C-suite and board directors, functional leaders in HR, finance and technology, mentors, creatives and non-profit leaders. Categories span every stage from aspiring and rising leaders through to lifetime achievement, whether you lead in Cardiff or nationally.
Entry is completely free. There is no fee to nominate, to be shortlisted or to win, and no obligation to attend the ceremony — you can enter as many categories as you like at no cost.
Absolutely — and most leaders are nominated rather than self-entered. Colleagues, teams, clients and the wider industry can nominate anyone whose leadership they believe deserves recognition. A nomination is a genuine way to champion someone you rate.
Every entry is scored independently by a panel of industry experts against a published, weighted criteria framework. Scores are moderated for consistency, and judges declare any conflicts of interest.
Yes. Many entrants appear in several categories to reflect different sides of a leadership record — a founder might enter for the venture they built, for the people they mentored and for the sustainability work they drove. There is no extra cost.
Winners receive a trophy and certificate, the official winner's digital mark, a press-ready PR toolkit, a feature in our winners' showcase, and a full year's licence to use the recognition across marketing and recruitment.
Entries are open now and close on 11 September 2026. Finalists are announced ahead of the ceremony, where winners are revealed live on 29 October 2026.
Winners are revealed live and in person at the Awards Ceremony at Cardiff City Stadium on 29 October 2026 — a day built around the leaders being honoured.
Contact us
We'd love to hear from you
Questions about entering, sponsorship, tickets or judging? Send a message and we will reply within one working day.
- Emailinfo@legacyofleadershipaward.com
- Phone+44 2034 517166
- AddressLevel 30, The Leadenhall Building, 122 Leadenhall St, London EC3V 4AB, United Kingdom
Nominations for 2026 are open · Free to enter
Ready to gain the recognition you deserve?
Join the organisations turning independent recognition into real momentum. Your strongest year starts with a single entry.
Save the date · 29 October 2026
Free to enter · Takes 10 minutes · No payment, ever
Be one of the first businesses ever recognised at Cardiff City Stadium.
Pre-Launch — Limited Places
Join the Pre-Launch
The Legacy of Leadership Award
Some moments in business are bigger than deals or profits — they're about recognition, influence, and legacy. The The Legacy of Leadership Award Pre-Launch is one of those moments. It's where the journey begins, and where you can choose to be seen, heard, and remembered.
Ceremony
Thursday 29 October 2026
Venue
Cardiff City Stadium
Pre-launch registration is free. We'll reach out with exclusive early-access details ahead of the public launch.
Get A Pre-Launch Ticket
Secure your place — we'll be in touch with details.