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The Legacy of Leadership Award award ceremony

The Legacy of Leadership Award 2026 on film

Birmingham | 2026-27 | Award Ceremony

The Legacy of Leadership Award

Celebrating vision, integrity and impact.

Thursday, 26 November 2026
National Conference Centre
Register your interestFind My AwardJoin Pre-LaunchNominate a Business You LoveYour Awards JourneyExplore Award Categories

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Free to Nominate

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Unmissable Day

Find My Award

Find the award that fits your story

Six quick questions. It takes about a minute.

Question 1 of 6. Who would you like to recognise?

There is no wrong answer here, and you can change it later.

Question 1 of 6: Who0%

No account, no email and no payment to see your results.

The Finalists

Meet the finalists of the The Legacy of Leadership Award

View all finalists
The Legacy of Leadership Award 2026 Teaser Reel
The Legacy of Leadership Award 2026: Leadership, Inclusion and Impact
Legacy of Leadership and Best Business Awards 2026 Nominees in Their Own Words
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, 26 November 2026

Venue

National Conference Centre

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.

The Journey to the Stage

Six steps from entry to ovation

A clear, considered path: designed so the only hard part is deciding to enter.

01

Nominations Open

Entries and public nominations are open now, completely free to enter.

02

Submit Your Entry

Tell your story across one or more categories. Enter as many as you like.

03

Independent Judging

A panel of independent experts reviews and scores every single entry.

04

Finalists Announced

The highest-scoring businesses are revealed and celebrated as finalists.

05

The Awards Gala

An unforgettable celebration at National Conference Centre, Thursday, 26 November 2026.

06

Winners Revealed

The winners are announced live on stage, one category at a time.

Your Awards Journey

From spark to spotlight

A clear, five-step path from discovering your award to standing on the night.

1

Discover your award

Browse categories or take the quick quiz to find your fit.

2

Check eligibility

Confirm the criteria for your shortlist of categories.

3

Prepare your story

Gather a few achievements, numbers and supporting words.

4

Submit your nomination

Enter free in minutes. No payment ever required.

5

Step into the spotlight

Join us on the day to celebrate the finalists and winners.

Your readiness

0% ready

Tick items as you go. We will track your momentum.

Why Enter

Turn Recognition Into Opportunity

Be Recognised. Be Remembered.

Every business has a story worth celebrating. Our awards shine a spotlight on the organisations, teams and individuals making a real impact across the region. Whether you're an emerging business, an established leader or an innovative disruptor, this is your opportunity to gain the recognition your achievements deserve. An award is more than a trophy on the shelf. It is proof of excellence that compounds, building trust, visibility and momentum long after the day itself.

Build Credibility

Earn independent industry recognition and the customer trust that comes with it.

Increase Visibility

Gain exposure through press coverage, social reach and year-round award promotion.

Celebrate Your Team

Honour the people behind your success and give them a moment they will never forget.

Stand Above Competitors

Differentiate your business and prove your excellence where it matters most.

Attract More Customers

Leverage powerful, third-party social proof that turns interest into commitment.

Accelerate Growth

Open doors to new partnerships, investment, talent and expansion opportunities.

Presenter on stage at a prestigious award function

A story you'll tell

for years

The Impact of Recognition

Recognition that changes everything

Independent recognition can help a business earn trust, attract opportunities and stand out in a crowded market. A single accolade becomes a story you tell for years.

Trust

An independent award gives customers another reason to choose you.

Visibility

A shortlisting is a story your network and the media can share.

Talent

Recognition shows candidates what kind of employer you are.

What recognition brings differs from business to business.

What recognition unlocks

Media ExposureBrand AwarenessCustomer TrustRecruitment EdgeTeam Morale
Award Categories | Free to enter

There's a category with your name on it

From bold start-ups to community champions and the region's best places to work:383 ways to be recognised. Discover the one (or more) where your business belongs.

Founder of the Year AwardEthical Leadership Excellence AwardAspiring Leader Recognition AwardVisionary Leadership AwardInnovation in Leadership AwardLifetime Achievement in Social Media Award+ 377 more
Explore All Categories
The Inaugural Year

Be the first names in the story

2026-27 is year one. The businesses recognised this year are not following in anyone’s footsteps. They are the founding class that the next decade of winners will be measured against.

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.

Set the Standard

As an inaugural winner, your business becomes the benchmark every future entrant aspires to match.

Make Local History

Help launch what will become the region’s defining celebration of business, and be part of it from day one.

Claim Your Place in Year One

Free to enter. Takes 10 minutes. No payment, ever.

Free To Enter | 2026-27

Your business deserves the spotlight

Nominations are free and open now. Enter as many categories as you like. There is nothing to lose and a stage to gain.

Register your interestNominate a Business You Love

Free to enter. Takes 10 minutes. No payment, ever.

Experience The Awards Ceremony

More than an awards ceremony

An unforgettable day of celebration, networking and recognition, where the region’s most ambitious businesses come together under one roof.

The Showcase
The Showcase
Stage Presentations
Stage Presentations
Networking
Networking
Live Entertainment
Live Entertainment
The Celebration
The Celebration
Partner With Us

Become a power player

Stand alongside the businesses defining the region's future. Sponsorship puts your brand at the centre of the celebration, and inside the conversation that follows.

Sponsor an AwardRequest Sponsorship PackBecome a Partner

What sponsorship unlocks

Brand visibility
Local credibility
VIP networking
Category association
Media exposure

Founding partners get first call on every category.

Founding Partners

Help launch the first chapter

Our inaugural year is an open invitation. Founding partners will be remembered as the organisations that helped create Birmingham’s defining celebration of business.

Founding Partner Status

Be recognised as one of the organisations that launched The Legacy of Leadership Award: a legacy that stays with your brand.

Premier Visibility

Year-round exposure across the campaign, the gala and our press and social reach, in front of the region’s most ambitious businesses.

Champion Local Business

Show the community you back the people and businesses that make Birmingham thrive.

Align your brand with prestige, reach and community impact from the very beginning.

Become a Founding Partner
Judging & Integrity

Recognition you can be proud of

An award is only worth winning if the process behind it stands up to scrutiny. Here is exactly how The Legacy of Leadership Award is judged, who judges it, and what a nomination does and does not mean.

Independent judging

Entries are assessed by an independent panel, not by the organisers. Judges are appointed each season, are bound by a confidentiality agreement, and must declare any conflict of interest and stand aside from entries it touches.

How the panel is appointed

Clear judging criteria

Every category publishes what it is scored against, so you can read the criteria before deciding whether to enter.

Categories publish its own criteria and eligibility.

See the categories and criteria

Free to enter

There is no entry fee for any category, at any stage. Nothing is charged to be nominated, to enter, to be shortlisted or to be judged.

Sponsorship and ticket sales fund the ceremony. Neither buys influence: no payment of any kind affects a score, a shortlist or a result, and judges are not told who has bought anything.

The Process, Start To Finish

From nomination to winner

This season's ceremony: National Conference Centre, Thursday, 26 November 2026

  1. Stage 01

    Nomination

    Anyone can put a business forward, including yourself.

  2. Stage 02

    Entry

    The nominated business completes its entry against the category criteria.

  3. Stage 03

    Judging

    An independent panel scores each entry against the published criteria.

  4. Stage 04

    Finalist

    The highest-scoring entries in each category are shortlisted.

  5. Stage 05

    Award day

    Finalists are hosted at the ceremony, where the results are revealed.

  6. Stage 06

    Winner

    Category winners are announced live and recognised publicly.

A nomination is the start of the process, not a result. It does not make a business a finalist or a winner, only the panel's scores against the published criteria decide that.

Who Judges

This season's panel

Meet The Judges

The panel for this season is being appointed

Judges are appointed each season from professionals working in the sectors these categories cover, and are published here once confirmed, before judging begins, so you can see who will read your entry.

Judging is separate from organising

The organisers run the programme and the ceremony. Scoring belongs to the panel, under a confidentiality agreement, with conflicts of interest declared and recused.

Apply to join the panel

Judged on the work, not the budget

Free to enter, scored against criteria you can read first, by a panel independent of the organisers.

Register your interestRead The Judging Policy
Join the Panel

Become a judge

We're looking for experienced professionals to help us identify and celebrate the businesses shaping our region. As a judge, you'll evaluate applications, attend the award ceremony, and be recognised as a leader in your field.

Applications take under 5 minutes. Our team reviews every submission and will be in touch within 5 working days.

Become a JudgeMeet the Panel

What you get as a judge

Shape who wins

Your expertise drives fair, meaningful outcomes.

Elite networking

Connect with founders, CEOs, and industry leaders.

VIP ceremony seat

Attend the gala dinner as a distinguished guest.

Official judge title

Recognised on our website, socials, and press.

Certificate of honour

A framed digital certificate for your profile.

Media exposure

Featured in our award season coverage.

Questions & Answers

Everything you need to know

Still curious? The essentials are below, entering is simpler than you might think.

Any business based in or serving Birmingham, of any size or sector. With a category for every business, there is a place for you, from solo founders to established teams.

Entry is completely free. You can enter as many categories as you like at no cost, so there is nothing standing between your business and the recognition it deserves.

Absolutely. Customers, colleagues and the wider community can nominate any business they believe deserves to be recognised. A nomination is a wonderful way to champion a business you love.

An independent panel assesses excellence, impact, innovation, customer experience and growth, with criteria tailored to each individual category.

Every entry is scored by the judging panel. The highest-scoring businesses in each category are shortlisted as finalists and invited to the Awards Gala.

Winners are revealed live and in person at the Awards Ceremony at National Conference Centre on Thursday, 26 November 2026: the highlight of the Birmingham business calendar.

Nominations for 2026-27 are open. Free to enter.

Your business deserves the spotlight

Behind every successful business is a story of hard work, dedication and ambition. Now is your opportunity to gain the recognition your business deserves.

Save the date: Thursday, 26 November 2026
Register your interestNominate a Business You Love

Free to enter. Takes 10 minutes. No payment, ever.

Be one of the first businesses ever recognised at National Conference Centre.

Register your interest