Awards FAQs
How To Enter
No, entering the awards is free!
Attendance at the Festival and Awards Ceremony is optional and ticketed separately. Nominees and finalists are welcome to participate in the awards process regardless of whether they attend the event in person.
Just bring your incredible work and passion for diversity and inclusion.
Simply click UnderOne Diversity and Inclusion Awards to explore the eleven award categories. Once you’ve selected your category, hit ‘nominate now,’ fill out the form, and upload any supporting evidence. Easy!
Yes! There is no limit to how many categories you can enter. Whether you’re an individual or an organisation, you’re welcome to highlight different aspects of your impact across multiple categories.
Yes! For individual awards like Rising Star for Inclusion and Leadership for Inclsuion, you can nominate yourself to showcase your contributions. Organisations can also nominate themselves for the reamining awards recognising company-wide initiatives.
Yes! If you’ve collaborated with another company or organisation on a DEI initiative, you’re welcome to submit a joint nomination. We love celebrating partnerships that drive meaningful change.
Nominations come from a range of sources, including colleagues, peers, industry professionals, and self-nominations. In addition, our dedicated research team proactively identifies outstanding examples of leadership and impact across each award category. Our Advisory Board also plays a role in identifying outstanding candidates. To ensure confidentiality, we don’t disclose specific details about the nomination process.
Unfortunately, no late submissions will be accepted. Be sure to submit by midnight on March 20th 2026 (Invited Nominees) and March 26th 2026 (Public Nominees)!
Submission Guidance
All nominations must be submitted in no more than 750 words, clearly demonstrating purpose, action, and impact. You may include up to three pieces of supplementary evidence, which must be clearly signposted within your written submission.
Further guidance — including submission tips and details on accepted formats — can be found on the relevant category submission page.
We’re looking for inspiring DEI initiatives—whether it’s a campaign, project, or programme. If it has made a real impact in fostering inclusion and equity, we want to hear about it!
Yes! If your project is still in progress, just be sure to highlight the results achieved so far and your plans for continued impact.
You may include up to three pieces of supplementary evidence, such as reports, case studies, or media coverage. Any supporting material must be clearly signposted within the written submission, as judges are not required to review documents that are not referenced.
Due to the volume of entries, we’re unable to offer individual feedback.
Judging & Selection
Our expert panel of DEI professionals will evaluate entries based on a set of crtieria. The judges will shortlist finalists, and winners will be selected.
Finalist will be revealed April 7, 2026 on our website!
Winners will be announced live at the award ceremony on July 10th, 2026 at Voco Oxford Spires, Oxford.
Award Ceremony
The awards ceremony will be held in the afternoon on July 10th, 2026, at the VOCO Oxford Spires. It’s going to be a fantastic venue for celebrating DEI excellence!
If you’d like to join us for the 2026 UnderOne D&I Awards, please reach out to hello@underonediversityinclusionawards.com for ticket information and availability.
Note: Finalists will receive a direct invitation, so no need to register separately if you’re on the shortlist.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Absolutely! If your company is interested in sponsoring an award, head to our sponsor page here to learn more and apply.