WeAreTheCity will screen all entries after the closing date to ensure they are fit for purpose for our judges. Should a nomination be incomplete, we reserve the right to discard the entry.

Unfortunately, we do not have the (wo)manpower to chase individuals for missing details. Therefore please ensure whoever nominates you completes all the required questions to the best of their ability.

Please also return the supporting information requested by WeAreTheCity as soon as possible (or in advance of given deadlines). If the supporting information is not received by the closing date for nominations, we will reluctantly have to remove your entry from the process.

What is the Rising Star Individual Award?

This award recognises a female individual who works within one of the categories whose current position is below director level.

What is the Rising Star Champion Award?

This award is to recognise the achievements of five senior individuals, male or female, who are actively supporting the female pipeline outside of their day job. Nominations for this award are individuals who have demonstrated their commitment to gender, eg HeForShe supporters, Network Leaders, Directors, MD’s or C-Suite individuals who are championing women either inside or outside their organisations.

What is the Rising Star Men for Gender Balance Award?

This award is for senior men who are championing women and gender balance either inside or outside their organisation. Nominees must be at least Director level (or equivalent) or above, must demonstrate that they have actively supported the female pipeline either through their current work role or external activities and must be working in the UK.

What is the Rising Star Global Award for Achievement?

This award recognises a female individual, from outside the UK, across any industry, whose current position is below director level.

What is the Company of the Year Award?

The Company of the Year award recognises the achievements of a company who can clearly demonstrate that they are actively supporting and developing their female talent pipeline through their initiatives, training, development programmes and/or internal employee relations groups.

When do nominations close?

The deadline to submit a nomination for the Rising Star Awards is 21 March 2024.

 Can I nominate more than one individual?

Yes, you can nominate as many individuals as you like. Please ensure your nomination meets the requirements for entry. You can find our award’s guidance and criteria here.

Does it cost to nominate? Or is there a charge to nominate anyone?

Our awards are free to enter.

I was nominated last year but I didn’t make the shortlist/winner’s event, can I enter again?

We would encourage all of previous entrants to re-enter for the awards. However, previous winners will not be recognised for a consecutive year.

What if I am nominated multiple times?

Those nominated a number of times are treated in the same way as a single entry. We will use the most comprehensive nomination received in the judging process. Those who receive multiple nominations do not have an advantage over those who only receive a single nomination.

Please note, you only have to complete the additional information once for each category you are nominated in.

I have been nominated and want to nominate someone else?

We absolutely encourage nominees pay it forward and nominate others.

Can I nominate myself?

Yes, we encourage self-nominations.

Can I nominate a man for the awards?

You can nominate someone of any gender for our Rising Star Champions award and a man for our Men for Gender Balance award.

Can men nominate?

Absolutely! Throughout the process we will be encouraging men to nominate their female peers & colleagues.

Can I nominate those who live or work abroad?

At the moment, nominations will only be accepted for those working in the UK and Northern Ireland, with exception to the Global Award for Achievement and the ESG category.

What if I/my nominee moves abroad during the process?

If you/your nominee is shortlisted and then moves abroad, we would still include the individual in the awards and process their entry through to our final judging stages.

Does my nomination have to come from my employer?

No, anyone can nominate you. However, we suggest that it is someone who is able to articulate your achievements in detail.

My company are sponsoring a category, can I still nominate myself/be nominated?

Yes, your company’s involvement does not prevent you from entering the awards. All of our judges are from non-sponsoring companies and are asked to declare any known conflicts of interest at the point of judging.

We also remove your surname and company details from our judging packs to ensure each entry is judged fairly and not subjected to any unconscious bias.

One of the judges works for the same organisation as me, can I still nominate myself/ be nominated?

Yes, we are able to see if there is a conflict of interest between an entrant and a judge and will manage this situation by asking another judge to assist. We also ask all of our judges to declare if they feel compromised either because they know the individual nominated or they have close links with their company.

I am not a senior member of staff, but I do run a small team. Can I still be nominated?

We appreciate that some individuals will have line management responsibilities and yet they do not hold senior position within their organisations. If you are running a small team of one or two individuals (e.g. you are a team leader, supervisor or junior manager), you still qualify to enter the awards.

Will my personal information be published on the site?

When you complete your additional information, you will be asked to supply a biography. This, along with your name, company and profile image, will be the only thing published on the site.

When you submit your additional information, you will be asked to confirm that you are happy for us to publish your bio and headshot.

What is the deadline to provide my additional information?

The deadline to complete your additional information is 21 March 2024. Unfortunately, those nominations without supporting information will not go through to the next round.

What if I have made a mistake on my nomination form (e.g. wrong category, incorrect email address)?

If you have made a mistake on your nomination form, please contact us as soon as possible via info@wearethecity.com.

WeAreTheCity has selected a variety of independent judges and standby judges, should there be any conflict of interest when judging a nomination.

To remove any bias, nominees’ names and companies are removed from the judging packs. Judges will judge on the basis that the criteria, and the achievements of the individual, have been met. Should one of our judges recognise the individual by way of their achievements, they will be asked to declare the conflict and step out of the judging process. In this situation, one of our standby judges will step in to independently judge the nomination.

Please note the judges’ decisions are final.

What if I get promoted during the process?

If you are promoted after nominations close and you feel you no longer fit the criteria of a Rising Star, please inform info@wearethecity.com

How does the public vote contribute to the final winners?

After the shortlist has been announced, we will open the public vote. It is entirely up to the nominee if they wish to call for public votes via their social media channels/other. The public vote helps us to identify an overall public vote winner. The public vote winner may not necessarily be one of the top 100 nominees selected by our judges. The public vote winner will receive an award at the ceremony in July.

What happens if I’m shortlisted?

If you are shortlisted, you will receive an email from WeAreTheCity detailing your achievements and what happens next.

We will also publish our shortlist on the Rising Stars’ website on 14 May 2024 and share your achievements via our social media.

Once shortlisted, you will then go into a second round of judging and the public vote. We actively encourage you to share your shortlisting across your network.

Winners are announced on 28 May 2024 and will be invited to attend a prestigious award’s ceremony, along with previous winners, sponsors, judges and supporters.

When and where is the award’s ceremony?

The Rising Star Award’s Ceremony will be held on 17 July 2024. More details about the ceremony will be released soon.

Can we get feedback if we have been unsuccessful?

Unfortunately, due to the amount of nominations, we are unable to offer feedback for specific individuals.

How can I keep up to date?

If you have been nominated, you will receive emails from WeAreTheCity throughout the process, detailing what’s happening next and whether you have been shortlisted or not.

You can also follow us on X and Facebook for updates and more.