Speaker Awards
2026 Application Resources
Everything you need to prepare and submit a strong application is here.
Before you begin, take a few minutes to review the key documents. They’ll give you a clear understanding of the process, what judges are looking for, and how to approach your answers.
You’ll also find demonstration videos to help you navigate the platform, along with insights into the judging process, eligibility, and how winners are selected.
If you’d like to go deeper, explore past winners’ application videos and our podcast series for real examples of what strong submissions look like.
Take your time with this. The more clarity you have going in, the stronger your application will be.
Follow our step-by-step video guides to complete your application. Click any step to watch the tutorial.
Judging Process & Criteria
- All applicants will be judged using the Speaker Awards Judging Criteria.
- A minimum of 3 judges will be assigned to each judged award category.
- Except for the Speaker of the Year and Lifetime Achievement Award, all award categories will be subject to evaluation by judges.
- All awards judges are required to adhere to the Judges Code of Conduct. Any judge found in violation of this code will be relieved of their judging responsibilities.
- Judging will be conducted in two stages:
- Each judge assigned to a category will evaluate every applicant based on the Speaker Awards Judging Criteria and the Judges Code of Conduct.
- Judges will then create a shortlist of applicants to progress to the next stage.
- Judges assigned to each category will convene, referencing the scores from Stage One.
- Utilising the Speaker Awards Judging Criteria, they will determine the winner and the highly commended applicants from those shortlisted.
Selection of Winners
- The shortlist for the categories will be announced on 22 May 2026.
- The category winners and the overall Speaker of the Year will be revealed on 3 July 2026, during an awards evening taking place in London.
- Shortlisted applicants (or their appointed representative) will be expected to buy a ticket to attend the awards ceremony in London, UK.
Eligibility Criteria
- The Speaker Awards are open to speakers of every nationality and country.
- Applicants must be over 18 years of age.
Exclusions
- Individuals serving as judges, suppliers or sponsors for the awards are not permitted to submit applications.
- The organisers, founders and/or their family members are precluded from applying.
- Individuals who have been remunerated by ProSpeakers Ltd within the past 12 months are precluded from applying.
- Individuals serving as Ambassadors for the Speaker Awards are precluded from applying.
- Applicants are ineligible to enter a specific award category if they were the winners of that category in the preceding calendar year. They are welcome to re-enter the same category after a one-year hiatus.
- Applicants are ineligible to re-enter an award category if they were inducted into the Hall of Fame for that specific award category.
Before You Apply
Review all key documents and resources before starting your application.
Past winners application videos
These videos offer a behind-the-scenes look at past winning applications across different categories.
Use them as inspiration - not to copy, but to spark ideas on how you can bring your own work and impact to life in your application.
Adele Bates | Best Storyteller
Emma Henderson | Book Choice
Beth Sherman (1st Showreel) | Best Showreel
Jim Steele | Best Live Speaker
Alex Atherton | Best Newcomer
Jaz Ampaw-Farr| Hall of Fame
The A&S FrontRow Podcast
The A&S FrontRow Podcast is where professional speakers, thought leaders, and industry shapers come to stay future-ready, share their journey and stories.
Hosted by the team behind the Speaker Summit, Speaker Awards, and a growing global speaker network, each episode explores what it really takes to build a speaking business with substance, strategy, and staying power.
We go beyond performance, we interview people in the industry, to talk about positioning, platform, partnerships, trends and the mindset required to lead in today’s ever-evolving speaking landscape.
Expect honest conversations, practical insights, behind-the-scenes stories, and interviews with those redefining what it means to speak with impact.