CATEGORIES
The Irish Sport Industry Awards are uniquely positioned to tell a story about the sports industry in Ireland as whole. The awards recognise recent achievements across the sector and shine a light on our members’ contribution to sport & physical activity and those embracing the future of sport and innovation. So, make sure you get your entry in to be part of that story. We want to celebrate the positive work that your organisation is doing in sport to paint a broader picture of the sporting industry landscape. Therefore, help us help you by submitting your entry to the awards!
| Categories for 2026 Awards – Public Entry |
| 1. Best Commercial Partnership in Sport |
| 2. Best Use of Communications platforms in Sport |
| 3. Best Initiative to Promote Women in Sport & Physical Activity |
| 4. Best Initiative to Promote Diversity, Equality, and Inclusivity in Sport & Physical Activity |
| 5. Best Initiative to Promote Disability in Sport & Physical Activity |
| 6. Best Initiative to Promote Sustainability in Sport & Physical Activity |
| 7. Governing Body of the Year |
| 8. Local Sports Partnership of the Year |
| 9. Best New Sports Business of the Year |
| 10. Best Sports Business of the Year |
| 11. KPMG Women in Sport Award |
The entry form is everything.
The judges can only make their decision based on what you supplied them – you can’t win if you don’t get the point across in the entry. You will be required to submit a short presentation and links to supporting media.
Less is more
The word limit is there to make sure your entry is clear, concise and to the point. Try and tell the story in clear and simple English – You want the judges to get to the heart of your story quickly. The executive summary is a useful guide for the judges to aid their deliberation.
Back up your story
Winning awards tend to have a mix of quantitative and qualitative results (sourced), backed up with one or two compelling observations – try to attribute all claims made. Such results or statistics are helpful to demonstrate the impact of an initiative or campaign.
Judges will take the following into consideration, but not limited to, when reviewing submissions: Quality of the submission, quality and originality of the partnership or initiative concept. The sustainability of the partnership, initiative, or programme to have a lasting impact. Share details of the goals of the partnership or activation, the delivery of campaign or initiative, the relative size of organisation and overall impact and outcomes of the partnership or campaign. Provide data to support your success story. Please complete all fields and upload supporting presentation and links content.
Cover all bases
Make sure you address each of the criteria relevant to the award you are applying for and make sure, where necessary, you supply evidence to support any facts claimed. You can be creative with your submission, and you can include video links to relevant campaigns.
Care with categories
Make sure you enter the right category. Address each of the criteria listed for the category applied for. Applications for more than one award are welcomed – just be sure to customise the application for the award you applied for.
For full terms and conditions click here.
1. Best Commercial Partnership in Sport
About this category
Entries for this category should be submitted by a member organisation of the Federation of Irish Sport (i.e., the stakeholder) which utilises a commercial partnership(s) and activations, where relevant to drive forward the reach of their sport, promote shared values and achieve business objectives. This can be a joint entry with the support/contribution of the commercial partner or promotional agency.
Judging criteria
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Demonstrate that the partnership has created and maximised engagement with its own audience and that of the commercial partner, with evidence of mutual benefits and shared goals.
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Differentiation from their competitors, originality, and uniqueness of the initiative/campaign.
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Demonstrate measurable impact on the sporting organisation, the commercial partner, and its consumers. Please provide any relevant metrics in relation to audience reach, growth, return on investment and clarity of partnership roles and responsibilities.
2. Best use of Communications Platforms in Sport
About this category
To be entered by a member organisation of the Federation of Irish Sport which has sport and physical activity at the heart of its digital content. This award is to recognise innovative and clever use of communications platforms to stand out from the digital crowd. The relevant PR, activation agency or service provider can support this entry.
Judging criteria
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Evidence that the member organisation has created its own audience, forming a digital community of sport fans in the process.
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Differentiation from their competitors within this space, delivery of a standout campaign/service.
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Demonstrate measurable impact for the member organisation, their partners, and its consumers and any supporting metrics for audience size and growth.
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Digital community is present/managed in Ireland or was created in Ireland. However, information submitted does not necessarily have to relate to work undertaken within Ireland.
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3. Best Initiative to Promote Women in Sport & Physical Activity
About this category
This category is to recognise those who champion Irish females in sport and physical activity at any level. This award is for an individual, organisation or a group who have demonstrated continued commitment to growing women’s participation (players, officials, administrators) and made an impact either locally or nationally in increasing female participation and visibility.
Judging criteria
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Evidence of commitment to growing female participation in their chosen sport or physical activity.
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Evidence of sustainable growth in female participation within the club/team.
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Demonstrate long term vision regarding increasing female participation in any form – umpire, referee, coach, athlete, participant, administrator.
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Originality of initiative/project and potential for long-term and wider adoption of new practices.
4. Best Initiative to Promote Diversity, Equality, and Inclusivity in Sport & Physical Activity
About this category
Open to any organisation or enterprise either within the sport industry, or is using sport as a vehicle, which promotes the diversity, equality, and inclusion agenda to improve business performance and/or increased engagement and participation in sport and physical activity. This award can be entered by agencies, brands, broadcasters, events, national governing bodies, local sports partnerships, leagues, rights holders, teams, venues and more, for internal or external-facing work.
Judging criteria
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Demonstrate a strategic goal to prioritise diversity, equality, and inclusion through their own programmes or as part of external projects.
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Understanding that new ideas, creativity, innovation, and success come by including different perspectives and experiences.
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Demonstrate how diversity, equality and inclusion have played a key role in a number of ways such as, but not limited to, events, governance, or campaigns.
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Delivery of content that targets and engages with the designated target audience.
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Impact on the organisation’s workforce, impact on the organisation’s members/consumers and/or the sport it serves, or sport as a whole via campaign/movement-led work.
5. Best Initiative to Promote Disability in Sport & Physical Activity
About this category
The award is to recognise the support of lifelong participation for all in sport and physical activity. It is open to any organisation or enterprise either within the sport industry, or is using sport as a vehicle, which promotes increased inclusion, engagement and participation in sport and physical activity for those with a disability. This award can be entered by agencies, brands, broadcasters, events, national governing bodies, local sports partnerships, leagues, rights holders, teams, venues and more, for internal or external-facing work.
Judging criteria
- Demonstrates how programmes, events, services or facilities have been adapted or designed to support meaningful involvement for people with disabilities.
- Understanding that new ideas, cross sector collaboration, creativity, innovation, and success come by including different perspectives and lived experiences.
- Demonstrates objectives to enhance visibility and accessibility to sport and physical activity for people with disabilities across multiple roles e.g., participant, spectator, volunteer, coach official and profiling of individuals with disabilities as champions of a sport or activity.
- Demonstrate strategic approach to promote accessibility and disability in sport and physical activity in a variety of ways such as, but not limited to, signing the Sport Inclusion Disability Charter, embedding disability inclusion in strategic plans, shows alignment with national inclusion policies.
- Evidence of commitment to a sustained programme of delivery for long-term impact and legacy potential.
- Delivery of content or initiatives that promotes and engages with the designated target audience effectively through positive representation of people with disabilities.
- Clear evidence of the positive long-term impact on the organisation’s workforce, service users, members, consumers, and/or the sport it serves, or overall impact on the sport via campaign/movement-led work.
6. Best Initiative to Promote Sustainability in Sport & Physical Activity
About this category
This award shall recognise sporting bodies or businesses in the sport or physical activity sector who display a comprehensive strategy to promote sustainability in sport or physical activities to mitigate against environmental impact of their operations or participation of their members. Areas of activation may include but not limited to energy efficiency, climate action, waste management, biodiversity, travel and transport, circular economy, and water use. This category is open to but not limited to; FIS member NGBs, LSPs, leisure and fitness facilities, sports and mass participation venues or event organisers, individual clubs (supported by their NGB), and community sport organisations.
Judging criteria
- Provide details of a clear sustainability strategy, with goals and objectives for a positive impact on sport and physical activity with key targets, projected outcomes, and progress to
- Influence on behavioural change: demonstrate communication plans to engage members, participants, spectators, staff, volunteers, athletes, officials, partners, and suppliers to influence community engagementand potential for long-term adoption of new behaviours towards a sustainability mindset in sport and physical
- Evidence of innovation, collaboration, and creativity in the originality of implementation of technologies,operational practices, resource management reduction, and
- Measurability: provide details of impact tracking, monitoring, and evaluation Provide data of improvements e.g. reduction in single use items, biodiversity and/or other data.
7. National Governing Body of the Year
About this category
This award shall recognise the National Governing Body that has demonstrated a commitment to growing their sport, increasing participation at all levels while promoting inclusivity, diversity, equity, and disability. The submission should show the NGBs vision and goals for their sport and any strategies implemented supporting these objectives.
Entrants should highlight successful areas of innovation, creativity, commercial collaborations, influences on behavioural change and stakeholder engagement. This award is to recognise the positive impact of an NGB on their sport, their members, the clarity of their goals and ambitions and a proven commitment to creating the right governance culture to ensure the long-term sustainability of their organisation.
Judging Criteria
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Details of strategic goals and implementation actions.
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Evidence of growth as an organisation, as a sport and contributing to the promotion of sport and physical activity in alignment with local and national priorities.
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Evidence of successful implementation of campaigns, partnerships, and/or programmese.g., media, commercial, participation.
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Evidence of good governance structures e.g., welfare, safeguarding and volunteering policies, organisational robustness, and financial sustainability etc.
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Evidence of positive collaborations with for example, partners, volunteers, member clubs or individuals, wider community engagement.
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Judges will consider organisation size, resources, and budgets available.
8. Local Sports Partnership of the Year
About this category
This award shall recognise the Local Sports Partnership which has shown the most comprehensive strategy in promoting sport and physical activity and/or community engagement on an ongoing basis. The entry should reflect year-round local engagement, impact, and an integrated approach to promoting sport and physical activity for all in the community.Submissions should not be based solely on individual initiatives.
Judging Criteria
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Details of organisational objectives to increase participation in sport and physical activity locally.
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Evidence of initiatives and/or programmes that address a need, solve a problem, and/or influence behavioural change to engage with marginalised members of the community in sport and physical activity.
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Evidence of an effective communication strategy around the programmes delivered.
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Overall impact and evidence of community engagement, collaboration with NGBs or clubs to promote mutual benefits and shared goals. Please provide any supporting metrics.
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Expansion of programmes or initiatives in alignment with local and national priorities.
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Introduction of innovative new campaigns, services, or events to existing programme of events.
9. Best New Sports Business of the Year
About this category
This award shall recognise potential and sustained excellence by a new sport business on the island of Ireland, less than 3 years operating that has delivered innovation, growth, and leadership in the industry by creating a product or service which is truly original, pushing boundaries and addressing a gap in the market.
Judging criteria
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Evidence of commitment to innovation and continuous investment and expansion that has delivered growth in revenue, operating income, employment, and/or overall performance.
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Demonstrate engagement with and impact on the sport sector.
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Overall performance and development of the business over a short period of time or less than three years.
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Demonstrate long-term vision regarding sustainable business growth and job creation.
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However, information submitted does not necessarily have to relate to work undertaken within Ireland.
10. Best Sports Business of the Year
This award shall recognise sustained excellence by an established sport business of more than three years on the island of Ireland that has delivered innovation, growth and leadership in the industry by creating a product or service which is truly original, pushing boundaries and addressing a gap in the market. The services or products provided do not have to be exclusively delivered in Ireland.
Judging criteria
- Evidence of commitment to innovation and continuous investment and expansion that has delivered growth in revenue, operating income, employment and/or overall performance.
- Demonstrate engagement with and impact on the sport sector.
- Overall performance and development of the business over a short period of time.
- Trading more than 3 years.
- Demonstrate long-term vision with regard to sustainable business growth and job creation
- However, information submitted does not necessarily have to relate to work undertaken within Ireland.
11. Women in Sport Award in partnership with KPMG
About this category
The Women in Sport category is to reward and recognise sustained excellence by a female professional working in either a business role related to sport, in sports administration or delivery of professional services in sport including but not exclusively areas such as: strategic management, influence and community engagement, cause driven in sport, research, high performance, enterprise, public relations on the island of Ireland that has delivered innovation, growth, leadership or standout services and positive outcomes in the sports industry.
Entry open to members and non-members of the Federation of Irish Sport.
Judging criteria
Entries should demonstrate how the nominee has, as a standout performer shown significant achievement in the advancement and/or promotion of sport and physical activity, be it through creation of or implementation of a new strategic direction, innovation, education, use of technology, campaign conceptualisation, collaboration, sustained excellence in delivery of services resulting in a step change in sport. Factors also considered but not limited to include impact of service, length of service, proven innovation, variety of roles held (incl. voluntary).
The format of this entry is a written submission of 500 words max clearly stating why this candidate should be recognised for their role in the promotion and/or advancement of sport.
10. Jimmy Magee Award for Sports Coverage of the Year presented by the Association of Sports Journalists of Ireland
This award covers all media forms (print, broadcast (radio and TV), online and photography). An independent panel of three Industry experts (from sports PR or sport Comms) chaired by a member of the executive of the Association of Sports Journalists Ireland (ASJI) will produce a shortlist of 3 nominees and a winner.
Criteria
This award is based on the recognition of the quality and impact of a single photo/written work/broadcast/commentary in a niche and emerging sport and/or the consistent depth of quality across a series of photos/written works/broadcast/commentaries covering niche and emerging sports.
11. Outstanding Contribution/Achievement Award by an individual to Irish Sport
About this award
Judging Panel invited to submit nominations.
Commercial & Communications Committee invited to submit nominations. FIS Member CEOs invited to submit nominations.
Board of Federation of Irish Sport invited to submit nominations and vote on overall winner.