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. Through the shortlisting process we showcase all that is good and happening in the industry with a wider lens before the overall winner of each category is revealed on the night. 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 2025 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 & Inclusivity in Sport & Physical Activity |
| 5. Local Sports Partnership of the Year |
| 6. Governing Body of the Year |
| 7. Best New Sports Business of the Year |
| 8. Best Sports Business of the Year |
| 9. KPMG Women in Sport |
The entry 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.
Less is more
The word limit is there as the judges are likely to have a lot of applications to read. Try and tell the story in clear and simple English – You want the judges 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 really compelling observations – try to attribute all claims made. Such results or statistics are helpful to demonstrate the impact of an initiative or campaign.
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 1 award are welcomed – just be sure to customise the application for the award you applied for.
For full terms and conditions click here.
ENTRY FORMS
Judges will take into consideration overall when reviewing submissions:
Quality of submission, Partnership or initiative concept, Goals of partnership or initiative, Delivery of campaign or initiative, Relative size of organisation and overall impact.
! ENTRIES EXTENDED UNTIL 1PM, TUESDAY 22ND APRIL 2025 !
1. Best Commercial Partnership in Sport
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
- Evidence that the partnership has created and maximised engagement with its own audience and that of the commercial partner.
- Differentiation from their competitors.
- Demonstrate measurable impact for the sporting organisation, the commercial partner, and its consumers.
2. Best use of Communications Platforms in Sport
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. This entry can be supported by PR/activation agency.
Judging criteria
- Evidence that the member organisation has created its own audience, forming a digital community of sport fans in the process
- Differentiation from their competitors other NGBs, delivery of a standout campaign.
- Demonstrate measurable impact for the sporting organisation, the commercial partner, and its consumers.
- 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.
3. Best Initiative to Promote Women in Sport & Physical Activity
This category is to recognise those who champion Irish females in sport and physical activity at any le. 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.
Judging criteria
- Evidence of commitment to growing female participation in their chosen sport or physical activity.
- Evidence of sustainable growth in female participation within the club/team.
- Demonstrate long term vision with regard to increasing female participation in any form – umpire, referee, coach, athlete, participant, administrator.
4. Best Initiative to Promote Diversity and Inclusivity in Sport & Physical Activity
Open to any organisation or enterprise either within the sport industry, or is using sport as a vehicle, which promotes the diversity 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, governing bodies, local sports partnership leagues, rights holders, teams, venues and more, for internal or external-facing work.
Judging criteria
- Prioritise diversity and inclusion through their own programmes or as part of external projects.
- Understanding that new ideas, creativity, innovation and success come by including different perspectives and experiences.
- Demonstrate how diversity and inclusion has played a key role in a number of ways such as, but not limited to, events, governance or campaigns.
- Delivery of content that targets and engages with the designated target audience.
- Impact on the organisation’s workforce, impact on the organisation’s consumers and/or the sport it serves, or sport as a whole via campaign/movement-led work
5. Local Sports Partnership of the Year
This award shall recognise the Local Sports Partnership which has shown the most initiative in promoting sport and physical activity and/or community engagement.
Judging Criteria
- Evidence that the initiative addressed a need, solved a problem and/or seized an opportunity.
- Evidence of an effective communication strategy around the initiative.
- Overall impact the initiative had/will have on the community.
- Effective use and adherence to budget
- Expansion of programme of initiatives
- Introduction of innovative new campaigns or events
6. National Governing Body of the Year
This award shall recognise the National Governing Body that has demonstrated a commitment to increasing participation in sport and physical activity, promoting diversity, equity and shown commitment to creating the right governance culture.
Judging Criteria
- Evidence of progress on the sporting front.
- Evidence of carrying out successful campaigns.
- Evidence of good governance.
- Evidence of contributing to the promotion of sport as a whole and its benefits in Ireland.
7. Best New Sports Business of the Year
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
- 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 or less than three 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.
8. 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.
9. Women in Sport Award in partnership with KPMG
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 delivery of professional services in sport including but not exclusively areas such as: research, high performance, enterprise, public relations on the island of Ireland that has delivered innovation, growth, leadership or standout services in the 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 innovation, use of technology, campaign conceptualisation, sustained excellence in delivery of services resulting in a step change in sport.
The format of this entry will be a written submission of 500 words max as to why this candidate should be recognised for their role in the promotion and/or advancement of sport.
Impact of service, Length of service, Proven innovation, Roles/positions held (incl. voluntary)
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
Judging panel invited to submit nominations
Board of Federation of Irish Sport invited to submit nominations
Commercial & Communications Committee invited to submit nominations
Judging panel to shortlist nominations for consideration by FIS Board.