FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
All entries open – 16 March 2026
Entries open: 16 March 2026
Entries close: 27 April 2026
Regional finalists announced: July 2025
Regional award ceremonies: September / October 2026 (dates vary per region)
National finalists announced: August 2026
National final award ceremony: November 2026
Regional winners automatically progress to be considered for national award.
Our nomination process gives members of the public and industry peers the opportunity to highlight that your business or event deserves recognition and to encourage you to enter the awards.
When nominated, you will receive an email from the Scottish Thistle Awards team to let you know, along with a link to complete the entry form to provide the judges with all the information they need to consider your business for an award.
Please be aware that nominations are anonymous and the number of nominations received per nominee will not be taken into consideration by our judging panel.
For more information about the awards process, click here.
You do not need to have been nominated to enter the awards; entries are free and, with 18 different categories to choose from, there is something for everyone!
If you want to apply and highlight the achievements of your business, please head straight to enter. Entries open 16 March and close 27 April 2026.
No, there is no cost to enter the Scottish Thistle Awards. The entry process is quick, simple and the team are available to assist you with any questions.
Entries are welcomed from anyone working within the tourism and events industry wanting to highlight the efforts and achievements of their business, event or even an individual. You do not need to have been nominated to enter the awards, entries are free and there is an array of categories to choose from.
Visit our categories page to find out more.
Yes you can! We welcome you to enter as many categories as are relevant to the business or individual, however you must submit unique entries for each category. Before you enter, we suggest you look through the categories section of the website and have a look at our previous winners.
If you don’t immediately see an awards category for your business, you might find that there are still a number of opportunities for you to enter.
Do you work with an individual who deserves recognition, or should your business be celebrated for its partnership working or innovative practices? One of our non-sector-specific categories may be the perfect category to enter. Visit our categories page to find out more.
Categories are reviewed annually with our Industry Panel, taking into account industry feedback and insights, to ensure the awards are as representative as possible.
You can enter more than one region if your business operates in more than one region. You must complete a unique entry form for each region you are entering.
Please note, if you wish to submit an entry in the Highlands & Islands or Aberdeen City & Shire regions, you should enter via the Highlands or Islands Thistle Awards or Aberdeen City & Shire Thistle Awards websites.
If your company operates nationally or across regions, you can choose to focus your entry on one region or submit separate unique entries for the regions which are relevant.
Judging takes place at both a regional and national level working with a panel of independent industry experts. To find out more about the process, visit our judging page
Absolutely – feedback on individual entries will be provided on request. Please get in touch with the Scottish Thistle Awards Team who will liaise with the relevant judging panel to provide this for you.
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