Thought Leadership Awards Categories
Recognizing organizations and individuals for their thought leadership-related achievements since January 1 2023.
Nominations that won in the 2024 ABAs may be resubmitted for consideration in the 2025 ABAs. If they have been updated with recent achievements, they may be submitted to the same categories in which they won. If they have not been updated, they must be submitted to categories different from those in which they won.
W01. Achievement in Thought Leadership
This category will recognize the achievements since January 1 2023, of organizations in the USA that have taken active measures to develop their executives and employees as thought leaders and promote their thought leadership to audiences inside and outside the organization.
Information to be submitted online for entries in this category in the 2025 competition include
Written answers to the following questions, describing the nominated organization's achievements since January 1 2023, OR a video of up to five (5) minutes in length that answers all of the same questions:
a. Briefly describe the nominated organization: history and past performance (up to 200 words). Required
b. Outline the organization's thought leadership achievements since the beginning of January 2023 that you wish to bring to the judges' attention (up to 250 words). Required
c. Explain why the achievements you have highlighted are unique or significant. If possible compare the achievements to the performance of other players in your industry and/or to the organization's past performance (up to 250 words). Required
d. Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination. (up to 250 words). Optional
Optional (but highly recommended), a collection of supporting files and web addresses that you may upload to our server to support your entry and provide more background information to the judges. These might be planning documents, press clippings, work samples, photographs, video clips, etc.
W02. Thought Leadership Campaign of the Year
These categories will recognize the achievements since January 1 2023 of thought leadership programs and campaigns created and performed in the USA.
a. Business Products
b. Business Services
c. Consumer Products
d. Consumer Services
e. Association, Government or Non-Profit
Information to be submitted online for entries in these categories in the 2025 competition include Written answers to the following questions, OR a video of up to five (5) minutes in length that answers all of the same questions:
a. Specify the date on which this campaign or program was launched. Required
b. Describe the genesis of the nominated campaign or program: the reasons it was initiated, the challenges it was created to address, the problems it was developed to solve, etc. (up to 250 words). Required
c. Describe the development of the campaign or program: the planning process, the goal setting, the subject and content development, the scheduling, etc. (up to 250 words). Required
d. Outline the activities and concrete results of this campaign or program since the beginning of January 2023. Even if your initiative started before January 2023, limit your response to activities and results since the beginning of January 2023 only (up to 250 words). Required
e. Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words). Optional
Optional (but highly recommended), a collection of supporting files and web addresses that you may upload to our server to support your entry and provide more background information to the judges. These might be planning documents, press clippings, work samples, photographs, video clips, etc.
W03. Thought Leader of The Year
This category will recognize the achievements since January 1 2023 of individuals who have demonstrated excellence in thought leadership on behalf of themselves and/or their organizations.
a. Business Products
b. Business Services
c. Consumer Products
d. Consumer Services
e. Association, Government or Non-Profit (there is no entry fee for this subcategory)
Information to be submitted online for entries in these categories in the 2025 competition include:
Written answers to the following questions, describing the nominated individual's achievements since January 1 2023, OR a video of up to five (5) minutes in length that answers all of the same questions:
a. Briefly describe the nominated individual: history and past performance (up to 200 words). Required
b. Outline the nominee's thought leadership achievements since January 1 2023 that you wish to bring to the judges' attention (up to 250 words). Required
c. Explain why the achievements you have highlighted are unique or significant. If possible compare the achievements to the performance of other players in your industry and/or to the nominee's past performance (up to 250 words). Required
d. Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words). Optional
Optional (but highly recommended), Add supporting materials to your nomination. Provide any number of weblinks, and/or upload any number of files, that you believe will support your case to the judges. These might be press articles, press releases, videos, work samples, internal or external reviews, or employee feedback, for example.