The 2021 Sales and Marketing Awards have launched TODAY!

It is with great pleasure that we can announce that the CRN 2021 Sales and Marketing Awards are now open for entry

Now, more than ever, the industry needs to celebrate the positives, and recognise the outstanding achievements of individuals and teams in what is definitely the most challenging time we have ever faced.

And this is exactly what the 2021 Sales and Marketing Awards intend to do.

Last year, the pandemic struck right in the middle of the entry process for the Awards, and we were blown away by how many companies managed to get an entry together despite a constant barrage of hurdles.

But we are hoping that this year, despite still being restricted by Covid, even more companies will share their own sales and marketing success stories, and reward their teams with the recognition they deserve.

The awards will take place on Thursday 8 July this year, and more details about the ceremony itself will be revealed in the coming weeks. Deadline for entries this year is Friday 9 April and there will be no extensions.

There are 23 categories to choose from this year, some have been tweaked to reflect that move to a more online and remote approach to working and events, but please do read the criteria for each category - split into Vendor, Distributor, Reseller and General - fully before starting an entry: it is there as a handy guide and explains exactly what the judges will be looking for. We have even published some top tips for entry.

However, please note, the entry period runs from January 2020 to January 2021, so events/campaigns that happened pre-lockdown are eligible for entry too.

We also have a new category in each sub category - the ‘Over and Above Award', which is aimed at recognising individuals, teams or even companies as a whole that have gone over and above the call of duty to make sure a customer is serviced or helped; or have done something to help their local community or have helped to keep morale up in the workplace.

There really is something for everyone this year, and we look forward to receiving and reading all the entries. Please remember not to submit the same entry for multiple categories (the judges will pick up on it) and it is ONE entry per company, per category.

Entries that make the shortlist after the first round of judging will go on to a second panel of judges where the winners and possible commended entries will be decided.

To find out more about the awards and to read the criteria, please visit the dedicated editorial hub, or the awards page itself.

The very best of luck, and remember, the deadline for entries is Friday 9 April.