Two-week countdown to the Channel Awards deadline begins

With just 10 working days left to submit your entry for the 2026 awards there is no need to panic, writes Sara Yirrell

“It’s astounding. Time is fleeting.”

It is not often you get to quote The Rocky Horror Show in a serious business article, but it seems pretty apt for the Channel Awards entry deadline because it feels like it was just days ago that the awards were launched.

With the 26 June deadline looming, the clock is ticking to get those entries polished up and submitted, but the key is not to rush – ten days is still plenty of time to create a stonking entry that will knock the judges sideways.

If you have missed the articles sharing top tips and hints, worry not, here are some condensed top tips below.

Read the criteria

Read the criteria and make sure you are eligible to enter each category and keep an eye on wordcount/video length.

These awards are UK focused, so remember to keep your entry UK-based and also remember these awards are about the channel, so if you don’t operate in the channel or have a channel strategy, then these are probably not the awards for you.

Facts, figures and testimonials

Remember to include all these in your entry. Backing up claims with hard facts is a sure way to grab the judges’ attention, and also a named testimonial from a partner or customer will go a long way.

Enjoy it!

If your entry is fun to create, then it will be enjoyable to read. Let the judges see your personality, the culture of your company, the people behind the name. Make it personal as well as factual. Keep the corporate jargon for corporate communications.

Of course, there are many more hints and tips available on the official awards website, along with a webinar recorded with some of our valued judges to help you perfect your submission.

To briefly explain how the process works after the deadline; entries are submitted and the first panel of judges read them and meet virtually to create the shortlist.

The shortlist is announced, and shortlisted entries are then viewed by the second panel of judges who meet face to face to decide the winners.

Six categories – Vendor of the Year, Security Vendor of the Year, Reseller/Partner of the Year (up to £100m), Reseller/Partner of the Year (£101m+), Distributor of the Year (less than £150m turnover) and Distributor of the Year (£150m+ turnover) – will require a presentation on judging day which is Wednesday 23 September.

The very best of luck to you all. Submit your entry here.