How do I submit a nomination?
Making a nomination is easy; simply fill in a nomination form.
What makes a winning nomination?
Remember, this will be the first time we are hearing about this project or person, so it’s important to include a good description. The more detailed, the easier it is for the judges to understand more about the project’s or person’s impact.
Here are some top tips:
- Stick to the word count – we only have a limited amount of time to review each nomination.
- If nominating a project, make sure you give information on how the project was service user-driven and/or how the project impacted those who took part or attended.
- If nominating an individual, tell us about their milestones. Tell us about their starting point, their progress and where they are now.
- We love to see photos, videos and additional documents (magazines, newsletters, websites, flyers etc.) that might help us see the process or result of the project. You can attach files to support the nomination.
If a file is too large to attach, please submit the nomination form and email [email protected], who will support you to send the file/s separately. - Include quotes and comments from those involved to help us understand the impact.
What Award category should my nomination be in?
Ensure you have read through the Award Categories before submitting your nomination. You can select only one category on the nomination form; however, if we feel it may sit better in another category, we may change it.
Who can apply and make nominations?
The National Lived Experience Awards recognise individuals that have accessed inpatient or residential support within a mental health, learning disability or autism services nationwide. We can accept nominations from individuals that have been discharged from these services, as well as those still being supported.
Nominations must be for projects or achievements completed by individuals being supported by these services (not staff members). Most nominations are submitted by staff members on behalf of service users – but it would be great to see more nominations made by service users themselves.
I would like to nominate myself. Is that okay?
Yes, absolutely! We encourage self-nominations from those who have accessed mental health services in the UK. We want to celebrate the hard work you’ve put into your recovery or your community. If you find it hard to write about yourself, try describing your work as if you were telling a friend about your proudest moment this year.
What sort of projects/individuals have been nominated before?
To see the kind of projects and people that have previously been nominated and which have won please visit the Previous Events page.
Do I need to share sensitive or traumatic details?
No. We value lived experience, but safety and privacy come first. Focus on the insights and strengths gained from those experiences and how they are used to help others, rather than the details themselves.
What happens after I submit a nomination?
The deadline for nominations is Friday 26th June. After this, all of the nominations will be reviewed by the Head Judges and Lived Experience Judges who will chose the finalists and overall winner of each category.
Everyone who submitted a nomination will be informed if they have been successful in proceeding to the next stage of the awards.
All finalists will be invited to the Awards ceremony on Wednesday 23rd September 2026.
Do I have to prepare anything for the Awards?
If you are a finalist, you will be asked to present your award to the attendees. It us up to you how you want to present your nomination and by who, for example, someone from your group could do a speech, talk through a PowerPoint, play a video you have made, or something else. A support document will be shared with all finalists to help you decide and prepare for this. It’s a fun opportunity to celebrate your nomination being a finalist and tell everyone why you/the project should win.