Nomination Process

Nominations are open twice a year, once for the New Year List and once the Birthday List.

Although exact dates vary, deadlines are generally around February for the following year's New Year List and August for the following year's Birthday list. 

Applications are currently closed. Please look out for the next nomination deadline in due course.

You can read about the criteria in full below or download a PDF version using the link below, this includes a statement about the use of personal data in the nominations process:

UK Honours Awards Nominations Process

A huge number of individuals, both volunteers and staff, contribute significantly to sport in Scotland. It is important that these individuals can be recognised for the contribution they make to the vibrancy and diversity of sport in Scotland. This is your opportunity to nominate the most worthy individuals within your sport and your community for a UK Honours Award.

The Scottish Sports Association (SSA), the independent and collective voice of Scottish Governing Bodies of sport, our members and the Scottish Government are working in partnership to identify and recognise the individuals who make a real and innovative difference to sport in Scotland. We are particularly looking for those who have made a difference to club and community sport, and need your help to identify and nominate these individuals from within your community.

Do you know someone who has?

  • Made a strong and positive difference to their sport and community?
  • Shown outstanding innovation?
  • Shown exemplary and selfless volunteer work?
  • Improved life considerably for those within their club/organisation?
  • Carried the respect of their peers?
  • Made significant changes and achievements in Scottish sport?
  • Brought distinction to Scottish life or enhanced Scotland’s reputation through their achievements and efforts through sport?
  • Made a real and lasting difference to their sport and/or their community.

If so, we’d like you to nominate them for a UK Honours Award!

Nominating them is easy, just tell us how your candidate has:

  • Earned the respect of their peers
  • Consistently given their time and energy to make sure sport happens
  • Become a role model in their club/sport
  • Produced sustained achievement, potentially against the odds, which has required moral courage, vision, the ability to make tough choices or determined application and hard work
  • In addition to this, please ensure that you send us your nomination’s full name, address and age

Please email this information to honours@thessa.org.uk. 

Please note that, unfortunately, not all nominations will be successful, therefore it is crucial that all nominations are kept confidential from the individual being nominated; all aspects of the nomination process are confidential.

Nominations are considered twice per year; for the UK New Year’s Honours and the UK Birthday Honours Awards. The process for nomination is the same at both times and both opportunities seek to recognise individuals who have made a significant difference to Scotland, either through communities or through a particular field of activity, ie sport.

The Scottish Government has asked the SSA to promote and add value to the nominations process for Scottish sport. However, nominations can still be sent directly to the Scottish Government. Further information on the Honours process is available via: https://www.gov.uk/honours.  Please note this is an ongoing process and further rounds will be available.