Submissions are invited from the industry and should relate to investment, exit, and fundraising activity in the last 12 months, from 12 September 2025 to 11 September 2026. Submissions can be made on behalf of third parties. Firms nominating themselves may submit only one entry per category. Nominations can be made via this website.

The AVCJ Editorial Board will evaluate the entries and submit a long list in each category to a select panel of industry judges. The judges will consider these recommendations and, if necessary, review the original submission documents and propose alternative candidates. The final shortlists — no more than five per category — will then be drawn up.

The shortlists will be posted online for the entire private equity and venture capital community to vote during October 2026. Voting is not limited to AVCJ subscribers, but voters must register — providing name, firm, and contact details — to avoid vote packing. No more than 10 votes will be accepted from employees of a single firm. Registered voters and the judging panel each have a 50% say in the result.

No. Three categories are not subject to a public vote. The Responsible Investment Award and the Operational Value Add Award are presented at the discretion of the AVCJ Editorial Board with input from separate expert judging panels comprising industry professionals with experience in ESG and operations respectively. The AVCJ Special Achievement Award is presented solely at the discretion of the AVCJ Editorial Board, although suggestions from the private equity and venture capital community are considered and valued.

Winners will be announced on 16 November, coinciding with the AVCJ Forum, which runs from 16 to 19 November.

There is no limit on the amount of documentation that can be submitted in support of nominations. However, it is easier for the judging panel to assess entries that are reasonably concise and clearly identify the merits of a particular deal, fundraise, firm, or individual. In the Responsible Investment and Operational Value Add categories, submissions will only be considered if they are accompanied by supporting documentation.

Submitted information can be shared with the judging panel. Short summaries will be produced for shortlisted entries based on that information, except for details marked as confidential in the submission materials.

Contact Tim Burroughs, Managing Editor of AVCJ, at Tim.Burroughs@iongroup.com.