The Democracy Awards 2022

We want to recognise and champion the outstanding work being done across our sector to empower people and communities which we will do on the evening of the 7th December at our first Democracy Awards Dinner as part of our 2 day annual conference.

The annual awards are judged in five categories and are given to individuals, projects, initiatives and organisations who have demonstrated a positive impact in building a society and democracy where people have more influence over the decisions that affect our lives, more power and resources to improve our communities and more ability to elect and hold our politicians and governments to account.

CLOSING DATE: MONDAY 21ST NOVEMBER

The five categories are:

EQUALITY AND POWER AWARD

The Equality and Power Award recognises campaigns, projects or organisations that enable and empower people to have more influence over the decisions that affect our lives, more power and resources to improve our communities and that ensure that those who are least heard are given more of a meaningful voice and ability to affect change.

DEMOCRATIC INNOVATION AWARD

This award seeks to celebrate and recognise the innovations being made in governance and decision making across the UK, projects engaging communities in new ways, creating new models for people to have a say in what happens in their local area, or how money is spent and those enabling the public to use civic technology in making important choices. We aim to award a project, organisation or initiative that has demonstrated particular success in this area.

DEMOCRACY CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR

There are numerous campaigns aimed at advancing politics and bringing democracy into the twenty-first century, challenging democratic regress, upholding democratic freedoms, and strengthening the capacity of the electorate to choose and hold our politicians and governments accountable through fairer voting and the modernisation of our democratic institutions. The democracy campaign of the year award will be given to the campaign and/or campaign coalition that has particularly excelled in achieving democratic change or raising awareness about a particular democratic issue.

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO DEMOCRATIC CHANGE AWARD

Recognising the vital work Democracy organisations do in bringing democracy into the 21st century, challenging democratic backsliding and innovating for better ways for people to have more influence over the decisions that affect our lives, more power and resources to improve our communities and more ability to elect and hold our politicians and governments to account. We are looking for organisations and individuals who have contributed to achieving democratic change over a long period of time.

EMPOWERMENT, TRANSPARENCY AND DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS

There are numerous organisations working to protect fundamental democratic freedoms such as the right to vote and to protest, to empower people to hold governments and politicians accountable, and to ensure that data and information about political decision making, citizenship and democracy is open, accessible and available to all. With the empowerment, transparency, and democratic rights award, we aim to award a project, partnership, or organisation that has excelled in this area.

Nominate your/another organisation here

Awards will be presented on the evening of the 7th December at our first Democracy Awards Dinner as part of our 2 day annual conference. If you haven’t already signed up to our very first annual conference, you can do so here.