Our local Tucson professionals and businesses work hard, do great things, and make a positive impact on our community. That’s why business awards exist: to recognize their achievements.
As a local professional, you work hard, and we believe you should be recognized for your efforts. In Tucson, and in Arizona as a whole, there are some incredible local business awards.
From marketing to leadership to ethics categories, these awards not only provide invaluable recognition but also serve as a testament to your business excellence. Whether you’re a solopreneur, lead a small-to-medium-sized business, or are part of an established enterprise, Tucson’s local awards can be a game-changer for your growth and success.
In this article, we’ve rounded up a curated list of business awards available to Tucson-based businesses, from marketing to leadership, ethics, and beyond. Our list includes:
- Award details
- Eligibility criteria
- Submission instructions
- Pricing
- Deadlines
So whether you’re applying for yourself, submitting on behalf of your organization, or nominating a colleague, here are some of the best local awards that recognize hard work and excellence.
In this article, we share some outstanding local business awards to consider applying for, their eligibility criteria, and submission requirements.
Business Awards and Criteria
1. Arizona’s Most Admired Companies (MAC)
This prestigious award recognizes Arizona businesses for leadership, social responsibility, customer opinion, and workplace culture across various sectors, including healthcare, technology, education, and financial services—BestCompaniesAZ partners with AZ Business Magazine for this annual award and event.
Amy Lindsey, the publisher of AZ Big Media, shares, “This is the only awards program that recognizes those companies that are truly moving the needle in Arizona.”
Eligibility Criteria
Whether you’re based in metro Phoenix, metro Tucson, northern Arizona, southern Arizona, or western Arizona, these awards are designed to recognize and celebrate your achievements.
Companies that are applying can be for-profit, non-profit, private, public, subsidiaries or business units, government or state agencies, or charitable organizations. All companies should have full-time or part-time employees working in Arizona (not including seasonal, temporary, or contract staff).
The submitting company should meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Has received a state and national workplace award within the past 12-24 months, including a survey validating favorable employee opinion
- Has conducted an internal study within the past 12 to 24 months, with favorable employee opinion scores
- It has programs that solicit feedback regularly through employee focus groups or other methods that validate a favorable workplace.
How to Submit
Employers need to complete a nomination form that requires company demographic information and five open-ended questions that refer to the following; each portion is 500 words max:
1. Leadership Excellence: This part includes all aspects of leadership (trust-building, visionary, strategic, tactical, ethical, mentoring/developing, emotional intelligence, and flexibility).
Pro tip: Be sure to include senior leaders, other leaders, and information on the credibility and impact of leadership in the community and within the organization.
2. Workplace Culture: Describe what is unique about your HR/Culture programs. There are a few considerations you should make, including the following:
- Don’t list just standard policy.
- Be sure to highlight credible workplace awards such as Fortune 100 Best, Best for LGBTQ, Best for Diversity, etc.
- What makes your programs stand out from all others in terms of diversity, career development, employer branding, veteran initiatives, female programs, health and wellness, perks, etc.?
- Judges will consider applications that can support the effectiveness of their programs through credible employee surveys or other systems designed to assess workplace culture and engagement.
3. Corporate & Social Responsibility: Here are some questions to get you started on this section: how are you bettering our community through corporate giving, volunteerism, donations of time and money, serving on boards, and environmental efforts?
Moreover, how do you align your company goals with nonprofit groups and employees’ interests and passions? What are you doing that is unique and different from other companies in your industry?
Including information on both formal and informal programs you have in place can strengthen your application.
4. Customer Opinion: Applications should include both quantitative and qualitative data on customer experience.
Judges will give weight to applications that include credible customer survey data and/or third-party service awards.
5. Innovation:. In this section, share any new, original, or improved ideas you’ve implemented that are innovative. How are these ideas creating value for your company?
Submission Fee
Nomination is free.
Deadline
May 26, 2024
FAQs About MAC Award
How Will Winners Be Listed? Will They Be Ranked?
Companies will be listed in alphabetical order, so everyone will receive equal exposure as one of Arizona’s Most Admired Companies. Spotlight awards will also be announced at the event based on five categories: Leadership Excellence, Workplace Culture, Social Responsibility, Customer Excellence, and Innovation.
What If I Need to Make The List? Is The Application Process Confidential?
Your participation in the nomination process is completely confidential. AZ Big Media does not disclose companies that participate but does not make the list, nor do they reveal whether or not a company submitted a nomination. The AZ Big Media team understands the importance of privacy!
2. Copper Cactus Awards
Hosted by the Tucson Metro Chamber, these awards recognize business growth, innovation, and community service among Southern Arizona’s small businesses. There are several awards you can be nominated for:
- BlueCross BlueShield of Arizona Best Place to Work
- CopperPoint Small Business Leader of the Year
- Business Growth (Sponsorship Available)
- Woman Owned Business (Sponsorship Available)
- Minority Owned Business (Sponsorship Available)
- Tech Parks Arizona Start-Up of the Year
- The Shirley Wilka Perseverance Award
- Employer/Employee Development (Sponsorship Available)
- Tucson Electric Power Social Impact
- Diversity & Inclusion Champion (Sponsorship Available)
Let’s quickly go over the eligibility criteria and submission instructions for each.
Eligibility Criteria and Submission Forms
Click on the pages listed below to find all the details you’ll need on eligibility and submission forms for each award.
- Eligibility Criteria for BlueShield’s Best Place to Work
- Eligibility Criteria for CopperPoint Small Business Leader Award
- Eligibility Criteria for Business Growth Award
- Eligibility Criteria for Woman-Owned Business Award)
- Eligibility Criteria for Minority-Owned Business Award
- Eligibility Criteria for Start-Up of the Year Award
- Eligibility Criteria for the Shirley Wilka Perseverance Award
- Eligibility Criteria for the Employer/Employee Development Award
- Eligibility Criteria for Tucson’s Electric Power Social Impact Award
- Eligibility Criteria for the Diversity & Inclusion Champion Award
3. American Advertising Awards
Also known as the ADDYs, these awards celebrate the most creative advertising from local businesses. They feature numerous categories across advertising, from digital to print and beyond. These awards are nationwide, with a local chapter in Tucson, Arizona, for which you can apply.
Eligibility Criteria
- All work entered in the American Advertising Awards competition must have first appeared between January 1 and December 31 of the previous year.
- With the exception of the Pro Bono Advertising and Advertising Industry Self Promotion categories and student entries, the work you submit must be from paid creative services and media placement.
- Be sure to submit your entries to the CBSA, DMA, or MSA where the work was created (as defined by Arbitron or Nielsen for your local market).
- If nominees are located in markets that don’t have a local American Advertising Awards-affiliated show, the governing body of the district in which the nominee is located will decide the acceptance, processing, judging, forwarding, and fees of those entries.
How to Submit
- Visit AmericanAdvertisingAwards.com or your local Tucson AAF Chapter website.
- The site will direct you to the competition site to register as an entrant.
- Review the category list in this document or on these websites to determine where your work should compete, and then enter your information using the simple drop-down menus.
- Credit the members of your creative team so that they are properly recognized in press releases and other AAF-winning publications.
Submission Fee
For early bird submissions
It is $75 for an individual piece and $100 for a campaign if you’re a member.
Non-members pay $100 for individual pieces and$125 for a campaign.
For regular entry submissions:
- Members: $85 for individual pieces and $110 for campaigns
- Nonmembers: $125 for individual pieces and $150 for campaigns
Deadline
Local deadline information is available from your local AAF Chapter. Below is a general timeframe you can reference, but it may vary depending on the year:
- Early Bird Entry Period: Oct 15 – Dec 31
- Regular Entry Period: January 1 – February 2
FAQs About ADDYs
You can find common questions and their answers in this document.
4. Women United’s Business Breakfast / Literacy Champion Award
This event includes the Literacy Champion Award, which recognizes local educators who have made a lasting impact on early childhood education. Another award is the Business Champion for Early Education, which is given for contributions to educational initiatives. These awards are an excellent way to champion leaders in the Early Education field who are making a positive impact on children’s learning and cognitive development.
Eligibility Criteria
Must be an educator teaching preschool through third grade for the Literacy Champion award.
How to Submit
Individuals can sign up on United Way Tucson’s site to receive nomination information and instructions on the Literacy Champion Award.
Submission Fee
When you sign up on United Way Tucson’s site, detailed information is available!
Deadline
Literacy Champion award: Nominations open Tuesday, August 15th and close Sunday, October 8th.
5. Greater Tucson Leadership Awards
These awards include the Tucson Man and Woman of the Year, recognizing individuals who have shown exceptional community leadership and involvement. There’s also a Founders Award for lifetime achievement and the GTL Alumni Excellence Award for impactful community service by program alums. These awards are given to individuals who positively inspire and influence the community—showing up, making an impact, and dedication are important factors here.
Eligibility Criteria
Man and Woman of the Year and Founders Awards
Any man or woman yet to be honored as a Man or Woman of the Year or Founders Award recipient is eligible.
You have to submit a resume/CV and headshot of the nominated individual. They will only accept nomination forms with a resume or CV.
Alumni of Excellence Award
Anyone who has yet to be honored as an Alumni of Excellence Award Recipient and has completed the GTL Lead Tucson or Civic and Political Leadership Academy programs is eligible.
Be sure to submit your nominations by the nomination deadline.
Again, make sure to submit a resume/CV and headshot of the nominated individual. They will only accept nomination forms with a resume or CV.
How to Submit
Individuals can fill out a nomination form with their resume/CV and several letters of support.
Submission Fee
Free
Deadline
It is usually in November, but the exact date can vary and is announced a little later in the year. However, they are strict about their deadlines and note timing down to the hour (they will not accept submissions after that specific time).
6. Arizona CIO ORBIE Awards
These awards honor chief information officers who have demonstrated excellence in technology leadership. They are divided into categories based on the size and scope of their responsibilities. This award highlights corporate, enterprise, and global technology leaders.
Eligibility Criteria
- Holds the title of chief information officer or equivalent senior IT executive position
- Has to be a member of senior management.
- Primarily responsible for the IT operations of an organization or subsidiary based in Arizona.
How to Submit
You can fill out a nomination form on Arizona CIO’s site.
Submission Fee
Free
Deadline
Prenominations are open for 2025; the exact deadline is TBD.
7. Best of the Desert Community’s Choice Awards
This gala hosts a variety of business awards that are entirely based on by community voting. The local community nominates and votes on the most popular and impactful companies for each category. Each year, the Best of Desert Community’s Choice Awards recognize over 480 companies and organizations for their excellence and mission.
Eligibility Criteria
Over 160 different categories of local Arizona businesses can be nominated; some category examples include (but can change depending on the year):
- Beauty and health
- Dining
- Finance
- Entertainment and leisure
- Home and home services
- Kids and kids education
- Fitness
- Top employers
- Spirits
- Vehicle and dealers
How to Submit
The nomination round will begin on July 10, 2024, when individuals can nominate businesses through a form.
Submission Fee
Free.
Deadline
The nomination period closes July 31, 2024, and voting is from September 16 to September 30, 2024.
FAQs for Best of Desert Community’s Choice Awards
You can find a thorough list of commonly asked questions on their site; here are some of the most important ones to know.
How do I vote in the program, and can I “write in” a company during this round?
To vote for a company, go to its category on the ballot and select “Vote” near its name, then follow the rest of the prompts to submit your vote. You cannot add a new company during the voting stage, so be sure to submit your nominations before July 31, 2024.
Does this program require payment in exchange for participation, or is it solely based on the community’s nominations and votes?
Participation is completely free!
What comes with being named a finalist or winner in the program?
Winning or placing among the top three finalists in the Community’s Choice Awards is a prestigious achievement that earns you recognition and exposure by being published online and publicized to the community. Because it’s community-driven, your business is positioned as a trusted resource for people searching for the best places to eat, shop, receive services and more.
Tucson’s vibrant business community is celebrated annually through a variety of prestigious awards.
By recognizing excellence across different sectors, these awards not only highlight individual and organizational achievements but also inspire continued growth and innovation.
Understanding the eligibility criteria and submission details is crucial for businesses aspiring to gain recognition. Know an innovative business that’s positively shaping Tucson’s landscape and fits the bill for at least one of these awards? We encourage you to nominate them—after all, local businesses do a lot in shaping the community and economy, so they should be recognized for their dedication.
And if you’re looking for a community that will champion your local Tucson-based business’ mission and be recognized for your hard work, The Post has it! Book a tour today and see what we’re all about.