How to Write an Award Press Release for a Small Business

November 10, 2026 · 5 min read

An award press release for a small business needs to do three things well: state clearly what you won and who awarded it, explain briefly why it matters to your customers, and give readers a way to verify the recognition. You don't need an agency to do this. With accurate facts, a standard structure and a few hundred well-chosen words, a business owner can write a release that reads professionally and holds up to scrutiny.

Before you write: gather the facts

Most weak award announcements fail on accuracy, not style. Before drafting a single sentence, collect the details you will need and check each one against the awarding organisation's own published information.

The exact award name and category. Use the official wording, including any trademark symbol the organiser uses.
Your recognition level. If the programme awards levels such as Gold, Silver or Bronze, state the one you received and nothing more.
The cycle or year. For example, the 2026 cycle of Glonary® Awards is its 3rd Annual cycle.
How the programme judges entries. Readers and journalists take expert-judged recognition more seriously when the process is explained.
A public verification link. A winners page lets anyone confirm the result independently.

For Glonary® Awards, the About page sets out the key facts about the programme, and results are published on the Winners page after the announcement date shown in each category's Awards Timeline.

The structure of a small business award press release

Press releases follow a familiar format because editors and readers can scan them quickly. Stick to it.

1. Headline

Lead with your business name, the recognition and the category. Keep it factual: "[Business Name] Receives Silver Recognition in the Women in Business Category at Glonary® Awards 2026" is better than anything with "proudly" or "thrilled" in it.

2. Dateline and opening paragraph

Start with your city and the release date, then answer who, what, when and why in one or two sentences. If a reader stops here, they should still know what happened.

3. Context about the award

Add a short paragraph explaining the programme. Accuracy matters more than adjectives. For Glonary® Awards you could note that it is an international, expert-judged programme founded in 2024, that every entry is scored independently by at least three appointed jury members, and that there is no public voting.

4. What was recognised

Describe the project or achievement behind the entry in plain language. Focus on what you actually did and the results you can stand behind. This is the part customers care about most.

5. A quote from you

Include one short quote from the owner or the person who led the work. Make it say something specific: what the project set out to solve, what the team learned, or what comes next. Avoid generic lines about being honoured.

6. Boilerplate and contact details

End with a two- or three-sentence "About [Business Name]" paragraph, plus a named contact with an email address and website.

Describing the award accurately

Credibility comes from precise, checkable wording. Some practical rules:

Name the right level. Glonary® Awards uses three recognition levels based on the final score: Gold (9.00–10.00), Silver (8.00–8.99) and Bronze (7.00–7.99). Say "Silver recognition", not "top prize".
Explain the judging briefly. Entries are assessed on five equally weighted criteria: Originality & Innovation; Clarity & Strategic Logic; Measurable Results & Impact; Category Alignment; and Strategic Depth & Sustainability. One sentence mentioning this is enough; the full detail is on the Judging Process page.
Don't invent context. Avoid claims about how many entries there were or how selective the round was unless the organiser has published those figures.
Don't overstate the outcome. An award recognises past work. Present it as such rather than as proof of future results.

Before you publish, it's also sensible to read the Official Rules and Regulations and, if anything is unclear, ask the organisers at [email protected].

A simple template you can adapt

[City], [Date] — [Business Name], a [short description] based in [location], has received [Gold/Silver/Bronze] recognition in the [Category] category of Glonary® Awards [Year].

Glonary® Awards is an international, expert-judged awards programme founded in 2024. Each entry is scored independently by at least three appointed jury members against five equally weighted criteria, and there is no public voting.

[Business Name] was recognised for [project or achievement], which [what it did and the measurable results you can verify].

"[Specific quote from the owner]," said [Name], [Title] of [Business Name].

The full list of recognised entries is available on the Glonary® Awards Winners page.

About [Business Name]: [Two or three sentences.] Media contact: [Name, email, website].

Where a small business should publish it

Without a PR budget, think about where your customers and partners already pay attention:

Your own website. Publish the release as a news post so you control the original version and can link to it.
Your email list. A short note to customers, linking to the full release, often reaches the people who matter most.
Professional social profiles. Share a brief summary on the platforms where your clients and peers are active, with a link to the Winners page for verification.
Local and trade publications. Send a short, personalised email to relevant editors with the release in the body of the message, not just as an attachment. Coverage is never guaranteed, so keep expectations realistic.

Common mistakes to avoid

Publishing before the official announcement date in the category's Awards Timeline.
Using an unofficial version of the award or category name.
Implying a higher recognition level than the one received.
Burying the news under three paragraphs of company history.
Writing the release only for search engines rather than for people.
Omitting a verification link or a contact person.

FAQ

When can I announce my Glonary® Awards recognition?

Winners are notified by email and announced on the date shown in the category's Awards Timeline, then published on the Winners page. Waiting for the official announcement date keeps your release consistent with the published results.

What do Gold, Silver and Bronze mean?

They reflect the final score, which is the average of all valid jury evaluations: Gold is 9.00–10.00, Silver is 8.00–8.99 and Bronze is 7.00–7.99. Entries below 7.00 receive no recognition, and their scores are confidential.

Is the recognition based on public voting?

No. Glonary® Awards has no public voting. Every entry is scored independently by at least three appointed jury members, who are appointed by invitation only.

Thinking about entering?

Glonary® Awards has six categories: Cybersecurity, Women in Business, Influencers and Infobusiness, Technology and Design, Business Leaders, and Young Innovators (age 35 and under). Participation is open internationally to individual professionals at Senior / C-level or above, and to founders, innovators, creators and industry leaders with an implemented project; companies, startups and teams take part through an authorised representative. The achievement must have taken place within the last five years. Entry fees depend on the programme and stage, and each nomination is a separate entry with its own fee. To check whether your work qualifies, read the Competition Rules and Eligibility, then review the Awards Timeline on the relevant category page.