SPICY AWARDS NOMINATION RULES & GUIDELINES

The Spicy Awards honour changemakers from the margins—those who embody Strength, Purpose, Innovation, Creativism, and Equity. To ensure a fair, ethical, and celebratory process, all nominees, nominators, and participants must adhere to the following rules and guidelines:

1. Nomination Process

1.1 Nominations may be submitted by individuals or organizations on their own behalf (self-nomination) or by third parties.

1.2 For third-party nominations, Spicy Awards will contact the nominee for confirmation, narrative verification, and any missing documents. Unconfirmed or unresponsive nominees will be withdrawn.

1.3 Nominations must be submitted via the official online nomination platform or downloadable form provided on the Spicy Awards website.

1.4 Anonymous entries will not be accepted.

1.5 Nominations must be complete and submitted by the specified deadline. Deadline extensions may be granted under special circumstances at the discretion of the organizing team.

1.6 Entries that are incomplete, fraudulent, misleading, duplicated, or not submitted via the correct channel will be disqualified.

1.7 Each nominee may only be nominated once per award cycle and must not be submitted for multiple categories on substantially the same basis. Duplicate entries may be merged or discarded.

1.8 Spicy Awards reserves the right to move a nomination to a more appropriate category if deemed necessary.

2. Eligibility

2.1 The awards are open to individuals and organizations worldwide regardless of size, age, or sector.

2.2 Employees and immediate family members of Spice Without Borders, sponsors, or organizing teams are not eligible for nomination.

2.3 Past winners of the First Among Equals award are not eligible to reapply in future cycles.

2.4 A nominee may only win one award per cycle, except when also receiving an honorary or People’s Choice award.

2.5 Nominees may win up to three times in their lifetime (across different years or categories). After a third win, they become honorary alumni and are ineligible for future competitive nominations.

3. Supporting Materials

3.1 A high-resolution color photograph of the nominee is required and should be submitted through the platform or sent to: awards@spicewithoutborders.org.

3.2 Supporting materials (optional but recommended) may include:

Project summaries or impact reports
Testimonials or letters of recommendation
Awards or certifications
Media coverage or photos

3.3 All submitted materials become the property of Spicy Awards and may be retained for future reference, archival, or storytelling purposes.

3.4 Judges may request additional documents such as identification, verifiable references, or media links to validate claims.

4. Judging & Confidentiality

4.1 All entries will be assessed based on the SPICE-aligned Scoring Rubric (see below).

4.2 A multidisciplinary jury of 5–9 global members will evaluate the nominations. The Founder of Spice Without Borders serves as an ex-officio non-voting member.

4.3 Jury members:

Serve voluntarily and receive official recognition.
Score independently and convene in structured deliberations.
Must declare any conflicts of interest and maintain strict confidentiality.

4.4 The decision of the Jury is final. No appeals, lobbying, or direct contact with jury members is permitted.

4.5 All nomination content and supporting documents are treated with strict confidentiality.

4.6 Entries may be subject to background checks, interviews, or fact-checking. Any dishonesty or misrepresentation is grounds for disqualification or revocation of an award.

5. Public Engagement

5.1 Nominees may participate in the People’s Choice voting, where public support contributes to their score (see Scoring Rubric).

5.2 Public campaigns must remain ethical and authentic. Lobbying, spam tactics, or paid votes are prohibited.

6. Attendance, Withdrawal & Trophies

6.1 Winners are announced during the Spicy Awards Ceremony. Nominees must indicate in advance who will accept the award if they are unavailable.

6.2 All winners are expected to attend the event, or make arrangements for representation. Nominees must purchase a dinner ticket or confirm participation via invitation/reservation.

6.3 Any winner who does not attend the event without advance notice will be charged a penalty fee not exceeding the dinner ticket cost before receiving their trophy.

6.4 Winners who fail to collect their trophy within 30 days after the event may incur a fee up to five times the ticket cost or risk forfeiture of the trophy.

6.5 Nominees wishing to withdraw must notify the organizers in writing at least 45 days prior to the event. Any shared media may remain on Spicy platforms.

7. Media & Consent

7.1 All Spicy Awards events are recorded and photographed for promotional and archival purposes.

7.2 Attendance at any Spicy Awards event implies consent for use of image, name, likeness, or video by Spice Without Borders and its media partners.

7.3 Nominees and winners grant Spicy Awards permission to publish their stories, achievements, and media as part of celebration and awareness campaigns.

CORING RUBRIC (Total: 100 Points)

Criteria	Description	Weight
1. Social & Environmental Impact	Evidence of measurable change in communities, environment, or systems; equity, inclusion, fair wages, climate action, etc.	30%
2. Leadership & Influence	Ethical leadership, vision, mentorship, coalition building, advocacy, strategic roles.	20%
3. Innovation & Entrepreneurship	Bold, creative, or disruptive approaches; scalable or sustainable solutions.	20%
4. Governance & Ethics	Transparency, accountability, inclusive practices, financial responsibility, authenticity.	20%
5. Public Engagement	People’s Choice voting and community resonance.	10%

SUBMISSION CHECKLIST

Nomination submissions must include:

Completed nomination form
Nominee biography
High-resolution photo
Completed category & eligibility declaration
Narrative answers aligned with SPICE values
Optional: Supporting documents (reports, awards, testimonials)
Nominator’s declaration and contact information

JURY GUIDE & RESPONSIBILITIES

The Jury Kit includes:

Detailed rubric and SPICE-aligned scoring instructions
Conflict of interest declaration form
Confidentiality agreement
Timeline & key meeting dates
Sample scoring sheets

FINAL NOTE

The Spicy Awards are not just accolades—they are affirmations of those daring to ignite transformation from the edges of society. Through this platform, we recognize firestarters and amplify their impact for the world to see. Welcome to the circle.