Categories & Scoring

The TLFT Awards sets out to recognize outstanding achievements in the thought leadership space and spotlight initiatives that have a measurable impact on the world around us. The award categories reflect the specific requirements of thought leadership as a discipline, and the diverse approaches, strategies, and metrics of impact that power its effectiveness.

TLFT AWARDS EVALUATION

All submissions are evaluated on their ability to demonstrate the 4Rs of thought leadership—Reputation, Relationships, Revenue, and Real-World Impact—as well as their use and analysis of data. Each award category applies a tailored weighting to the 4Rs and, where relevant, included additional criteria aligned with the category’s specific intent.

Submissions are individually scored by judges before moving to a panel stage, where final marks are ratified and confirmed by our head judge, Ty Heath.

TLFT Awards evaluation

Every submission is evaluated on its ability to demonstrate the 4Rs of Thought Leadership, as well as its approach to data and storytelling. However, each category attributes different weights to the criteria to reflect the specialism of the award.

Entries are individually scored by an expert judge before progressing to a panel review, where marks will be ratified and confirmed by head judge, Ty Heath.

What are the judges looking for?

TLFT is committed to transparency in our judging process; download the scoring guide for the complete evaluation criteria for each category.

Categories

Thought Leadership Brand Elevation Award

This award honors organizations that have successfully used thought leadership to build and enhance their brand presence. It focuses is on how thought leadership content has contributed to brand recognition and trust within the industry and among customers.

Best for initiatives that have:

  • Strengthened brand credibility or distinctiveness
  • Deepened ecosystem relationships
  • Led to financial success or new market opportunities

This award recognizes organizations that have used thought leadership to achieve specific business goals, such as lead generation, sales growth, and market expansion. It centers on thought leadership that’s clearly aligned with commercial priorities.

Best for initiatives that have: 

  • Demonstrable impact on lead generation and sales performance
  • Integrated thought leadership with marketing and sales strategies
  • Attributable ROI and business outcomes

This award recognizes organizations whose thought leadership has shaped industry discussions and influenced the direction of the sector. Its key criteria focus on the broader impact of thought leadership on peers, competitors, and industry bodies.

Best for initiatives that have: 

  • Influenced trends, practices or policies within their industry
  • Reshaped relationships within the ecosystem
  • Collaborated to effect change and shared progress
  • Been
  • Recognized by industry bodies and media

This award spotlights organizations that have used new or creative research approaches to strengthen their thought leadership. It recognizes innovation in how research is designed, carried out, or analyzed to enhance an initiative’s ability to deliver original insights and real-world impact.

Best for initiatives that have: 

  • Use new technologies or novel combinations of methodologies in research or analysis
  • Insights that would have been difficult to glean from traditional research or analysis methods
  • Evidence of how this innovation improved the quality, credibility, or usefulness of the thought leadership

This award celebrates the art of storytelling as demonstrated through clear and engaging prose, imagery, or formats, and a proven ability to capture and maintain audience interest.

Best for initiatives that have: 

  • Presented an original idea through a well-defined narrative structure
  • Chosen creative and relevant narratives, visuals, or formats to enhance the delivery of the core idea
  • Seamlessly incorporated data visualizations, research, and expert insights into the narrative without compromising readability