Who are your leading councillors?

Do you know a councillor whose work deserves to be recognised nationally? Nominations close in just one week for the 2023 Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) and CCLA Cllr Awards – the only annual awards ceremony to celebrate the work of councillors across England, Wales and Scotland.

The Cllr Awards honour the achievements of local elected representatives who have made a real difference to their communities and their council. The winners in England & Wales will be unveiled at the Guildhall in London at 7pm on 16 November 2023 and the winners in Scotland will be announced at the City Chambers in Edinburgh at 7 pm on 21 November 2023. At the ceremonies, councillors, local government staff, press, nominees and their guests will come together to showcase the best of local government.

There are five categories for the 2023 Cllr Awards including Community Champion, Leader of the Year, Young Councillor of the Year, Resilience Champion and Lifetime Legend.

Nominations can be made by anyone – including members of the public, councillors and council officers – who would like to recognise a councillor who has gone above and beyond in delivering results for their area and their community over the last year.

It only takes around seven minutes to enter. Applicants must provide information about the councillor, why they deserve to win and how their project(s) have impacted the community.

With only one week left to submit nominations – the deadline for nominations is Friday 22nd September – the shortlist will be unveiled in October.

This year, we are delighted to once again showcase the amazing work of councillor colleagues from outside the UK as well. The Global Local Cllr Showcase celebrates councillors from around the world whose projects, engagement and representation have had significant impact on the communities that they serve.

Find out more, as well as how to apply, here.

To mark its fifth decade supporting local government, the LGIU has also launched LGiU@40: For the Future of Local Government. By gathering evidence through cross-party roundtable discussions, interviews and workshops with senior leaders and local government experts from around the world, we will be establishing a set of new ideas about how local government could work better and how we can build firm foundations to navigate a turbulent and uncertain future. This will culminate in the publication of our White Paper and research symposium on Wednesday 6 December 2023.

Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive, LGIU, said:

“The LGIU is proud to once again host the annual Cllr Awards to honour our locally elected representatives. Local communities simply would not function without councillors, who make such positive contributions to our lives every single day of the year, from the vital work of maintaining the streets and funding community projects, to the appearance and feel of our towns and the care we receive.

Most people won’t know exactly what elected members do as they often work quietly behind the scenes, which is why Cllr Awards remain so important in 2023. We look forward to seeing an avalanche of nominations this year and hearing some of the incredible stories behind them. The awards are made possible thanks to the generous support of founding partners, CCLA.”