Nominations now open for all Business Journal 2023 awards programs. Here's what you need to know.

The St. Louis Business Journal has opened up the nomination process for every 2023 awards program — from the Innovation in Philanthropy Awards, celebrated in April, to the 40 Under 40 Awards, recognized in November.

The 2023 awards lineup includes the return of some signature programs, like the 40 Under 40 Awards and Most Influential Business Women. It also includes relative newcomers, such as the Business of Pride Awards, which was introduced in 2021 to recognize LGBTQIA+ business leaders and companies who are successful in their careers, active in their communities, and advocates for inclusion and equality. It also includes St. Louis Inno awards programs like the Fire Awards and Inno Under 25.

We also made a small change to our schedule — so you'll notice that the Best Places to Work and HR Awards will take place in March 2023 instead of May as they did last year. Innovation in Philanthropy and the Corporate Philanthropy Awards program has moved to April instead of May, and the Corporate Counsel Awards will take place in June instead of July.

The Business Journal last year decided to end its Healthiest Employers Awards and its C-Suite Awards. This year, the Commercial Real Estate Awards will not be taking place.

Before we break down the basic award details and deadlines, here are some general rules to keep in mind when considering a nomination:

LOCAL, LOCAL LOCAL: All honorees — companies and people — must be based in the St. Louis area, which includes St. Louis city and St. Louis, St. Charles, Jefferson, Franklin, Lincoln and Warren counties in Missouri. It also includes Bond, Calhoun, Clinton, Jersey, Macoupin, Madison, Monroe and St. Clair counties in Illinois. In some cases, companies based elsewhere with a St. Louis-area office can win an award, such as our Best Places to Work Awards.

QUALITY OVER QUANTITY: Multiple submissions will not increase your chances of being selected. Please do not send extra material, such as letters of recommendation, outside of what is requested in our nomination forms. The volume of material matters less than the quality of the material.

MEASURABLE METRICS: Include tangible results in your nomination forms. Many nominations include personal opinions of a person or company. That can be helpful, but usually when paired with specific details about the performance of a company or nominee. Each question in every nomination form is there for a reason, so make sure you completely answer each one. Incomplete forms can lead to disqualification.

WILLING PARTICIPANTS: It's helpful when your nominee is interested in being nominated and featured — and knows about their nomination.

AVOID REPEATS: Individuals and companies cannot win the same award twice. Consider one of our other awards programs if you have an especially worthy candidate. This does not apply to awards such as Best Places to Work and Corporate Philanthropy.

DON'T GIVE UP: If a person or company was nominated last year but didn't win, they are still eligible for the award.

THE FINE PRINT: Read ALL of the requirements for each awards program. While all companies and people must be based in St. Louis, some awards programs have additional requirements, like being at least 51% family owned for our Family Business Awards program.

Publication date: March 24

Each year, the Business Journal recognizes the best companies to work for in St. Louis with our Best Places to Work Awards. The nomination deadline for this award has already passed and is currently in the middle of the survey process with our third-party surveyor, Quantum Workplace.

In addition to Best Places to Work, we'll also honor human resources executives in the St. Louis area. These awards recognize the important work individuals, companies and organizations do in the field of human resources to make area firms successful. The nomination deadline for this award closes Friday, Jan. 6.

See the 2022 winners here.

Publication date: April 21

The sixth annual Corporate Philanthropy Awards will highlight the St. Louis businesses that have given the back the most to the community in terms of cash and in-kind donations. In addition, we will also recognize unique public-private partnerships that go the extra mile to support a cause or a nonprofit — called the Innovation in Philanthropy Awards. To nominate your company for the Corporate Philanthropy portion, please reach out to Data Reporter Maddy Simpson at EMAIL, as there is a separate process for this.

See the 2022 winners here.

Publication date: June 2

The third annual Business of Pride Awards will honor LGBTQIA+ business leaders and companies who are successful in their careers, active in their communities, and are advocates for inclusion and equality. The Business Journal will also look to honor allies to the LGBTQIA+ community. You can submit a nomination here until March 12.

See the 2022 winners here.

Publication date: July 16

In the 2023 Corporate Counsel Awards, we'll recognize the best and brightest legal minds in the corporate landscape. These awards will span all levels of the corporate legal department structure, from in-house generalists and specialists to chief legal officers and general counsel, who work in nonprofit organizations or in public or private companies of any size in any industry. Submit a nomination here.

See the 2022 winners here.

Publication date: July 21

The Fire Awards are St. Louis Inno's premier recognition program, honoring the companies and organizations setting the local innovation economy ablaze. In addition, the Startup Exit Awards celebrate St. Louis' later stage startup ecosystem. The Startup Exit Awards portion includes two separate awards — one for lifetime achievement and one for exit/equity funding transaction. Submit a nomination for the Fire Awards portion here, the lifetime achievement award here, and the exit-equity funding transaction nomination here.

See the 2022 winners here.

Publication date: Aug. 4

The 2023 Most Influential Business Women will recognize remarkable women making the biggest impact at their companies and in the community. This awards section will profile 25 women who are leaving an imprint on the St. Louis region. Submit your nomination here.

See the 2022 winners here.

Publication date: Sept. 8

Inno Under 25 is a recognition of the top founders, entrepreneurs, innovators, and leaders under the age of 25 in the St. Louis region. Submit your nomination here.

See the 2022 winners here.

Publication date: Sept. 22

The Champions for Diversity & Inclusion Awards will honor individuals who have shown exceptional commitment to advancing diversity, inclusion and equity in the workplace and in the St. Louis community. This particular nomination is for an individual who is passionate about fighting for equality in at least one area of diversity, including age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, race, or religion. In addition, they should be successful in their careers and active in their communities.

See the 2022 winners here.

Publication date: Sept. 22

The Business Journal also will honor one St. Louis-area for-profit company that has promoted initiatives, resources and/or community involvement in advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in the region as part of its Champions for Diversity & Inclusion Awards. Submit your nomination here.

See the 2022 winners here.

Publication date: Sept. 22

As part of its Champions for Diversity & Inclusion Awards, the Business Journal also will honor one St. Louis area nonprofit organization that has promoted initiatives, resources and/or community involvement in advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in the region. Submit a nomination here.

See the 2022 winners here.

Publication date: Oct. 20

For the eighth year, the Business Journal will celebrate family-owned companies that have successfully transitioned to the next generation — or several generations — and have made an impact on the St. Louis community through our Family Business Awards. Submit a nomination here.

See the 2022 winners here.

Publication date: Nov. 3

In November 2023, the Business Journal will introduce a new class of 40 young professionals who are making their mark on the local business community. To be admitted to this class, a candidate must be under 40 years of age as of Nov. 3, 2023, and be a mover and shaker both in business and in the community. Submit a nomination here.

See the 2022 winners here.