GUA News: A New Way of Announcing the Awards 2025
we have changed how we are collating and announcing the winners here's what you need to know
September 5, 2025
by Diane Nolan
Big change this year for how we will report the Winners. During the final stages of judging, the top 10% of papers are identified as Highly Commended and this hasn’t changed. However, in the past, our Regional Winners and Global Winners were chosen from within that same list. This year each winning entrant will ONLY be announced in their winning category.
Keeping them separate! to make them clearer and more exciting for entrants and supporters alike.
At the final rounds of judging, the top 10% of entrants bubble to the surface. These exceptional papers and their authors are identified as our Highly Commended students.
In previous years, we reported this Highly Commended list in full, and then selected the Regional Winners and Global Winners from within that same group. This meant all winners appeared first as Highly Commended, which blurred the distinctions between each award.
This year, we’re doing things differently. The Awards still hold the same value BUT we are separating out the categories and how we report them online and to you:
Highly Commended – are still the top 10% of entries in each category.
Regional Winners – are still the top entry in each category from each of our designated regions.
Global Winners – are still the single strongest entry in each category worldwide.
BUT that also means you won’t receive a Highly Commended IF you are a Regional Winner OR a Global Winner
SO…..Even if you don’t see your name during the Highly Commended announcement or online, you could still be a Regional or Global Winner!
This means that being a Regional or Global Winner no longer depends on appearing on the Highly Commended list first.
If you don’t see your name among the Highly Commended entrants, you could still be announced as a Regional or Global Winner. AND if you have entered multiple papers there is a chance your name could appear on more than one list as it is paper-dependent.
To celebrate each stage properly, announcements will roll out over three days:
📅 Monday, 16 September – Highly Commended Entrants
📅 Tuesday, 17 September – Regional Winners
📅 Wednesday, 18 September – Global Winners (revealed live on our social channels, followed by text’s and hopefully you’ll pick up the international call!)
We believe this new format will shine a clearer spotlight on the different distinctions of achievement — and allow us to celebrate more students, more meaningfully. Mark your calendars!
