The Manufacturing Leadership Council developed the Manufacturing Leadership Awards to honor manufacturing companies and leaders that are shaping the future of global manufacturing. Originated in 2005, the Manufacturing Leadership Awards have honored more than a thousand innovative projects and outstanding leaders from around the world since the program’s inception.
Manufacturing Leadership Awards FAQ
The Manufacturing Leadership Awards are for manufacturing companies and individual leaders within the manufacturing industry, from any industry and at any location in the world. Anyone can nominate an award candidate by describing their high-impact manufacturing-related projects and achievements using the online nomination form. The project and individual achievements described in the form will be evaluated and scored by our distinguished panel of judges. Technology and consulting partners and noncorporate organizations and institutions may submit entries to recognize their manufacturing clients or customers so long as the manufacturer has approved the nomination. Partners who submit entries that are selected as a finalist will be recognized with a Partner in Collaborative Award.
There are 12 award categories, nine for projects and three for individuals. The complete list is available here.
When reviewing nominations, the MLC editorial team may reassign entries to a different category if it is determined that such a change would allow the entry to be judged more competitively against similar entries. For further assistance in regards to categories, please complete this inquiry form and a member of the MLC team will reach out directly.
Please click here to see all rules for the Manufacturing Leadership Awards.
The only cost to participate is the $295 nomination fee. There is no fee to license, receive, or promote the award. Manufacturing Leadership Council members receive one complimentary project nomination and one complimentary individual nomination with their membership. Members can contact their membership representative or email [email protected] to learn how to redeem this member benefit. In addition, all finalists are invited to attend the Manufacturing Leadership Awards Gala at no charge.
The deadline for the 2025 Manufacturing Leadership Awards is midnight EST on January 17, 2025.
PDF versions of the nomination forms are available for reference purposes when gathering content and materials for submitting an entry. Please note that the sample forms are for guidance only – the nominations must be submitted through the online nomination form.
Manufacturers
Project nomination form (all project categories)
Digital Transformation Leadership form (individual category)
Next-Generation Leadership form (individual category)
Women in Manufacturing 4.0 form (individual category)
Technology/Consulting Partners
Project nomination form (all project categories)
Digital Transformation Leadership (individual category):
– Form to nominate an employee at a manufacturing client
– Form to nominate an internal employee
Next-Generation Leadership (individual category):
– Form to nominate an employee at a manufacturing client
– Form to nominate an internal employee
Women in Manufacturing 4.0 (individual category):
– Form to nominate an employee at a manufacturing client
– Form to nominate an internal employee
Noncorporate Organizations and Institutions
Project nomination form (all categories):
– Form to nominate a project completed solely by the noncorporate organization/institution
– Form to nominate a manufacturing partner’s project or a project completed in conjunction with a manufacturing partner
Digital Transformation Leadership (individual category):
– Form to nominate an internal employee
– Form to nominate an employee at a manufacturing partner
Next-Generation Leadership (individual category):
– Form to nominate an internal employee
– Form to nominate an employee at a manufacturing partner
Women in Manufacturing 4.0 (individual category):
– Form to nominate an internal employee
– Form to nominate an employee at a manufacturing partner
External PR/Marketing Firms
Project nomination form (all project categories)
Digital Transformation Leadership form (individual category)
Next-Generation Leadership form (individual category)
Women in Manufacturing 4.0 form (individual category)
*Nominated leaders must have a role that is operations focused with a significant role in strategizing and implementing digital manufacturing projects. Individuals with sales, marketing, or business development roles will not be accepted.
All information included in the nomination form is considered confidential and will only be viewed by editorial staff along with the Manufacturing Leadership Awards expert judges. The Manufacturing Leadership Council may draw on the information in developing content related to finalists and winners, but inclusion of nomination form information in any content will be subject to approval from the finalist/winner organization.
Award finalists are selected based on evaluations by a panel of expert judges comprised of experienced manufacturing operations executives from companies across many different industries. The entries that receive the highest scores are designated as Manufacturing Leadership Award finalists. The top scoring project in each category will be designated as the Category Winner.
Please refer to this table for complete details on nomination limits.
| Projects | Individuals | |
| Manufacturers – nominating their own project or employee | Five (5) total; limit of three (3) can be selected as finalist projects. | Limit of three (3) individuals per category. Up to three (3) individuals can be selected as finalists per organization in each category. |
| Tech/consulting partners – nominating a manufacturing client project or employee | Unlimited total, but with a limit of one (1) project per manufacturing client company. Note than each manufacturer may have no more than a total of five (5) project nominations per year, regardless of which organization submits them. | Unlimited total, but with a limit of one (1) individual per manufacturing client company. Note that each manufacturer may have no more than three (3) nominated individuals per category, regardless of which organization submits them. |
| Tech/consulting partners – nominating an employee from the tech/consulting firm | N/A | Limit of three (3) individuals per category. Up to three (3) individuals can be selected as finalists per organization in each category. |
| PR/marketing firms – nominating a manufacturing client project or employee | PR/marketing firms may submit as many nominations as they wish, but each manufacturer may have no more than a total of five (5) project nominations per year, regardless of which organization submits them. | Limit of three (3) individuals per category. Note that each manufacturer may have no more than three (3) nominated individuals per category, regardless of which organization submits them. |
| Noncorporate organizations/institutions – nominating their own project or employee | Five (5) total; limit of three (3) can be selected as project finalists. | Limit of three (3) individuals per category. Up to three (3) individuals can be selected as finalists per organization in each category. |
| Noncorporate organizations/institutions – nominating a manufacturing partner | Unlimited total, but with a limit of one (1) project per manufacturing partner company. Note than each manufacturer may have no more than a total of five (5) project nominations per year, regardless of which organization submits them. | Unlimited total, but with a limit of one (1) individual per manufacturing client company. Note that each manufacturer may have no more than three (3) nominated individuals per category, regardless of which organization submits them. |
| Noncorporate organizations/institutions – joint projects in conjunction with a manufacturing partner | Limit of one (1) joint project per institution/manufacturer pairing. A joint project will count against the five (5) project annual limit for both the manufacturer and the institution. | N/A |
In the event that the number of entries received for any enterprise exceeds the designated limit, all contacts listed on the nomination forms will be contacted as a group to make a final determination on which entries to submit to the judging panel. For entries submitted on behalf of a manufacturer by a tech and consulting partner, a noncorporate organization or institution, and/or a PR/marketing firm, the manufacturer will have final approval on which entries will be submitted for judging. Refunds will be issued for any entries that are not submitted to the judges panel.
Award finalists will be notified in March 2025, immediately followed by a public announcement. Finalists are announced through press releases, e-newsletters, and social media posts from the MLC and the NAM. Finalists will also receive recognition during the Manufacturing Leadership Awards Gala, scheduled for June 18, 2025, in Marco Island, FL. Finalists will be contacted with additional information about gala participation.
Category winners, Manufacturers of the Year, and the Manufacturing Leader of the Year will all be announced at the Manufacturing Leadership Awards Gala. In addition, winners for the Lifetime Achievement Award and any other special awards will be announced, if candidates are identified for those awards.