Judges

Judges are selected from major clients, contractors and industry figures who contribute valuable time and effort to work through the entries, reviewing each against strict criteria and attributing scores aimed at rewarding and recognising the very best of the tunnelling industry.

Our 2026 Judging panel will be announced soon:

Judging process

The NCE Tunnelling Awards 2026 will have a panel of judges representing leading clients, academics, designers and contractors who will review your entry online before discussing together who the winner should be.

Each stage is designed to provide a fair and transparent process. 

Stage 1: Online Judging – once the entry phase closes, the judges will review online and score each submission to determine the shortlist.

Stage 2: Finalists for the majority of categories will be judged via closed roundtables, based entirely on the written entries, so do include supporting evidence.

New Live Presentations at the event:

As part of the programme for 2026, the shortlist for following category will be judged live during the conference ahead of the evening awards:

  • Tunnelling Project of the Year (up to $150M)

We reserve the right to change the category judged live and will inform the shortlist allowing plenty of time to prepare. If you are planning to enter this category please make sure you can be at the event .

The shortlists for the other categories will be judged by closed roundtables by our judges.

Key dates

Entry deadline
Stage 1: Online judging
Shortlist announcement
Final stage judging


Live judging for selected categories
Awards evening

Top Tips

This is your chance to tell your story. All good stories have a structure so whether you are submitting entries for outstanding projects or as a trailblazing leader, remember to structure your entry along the following lines:

  • Beginning:  How did your innovation come about, what challenges were you trying to overcome or when did you decide to embrace a change/technology?
  • Middle:  What did you do to implement the innovation? Give examples demonstrating why you stand out
  • End:  What were the results and what makes you or your project stand out?

To ensure that your submission is your best work, take a look at our hints and tips below before you start your entry:

  • Make a note of the deadline:  you must submit your entry by 10 July so make sure you have this date in mind – write it in your diary or on your calendar, or set notifications on your phone to ensure you don't miss the chance to enter your excellent work
  • Preparation is key:  now that you know the deadline, allow yourself plenty of time to write, develop and submit your entry – coming back to it with a fresh pair of eyes can help you remember important details that may make the difference between being shortlisted and just missing out
  • Make the judges' job easy:  write in clear, plain English, avoid too much jargon and use bullet points where appropriate to break up the text
  • Pay attention to grammar and spelling:  poorly presented entries lack credibility so don't lose out on being shortlisted on something you could have easily avoided
  • Involve the right people:  if your work was a team effort, involve the other team members in developing the entry – you've got this far through teamwork so make it count
  • Back up your entry:  take advantage of the option to include supporting information with your entry to help the judges understand the impact of your work

Proofread: ask someone else, such as a colleague, friend or manager, to look through your entry before you submit. It can be helpful to ask someone who was not directly involved in the work you are entering – like the judges they will not have detailed knowledge so they may suggest ways to clarify your entry

Enter now