Aim for the Diamond: Understanding the Different Categories

A comprehensive guide to various award categories, including individual, company, investor, TopCoder, and the exciting 11 new categories.

A must-read for those looking to enter Pause Awards and wanting to understand more about different categories.

Navigating the categories of any awards can be a daunting task. Yet, fear not! This is why we have divided all categories into Category Tracks: Culture, Excellence, Good, Growth and Operators. This alone will alleviate a lot of searching so you can focus on the relevant field that you want your company to be recognised for.

Let’s dive deep into the nuances of these categories, highlighting examples from Australia’s thriving business, tech and innovation scene, and offering key advice to help you set your sights on that coveted diamond award – which actually is the best-in-show award and trophy!

Individual Categories

The individual category is a testament to personal tenacity, leadership, and entrepreneurial spirit. If you’re an elite athlete turned entrepreneur, consider the ‘Game Changer’ of ‘Fame for good’ category. Think Ian Thorpe, a champion in the pool and now making waves with his wellness brand, Thorpedo Foods.

The ‘C-Suite‘ category would suit high-performing executives such as Jane Lu, the inspiring CEO of Showpo. For those flying under the radar while doing the heavy lifting, the ‘Silent Achiever’ category is perfect. Think unsung heroes like the COOs and CFOs of flourishing startups. 

The ‘Women in Business’ category celebrates successful female leaders like Melanie Perkins of Canva and has hit top five most popular categories on launch last year, while the ‘Body&Mind’ category is perfect for those promoting a healthy lifestyle, like City Cave and Wellness Centre. 

This year, we recommend considering the ‘Game Changer’, ‘Women in Business’, and ‘Body&Mind’ categories, as they cover a broad spectrum of achievements, from entrepreneurship and leadership to promoting social well-being.

Company Categories

Company categories offer numerous opportunities for businesses across various sectors to highlight their unique accomplishments. The ‘New Model‘ category at the Pause Awards celebrates companies that have daringly reshaped traditional business practices. Take CHEP, a trailblazer in the logistics industry, brilliantly leveraged a surplus of military pallets post-World War II to craft a pioneering pallet-pooling business model. This innovation provided customers with cost-effective and efficient access to reusable pallets, catapulting CHEP to become the world’s leading reusable pallet and container company.

Similarly, Macquarie Group, an avant-garde in the financial services sector, responded to the rising demand for long-term yield assets with innovative financing and operating strategies. Their unique approach to infrastructure asset management fueled their international expansion and transformed industry standards.

The ‘Defiant ones’ category is an excellent choice for companies like Catapult, the Melbourne tech company behind race-winning strategies in Formula 1. The ‘Pioneer’ category is perfect for first to market innovators like Zip Co, a leading player in the booming buy-now-pay-later market.

Meanwhile, the ‘B-Good’ category is tailor-made for businesses like Thankyou Group or Who gives a crap, whose social enterprise model is making a difference worldwide. Similarly, a company making strides in sustainability, such as KeepCup, might find the ‘Going Green‘ category suits their environmental efforts.

A tech titan like Xero may want to showcase their innovative prowess in the ‘Singularity‘ category, which recognises businesses that have deployed AI in creative and effective ways. On the other hand, a company like BaeJuice that has had explosive growth in Australia, may find the ‘Wildfire‘ or ‘Out of the garage’ category fitting for their efforts to now scale to the US by signing a deal with Gold Coast Distributors. Furthermore, a company like T2, known for their striking retail design and branding, could be a perfect fit for the ‘Design first‘ category.

In 2022, the top five company categories were: ‘Defiant ones’, ‘I wish I’d done that’, ‘Hammer’, ‘Wildfire’, ‘Company of the year’ and ‘Women in business’. Our top 5 picks for company categories this year would be ‘Down under’, ‘Company of the year’, ‘On the rise’, ‘New model’, and ‘Diverse co’, each highlighting a unique aspect of a company’s journey to success.

Investor Categories

Angel investors and venture capitalists, the catalysts of the business world, have a unique spot in the ‘Angel’ and ‘Venture Cap’ categories. If you’ve been nurturing fledgling companies like Paul Bassat’s Square Peg Capital, or seeding startups like Blackbird Ventures, then these categories are for you. As these categories are open for Public Voting, it’s also a chance to earn recognition from the community you’ve helped nurture.

TopCoder Category

The ‘TopCoder’ category puts the spotlight on software developers and engineers with exemplary technical skills and a cooperative spirit. If you’re creating cutting-edge software at tech powerhouses like Atlassian or pioneering digital solutions at startups like SafetyCulture, the ‘TopCoder’ category is for you. This category is perfect for those who speak the language of code and aren’t afraid to push technological boundaries.

New Categories

This year has brought eleven brand-new categories into the limelight. These include ‘Mind&Body’ for the best wellness provider, ‘Growth hacker’ for growth marketing experts, ‘Game changer’ for elite athletes turned entrepreneurs, ‘Down under’ for launching in the Australian market, ‘Pioneer’ for the first to market, ‘New model’ for the new business model, ‘Movement’ for an event experience, ‘Fame for good’ for a celebrity driven social impact, ‘Trendsetter’ for influencer led business, ‘TopCoder’ for technically skilled developers and ‘Singularity’ for an artificial intelligence business. 

Whether you’re an individual carving your path, a company reshaping an industry, an investor fuelling the growth of future unicorns, a developer pushing boundaries, or a pioneer in one of the new category areas, there’s a place for you in the diverse landscape of Pause Awards.

Aim for the diamond that best represents your unique achievements. With recognition across a broad demographic and industry spectrum, the Pause Awards truly encapsulate the spirit of innovation, tenacity, and excellence prevalent in today’s business world.

Remember, these awards aren’t just about winning – they’re about validating and recognising the journey, stress testing your business performance, celebrating the hustle and inspiring others with your story. So go ahead, pick your category, and take a shot at the diamond. It’s your time to shine!