Everton Football Club and Everton in the Community have been shortlisted for a total of 14 awards at the upcoming Northwest Football Awards, the Sports Business Awards and the HR Excellence Awards.

Departments across the Club and its official charity have been recognised for a number of campaigns and initiatives that have enjoyed notable success over the past year, while both have also been applauded for the Blue Family campaign and how it has provided vital aid and assistance to those in need in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Now in its 13th year, the Pitching In Northwest Football Awards was launched to celebrate the region’s brightest and best in the game and honours and celebrates the footballing elite, recognising excellence both on and off the field. The Sports Business Awards were established in 2017 and celebrate the vital influence of business within sport, rewarding teams and individuals who make sporting success possible.

The HR Excellence Awards is recognised as the benchmark of excellence in the HR community. Now in their 25th year, the awards celebrate the best in achievement, ability and performance across a wide array of industries. The Blues have been shortlisted in the following categories:

Pitching In Northwest Football Awards:

Community Club of the Season – Premier League, in association with the PFA – For Everton in the Community and its ground-breaking work across Merseyside

Community Initiative of the Season - in association with the PFA – For the Club and charity’s collaborative Blue Family initiative, providing vital aid and assistance to participants, fans and the wider Merseyside community during the coronavirus pandemic 

Best Club Marketing, Sponsorship or Engagement Campaign – For the Everton and hummel 'More Than Eleven' kit launch, which focused on the bond between fans and the Club and the illustrious history of Everton. The launch led to the Club’s fastest ever selling kits. 

Kick It Out Promoting Inclusion Award – In recognition of the Club and hummel’s inclusive and innovative 2020/21 third kit reveal, which saw the strip exclusively launched by players from Everton in the Community’s disability teams. 

Sports Business Awards:

Best Fan Engagement Campaign – In recognition of USM's Tackling the Blues awareness activity to promote good mental and physical health in collaboration with Everton in the Community, Edge Hill University and Linacre Primary School.   

Best Club CSR or Community Scheme - For Everton in the Community’s ‘People’s Place’ campaign to build and develop a permanent drop-in mental health facility in the shadows of Goodison Park to promote positive mental health and wellbeing and provide essential support relating to suicide awareness and prevention.

Best Sports Charity (or best use of sport by a charity) - For Everton in the Community and its ground-breaking work across Merseyside.

Best Professional Services in Sport – In recognition of the Club’s Legal, Risk and Governance Team and its in-house model that brings together specialists across the risk and governance spectrum.

Sports Diversity Award – For Everton’s All Together Now campaign, which seeks to promote and embed equality and diversity into everything the Club and charity does. 

Since announcing its initial shortlists in June, the Sports Business Awards have added new coronavirus categories, highlighting the response of a variety of sports businesses during these challenging times, with the Club and charity being shortlisted in all three categories.

Coronavirus Innovation Award - Communication - In recognition of the Club and charity’s supporter, community and staff communications during the pandemic, ranging from phone calls to vulnerable fans and tailored content as part of the Blue Family campaign, to sharing and amplifying vital public health messages and creating tailored resources to help with homeschooling and the health and wellbeing of our community, as well as the launch of a wellbeing hub, Everton Connect, designed by staff, for staff. 

Coronavirus Innovation Award - Compassion - In recognition of the Club and charity’s Blue Family campaign to provide vital aid and assistance to the most vulnerable and at-risk individuals and families across Liverpool City Region in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The speed with which Everton and Everton in the Community mobilised its coronavirus response to protect its staff and community has been hailed as leading the way in football.   

Coronavirus Innovation Award - Protection - In acknowledgement of the Club’s robust risk and governance structure and its quick response to the coronavirus pandemic, which saw it close all sites ahead of the government lockdown, put in strict procedures to keep staff and the wider community safe, and use our networks to amplify key public health messaging around coronavirus. 

HR Excellence Awards:

HR Team of the Year - In recognition of the Club’s commitment to equality and diversity, including its recent Advanced Level of the Premier League Equality Standard (PLES), and how it has gathered feedback and empowered staff to make positive change through groups such as Everton for Change and the development of new staff networks.

Best Internal Communications strategy - Recognising the development of two-way communications, new staff networks, the Toffee Think Tank, Staff Forum, direct communications to staff and the development of the Club’s intranet platform to suits the needs and requirements of staff.

All three awards ceremonies will now take place as virtual events to remain compatible with evolving government restrictions. The Pitching In Northwest Football Awards 2020 will take place online on Monday 9 November, the Sports Business Awards winners will be announced in a virtual ceremony on Wednesday 16 December and the HR Excellence Awards will take place on Tuesday 26 January 2021.