2023 is in gear and another Voiceover awards season has ended. With barely a pause for breath, thoughts are already turning to a review of 2022’s projects and which ones might be submission worthy. I’m still feeling exhilarated from my first SOVAS win last month and there is no doubt that winning an award like that does something to your psyche.
This is my 9th year in the voiceover industry, and it took me nearly 5 years to pluck up the courage and start submitting. I have sent in almost 50 projects for consideration, which have resulted in 22 nominations leading to 4 wins! SOVAS (Outstanding Audio Description Museums & Cultural Sites), One Voice Awards (Male gaming voice performance 2021, Male Voice artist 2020, Male animation artist 2020). I also received an Artist Grant from the Chapman Cultural Centre in 2019, which also helped further my career and can probably be considered my first actual voiceover win.
It's a huge boost to your self-confidence when your work is judged to be worthy by your peers, but there are strong business reasons why I believe they can help to elevate your career. There is a reason why film companies spend millions of dollars lobbying their films and their talent to the award-giving bodies. And you don’t have to wait for 5 years as I did. The Voiceover Network and others have ‘Rising Star’ and 'Newcomer' categories.
Be mindful though, that getting that nomination or that win is not all about the glitzy red-carpet evening. It will mean little unless you figure out how to use it in your marketing plan. Applying for awards can be both time-consuming and sometimes involve fees, so it is important to plan for both the time and the expense.
Another challenge can be finding award-giving opportunities. And that’s the golden nugget of this blog. I have been compiling an awards list for some time, as a reference. It has the better-known awards like the Society of Voice Arts & Sciences (SOVAS) and One Voice, but did you know there are many other VO-related awards out there?
I have a list of 25+ links to awards that I will keep updated & send out yearly to my subscribers. If you would like to receive the next one when It comes out, please subscribe!
So let’s virtually clink microphones and toast to a voiceover year full of casting & award wins!
