The Global Excel Awards are back!

After the runaway success of the first-ever Global Excel Awards, we're thrilled to announce they are returning for a second year!

We set them up in the first place because we wanted to showcase outstanding achievements and contributions made in the Excel industry.

There were five award categories last year — let's quickly cast our minds back to who the winners were:

• Most Influential Professional in the Excel Industry: Leila Gharani
• Best Microsoft Excel Add-in: Zebra BI
• Most Obscure Use of Excel: Randy Austin
• Lifetime Achievement: Bill Jelen
• MVP in the Making: Chandeep Chhabra

Thank you to everyone who participated in the process, from the nominations to the voting stages. We're also glad many of you gave us feedback about what you thought was good and what could be improved.

We took everything into account to come up with an adjusted format that we hope you'll like.

What's new?

Fresh categories

Although it made sense for the first set of awards to be based on achievements over many years — if not decades — this time, we want to emphasise what's been done over the past year.

That's why we've renamed some categories and come up with new ones. In fact, the sole survivor from last year is Best Microsoft Excel Add-in.

The full list is:

• Rising Star in the Excel Industry
• BEST Microsoft Excel Add-in
• Most Innovative Use of Excel
• BEST LAMBDA
• BEST Global Excel Summit 2025 In-Person Session

More information about each is in the Awards up for grabs section below.

Judges panel

Five household names from the Excel world comprise the judges panel. Their presence acts as a quality control filter to ensure those who have been nominated are truly credible candidates to proceed to the final.

They are:

• Leila Gharani (GES2025 Event Ambassador, Founder of XelPlus, Microsoft MVP)
• Alan Murray (Excel Trainer, Book Author, Microsoft MVP)
• Danielle Stein Fairhurst (Financial Modeller, Book Author, Microsoft MVP)
• Celia Alves (Founder of Solve and Excel, Microsoft MVP)
• Bill Jelen (Publisher at MrExcel.com, Author of 60 Books, Microsoft MVP)

After they've sifted through your nominations, the power will be handed back over to you to pick the winners!

In-person ceremony

The lucky winners will be announced at the Global Excel Summit 2025 in London! This will take place towards the end of the second day (5 February). You'll also be able to catch the ceremony if you're watching online.

To be there, make sure you secure your place!

Awards up for grabs

The five categories this year are:

Rising Star in the Excel Industry

'Excelfluencers' have been popping up left, right, and centre, to an extent some would say has reached saturation point.

However, whether it's through social media, their website, or speaking engagements, this individual stands out and shows immense potential in shaping the future of the Excel world through their meaningful contributions.

Who has made the most impact in the last year?

The Rising Star in the Excel Industry should:

• regularly share helpful Excel content on social media and/or websites, and/or has launched a course(s), and/or has spoken at events
• demonstrated innovative ways to tackle Excel challenges
• have shown commitment to helping others become more proficient in Excel
• have a growing reputation in the Excel community for their contributions and insights
• have an expanding social media presence with high engagement

BEST Microsoft Excel Add-in

Add-ins extend Excel's capabilities, letting you tackle everyday tasks with ease.

Whether you're looking to boost productivity, analyse data more deeply, or explore advanced charting options, this add-in is your go-to solution. It might have a specific purpose or be a Jack of all trades for regular tasks you carry out.

Which add-in has become an essential part of your Excel toolkit?

The BEST Microsoft Excel Add-in should:

• be compatible with Excel for Microsoft 365  
• have a free version available  
• have unique features or tools that set the add-in apart  
• have introduced recent features and/or improvements  
• have led to a measurable improvement in productivity and efficiency  

Most Innovative Use of Excel

Countless people have proven that Excel is far more than a glorified calculator. Innovative uses have emerged across the web, from creative dashboards to animations to games.

Its unmatched versatility, vast range of functions, VBA, and underused design tools, enable limitless possibilities.

Who has pushed the boundaries of Excel the most?

The Most Innovative Use of Excel should:

• be housed on a website or social media post and freely downloadable
• take a unique approach to solving complex problems with Excel  
• demonstrate a significant improvement or efficiency gained from the solution  
• showcase mastery of Excel’s advanced features, functions, or integration with other tools  
• have the potential to be applied in broader contexts

BEST LAMBDA

Since the introduction of LAMBDA, users have been able to construct reusable functions to fill the voids that Excel's native set has.

Whether simplifying complex calculations, automating repetitive tasks, or unlocking new possibilities, this LAMBDA has made a significant difference to many Excel users' workflows.

Which one has had the biggest impact?

The BEST LAMBDA should:

• be accessible to the public  
• have a real-world application that significantly improves workflows  
• be original, creative, or unconventional to address specific challenges  
• be able to adapt to different scenarios or datasets  
• have proven popularity (e.g. social media engagement)

BEST Global Excel Summit 2025 In-Person Session

You've watched every session at the London summit across the two days, whether in-person or online. Who impressed you the most? Who inspired you the most? Who made the most insightful contributions? It's entirely your choice.

This category is only open to attendees with paid tickets, whether in-person or online.

The BEST Global Excel Summit 2025 In-Person Session should:

• be engaging thanks to the speaker’s clear and articulate explanations
• be influential by offering innovative methods that change your approach
• showcase deep expertise and mastery that makes you go 'wow!'
• keep the audience interested and connected with the speaker
• have a lasting impact — which session will you still remember in a year’s time?

Road to victory

There are several key stages to ensure the awards are based on a rigorous process to determine who's most worthy of winning each category.

14 Oct–3 Nov 2024‍

Public nominates candidates

11 Nov–1 Dec 2024

Judges panel determine finalists

9 Dec 2024

Finalists are revealed

9 Dec–19 Jan 2025

Public decides on category winners

5 Feb 2025

Winners ceremony at the Global Excel Summit 2025

Ready to nominate?

Have a think about who you want to put forward, and get ready to cast your nominations from 14 October when the Global Excel Awards page goes live.

You'll also find more information and the full terms and conditions there.

Stay tuned as well for more announcements about the awards across our social media channels.

We look forward to your participation!