CMYA 2020 - shining a light on the up-and-coming talent in our sector

It’s been a little over six months since last year’s Construction Manager of the Year Awards. It was my first CMYA last year and I came away from the awards evening inspired, delighted to have met so many of the industry’s finest and full of optimism for the future of our industry.

It was a privilege to meet the finalists and many of the competition’s previous winners. But in the competition’s 41st year, it also made me realise that we have a well-established platform for showcasing the best of the industry, not just to the audience on the night but to our members and the wider construction community. What occurred to me was that it is really important to see our competition continue to celebrate the achievements of construction managers but also to raise the profile of the up-and-coming generation of construction workers and unsung heroes from the construction management world. Could we also find a way to showcase a more inclusive and representative group of finalists, including more people from SMEs and more nominations from outside London and the south east?

To look at some of the things we could do differently, since the 2019 competition concluded a review of CMYA took place.  The first addition to the awards to come out of that review – there are more planned for 2021, but no spoilers here – is the brand new “Rising Star” category. This new category is for those who have been in the construction industry for 7 years or less, and demonstrated excellence in their work, within the industry and amongst their peers.

I’m delighted that this new category will highlight the very best of the emerging talent in our industry. Specifically, I would like to encourage those that have made a real difference to their company or projects they have been involved with over the past 12 months. The award is free to enter. It costs nothing, just the time taken to fill in the application, and is open industry-wide, not just to CIOB members.

It’s an excellent opportunity to get recognition for your contribution to our built environment. It’s also a chance to be part of our CMYA celebration as the Rising Star award will be presented alongside the CMYA awards - meet previous winners, industry leaders and other up-and-coming talents from the sector.

CMYA is an incredible event and has, over the last 41 years, shone its spotlight on worthy winners, but we now have the chance to make sure the light we shine on the industry is directed at representatives from the whole range of incredible individuals who make up the construction community.

And, as ever, I have a call to action for members and supporters in positions of influence – help us encourage a real range of applicants for Rising Star and, maybe, claim the distinction of being the person to shine the spotlight on our first ever Rising Star. 

Get a nomination in now for a Rising Star that you work with – or nominate yourself. The deadline is 29 May 2020, with the finalists being announced on 1 July 2020. The first ever CIOB Rising Star presentation will take place as part of the CMYA celebration in London on 30 September 2020.

To submit a nomination or for more details, visit the CMYA web site: https://www.cmya.co.uk/rising-star-award