Retail Categories
Take a look at our 27 retail categories below. Entries are free and must be submitted by the deadline; Friday 2 September.
You can select 'View Criteria' on each category below to see the individual criteria in relation to each of our retail categories. Once you have picked your category, you can select 'Enter Now' which will take you to the entries portal. You can also add more categories there by adding other categories to your basket.
You can also take a look at this year's Supplier Categories here.
Aftersales Excellence Award
The Aftersales Excellence Award acknowledges and rewards the dealer who consistently delivers an outstanding aftersales service. Nominations are invited from departments operating in franchised or independent sites across the UK.

Bodyshop of the Year
The Bodyshop of the Year award is open to any franchised or independent company undertaking body repairs. The winner needs to show how it has successfully implemented best practice initiatives, from efficiencies to customer care, while incorporating strategies to increase throughput and win new business

Business Manager of the Year
The Business Manager of the Year award will acknowledge and reward the pivotal role played by business managers in the sales process.
Nominations are invited from Business Managers, or their line managers, working in franchised and independent dealerships.
Carmaker of the Year
The Carmaker of the Year award will be chosen by the panel of judges and presented to the carmaker who has excelled in terms of producing new models, successfully marketing them and building close relationships with its dealer network.
If you have a suggestion for an entry into this category, please email john.kirwan@emap.com.
Customer Care Award
The Customer Care Award is open to all franchised and independent vehicle retailers and recognises efforts to promote customer care which have contributed to a business’ profits and success.

Dealer Group of the Year
The Dealer Group of the Year award is for the Motor Trader Top 200 franchised dealer group running four or more sites that has implemented the most successful strategy for developing sales and profitability in the past year.

Dealer Principal of the Year
The Dealer Principal of the Year award recognises and rewards the key role played by the dealer principal in running a successful franchised dealership
If you have a suggestion for an entry into this category, please email john.kirwan@emap.com.
Dealer Website of the Year
The Dealer Website of the Year award is open to franchised and independent retailers. It will identify and reward the best customer facing dealer website in the motor trade.

Digital Initiative of the Year
The Digital Initiative of the Year award recognises and rewards the best use of digital media by franchised and non-franchised dealers.

Diversity, Equality & Inclusion Award
The Diversity, Equality & Inclusion Award is open to independent and franchised dealerships.
The Diversity & Inclusion Award recognises the work or project a retailer has undertaken over the past year to promote equality, inclusion, diversity and fairness in their business.
Employer of the Year
The Employer of the Year award acknowledges and rewards the dealer groups setting new standards for recruiting, nurturing and retaining employees. Shortlisted groups will need to demonstrate how they are setting industry standards for employee satisfaction and show how this is contributing to their bottom line.
EV Retailer of the Year
The EV Retailer of the Year award is open to independent and franchised dealerships and rewards excellence across the whole spectrum of EV business activities, including new and used EV sales, marketing and aftersales.

Franchised Dealership of the Year
The Franchised Dealership of the Year award is open to individual franchised dealerships and rewards excellence across the whole spectrum of business activities, including new and used car sales, marketing and aftersales.

Independent Garage of the Year
The Independent Garage of the Year award recognises best practice, innovation and professionalism in the non-franchised repairer sector. This category is open to individual sites, which can be standalone businesses or part of bigger networks, which can show they have excelled over the course of 2021.

Most Improved Dealership of the Year
The Most Improved Dealership of the Year award is open to all franchised and independent car dealerships.

New Car of the Year
The New Car of the Year Award is open to all new models on sale in UK dealerships between January 2021 and March 2022. It is judged by The Motor Trader Industry Awards' panel of judges.
If you have a suggestion for an entry into this category, please email john.kirwan@emap.com.
New Dealership of the Year
The New Dealership of the Year award is open to all franchised and independent car retailing sites which opened during the 24 month period between June 2019 and June 2021.

Outstanding Achievement Award
The Outstanding Achievement Award, will go to the person who, in the view of the Motor Trader Awards judging panel, has most notably raised the profile and enhanced the reputation of the UK motor trade.
If you have a suggestion for an entry into this category, please email john.kirwan@emap.com.

Sales Manager of the Year
The Sales Manager of the Year award highlights the pivotal role played by sales managers in franchised and independent sites.
Sales Team of the Year
The Sales Team of the Year award recognises and rewards the crucial role played by dealership based sales teams.

Skills & Development Award
The Skills & Development Award is open to all franchised and independent vehicle retailers. It recognises a commitment to improving skills and development for retailers, leading to outstanding performance and professionalism.
Used Car Dealer Group of the Year
The Used Dealer Group of the Year award is open to all franchised and independent dealer groups retailing used cars to the public and operating more than one site.
Used Car of the Year: Premium
The Motor Trader Used Car of the Year: Premium award, acknowledges the vehicle that has excelled in terms of its desirability and premium among the dealers selling it and the customers who bought it. The winner is selected by a panel of used car industry professionals.
If you have a suggestion for an entry into this category, please email john.kirwan@emap.com.

Used Car of the Year: Volume
The Used Car of the Year: Volume award acknowledges the vehicle that has excelled in terms of its desirability and volume among the dealers selling it and the customers who bought it. The winner is selected by a panel of used car industry professionals.
If you have a suggestion for an entry into this category, please email john.kirwan@emap.com.

Used Car Retailer of the Year
The Used Car Retailer of the Year award is a single site award open to all franchised and independent dealers retailing used cars to the public. The single site can be a solus operation or a dealership within a group.

Social Media Award
The Social Media Award acknowledges and rewards the franchised or independent site that delivers the best social media presence in the UK car retailing sector and has successfully used it to engage customers and drive sales.
Social Media Award