Recognising and Awarding Our Members’ Achievements

The BABS Board of Trustees is dedicated to recognising and awarding special achievements and contributions made by its members, in the hope that it will inspire other members to show similar levels of dedication to the hobby and the Association. 

This document aims to outline the various awards available to an individual BABS member in recognition of their achievements and contributions.

These consist of:

  • Long Service Awards
  • “National Barbershopper of the Year” Awards
  • “Local Hero” Awards
  • Induction into the BABS Hall of Fame

These awards are arranged in order of their level of prestige, with an Induction into the BABS Hall of Fame being the most prestigious award available.

Long Service Awards

Awarded to a club member of BABS who has held continuous club membership of the Association. Awarded during the calendar year they reach a milestone, at the following milestones:

  • 10 years
  • 20 years
  • 25 years*
  • 30 years
  • 40 years
  • 50 years**

*the 25 year award is currently being phased out until 2024.
**the 50 year award will be introduced for the first time in 2024 (the 50th year of our Association).

Award: pin badge.

Receiving the award:

Two options outlined below. The recipient will be contacted to select their preferred way of receiving the award.

  1. At the Annual BABS Convention, presented by the Chairman with assistance from the Director of Membership
  2. At a member club event such as a regular rehearsal, club show or club celebration. Sent via post.

Nominations: not applicable. This award is calculated by the BABS Membership Secretary, who notifies the Director of Membership of the award recipients.

National Barbershopper of the Year Awards

The John Grant National Barbershopper of the Year Award
The Joe Berry Young Barbershopper of the Year Award

Awarded to a club member of BABS who has made a significant contribution to their club, region or the Association as a whole, in a given calendar year. The contribution could take a number of forms; artistic, administrative, altruism, recruitment, promotional, etc, and any of these should be highlighted within the nomination.

The John Grant National Barbershopper of the Year Award is for any BABS member, and the Joe Berry Young Barbershopper of the Year Award is for any BABS member aged 25-and-under.

Award: Framed certificate, pin badge, listing on the BABS website, free place at BABS Harmony College in the year of the award being given.

Receiving the award: The award will be announced and presented at the BABS Convention to those present. If they are not present, the award will be announced but the certificate and pin badge will be posted directly to the recipient.

Nominations: sent in confidence by any named BABS Club member, using an online form, by the given deadline. Please note that, whilst multiple nominations for the same person may be received coincidentally, the awarding panel will prioritise the strength of the nomination over the number of nominations.

Awarding panel: BABS Board of Trustees

Examples: Some examples of individuals deserving of this award could include:

  • Someone who has achieved a high level of artistic excellence over the given year
  • Someone who has recruited a large number of individuals over the given year
  • Someone who has gone above and beyond to promote barbershop over the given year
  • Someone who has shown a high level of altruism over the given year

What makes this different to the BABS Local Hero Award or an Induction into the BABS Hall of Fame? Those awards are for someone making an outstanding contribution over a significant period of time, whereas this award is for those making an outstanding contribution in a given calendar year.

BABS Local Hero Award

Awarded to a club member of BABS who, over a significant period of time, has made a significant and distinguished contribution to their club or region at a local level. This could be for artistic or administrative contributions, with the guiding principle that the recipient has made a lasting difference to the club or region, its members, and/or the local community. 

Award: Framed certificate, pin badge, listing on the BABS website.

Receiving the award: Two options outlined below. As this award may be presented unexpectedly, the nominator will be contacted to discuss the best way of presenting the award.

  1. At the Annual BABS Convention, presented by the Chairman with assistance from the Director of Membership.
  2. At a member club event such as a regular rehearsal, club show or club celebration. Either sent via post or presented by a BABS Trustee.

Nominations: sent in confidence to the Director of Membership by a committee member of the club - preferably Club Chairman, unless the Club Chairman is the nominee. The nominator should describe the level of service and commitment the nominee has shown to the club or region, and for how long for.

Awarding panel: BABS Board of Trustees.

Examples: Some examples of individuals deserving of this award could include:

  • Someone who has had a large impact on the formation and continued success of their club
  • Someone who has undertaken significant and impactful work in bringing barbershop to a wider audience in their community
  • Someone who has collaborated with other performing groups in their area to have a significant and lasting impact upon barbershop in their region

What makes this different to a National Barbershopper of the Year award? Whilst the contributions may be similar, the differentiator for a Local Hero Award is that the contribution has occurred over a significant period of time. 

What makes this different to an Induction into the BABS Hall of Fame? The Hall of Fame is reserved for those who have made a considerable impact to the Association as a whole, at a National and/or International level. This award is for someone who has had a considerable impact on their club at a local and/or regional level. Think deep for this award, and broad for the Hall of Fame award.

Induction into the BABS Hall of Fame

The most prestigious award available to any BABS Club Member is an induction into the BABS Hall of Fame. This is awarded to a BABS Club Member or ensemble who, over a significant period of time, has made an outstanding contribution to the Association on a National and/or International level. This could be for artistic or administrative contributions, with the guiding principle that the recipient has made a lasting difference to the Association and its members.

Award: Framed metal plaque, pin badge, listing on the BABS website.

Receiving the award: The award will be made during a prominent moment at an appropriate BABS event, where every effort will be made to ensure the recipient will be present to receive the award in person. If desired, the recipient may give an acceptance speech to the assembled group.

Nominations: sent in confidence to the Director of Membership by any BABS Club member. The nominator should describe the contribution of the nominee, and why they believe they are worthy of the award.

Awarding panel: BABS Board of Trustees

Examples: Some examples of individuals deserving of this award could include:

  • Someone who has had a large impact on the formation and continued success of the Association
  • Someone who has achieved national/international recognition as a performer or director
  • Someone who has gone above and beyond as an educator, having an impact upon a significant proportion of the Associations membership
  • Someone who has served the Association at a national level over a number of years with distinction, for example as a judge, board member or educator
  • Someone who has become a “household name” in the world of British barbershop due to their service to the Association.

What makes this different to Local Hero Award? This award is for those who have made a considerable impact to the Association as a whole, at a National and/or International level. The Local Hero Award award is for someone who has had a considerable impact on their club or region at a local level.

What makes this different to the BABS Barbershopper of the Year Awards? Whilst the contributions to the Association as a whole may be similar, the differentiator for an Induction to the Hall of Fame is that the contribution has occurred over a significant period of time.