40 Over 40 nominations open today 🏆

We've got a few tricks up our sleeve for our 3rd annual awards, which recognize people aged 40+: nomination categories, a new website + an '80s-themed in-person celebration

Help us find and celebrate people all over Charlotte who are making our city a better place.

It’s that time again: Your favorite Charlotte awards program is back. And, dare we say, it’s even better. Yes, we’re talking about The Charlotte Ledger’s 40 Over 40 Awards, Presented by U.S. Bank. Nominations open today. 

The 40 Over 40 Awards recognizes people who are making important contributions around us, and who are doing it in what some might call the second half of their lives. The Charlotte region is filled with individuals working hard to improve our community’s quality of life, often with little fanfare. Other local awards programs recognize the achievements of ambitious 20- and 30-something rock stars and up-and-comers. The 40 Over 40 Awards finds and celebrates the lesser-known — and more, um, mature — go-getters. 

If you know people who are at least 40 who live or work in Charlotte and need to be celebrated, nominate them today! Help us discover and shine a light on some of these unrecognized stars among us.

Now in its third year, the 40 Over 40 Awards can’t be called a new contest anymore. Our 81 past winners (there was a tie last year) include impressive leaders in business, the arts, education, healthcare, nonprofits and many other areas. 

New in 2022

◼️ Nomination categories: For the first time, we’re using categories in the nomination process. The form asks you to select one of the following categories for your nominee: “business leadership,” “community volunteerism,” “education,” “entrepreneurship,” “healthcare” or “nonprofit/public sector leadership.” We know leaders and change-makers come in all different forms. We think this addition will help broaden the search. 

◼️ In-person awards event: We’ve lined up several sponsors this year — such as our title sponsor, U.S. Bank — so that we can properly celebrate our 40 Over 40 award winners from this year and from 2020 and 2021. We’re planning a real, live, in-person ’80s-themed party on April 28, 2022, at Whitehead Manor in the Cotswold/SouthPark area. It will be a fun event with a few surprises — no overpriced, stuffy sit-down dinners from us. Our Gold-level event sponsors are Heartwood Tree Service; online event company Jumbo; Ducie Stark of real estate agency Dickens Mitchener; and strategic communications firm Fionix Consulting. Silver-level sponsors are strategic and growth consulting firm CXN Advisory and Old Forester bourbon. Stay tuned.

◼️ New website. We are harnessing the very latest in technology, using what’s known in the industry as an “Internet website” to house our 40 Over 40 information — including contest rules, the nomination form, links to contests from previous years and event details. It even has a catchy web address: www.Ledger40Over40.com. (We think this World Wide Web thing holds a lot of promise.)

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Free to enter, independent judges: To nominate people for the award, as in previous years, there is no fee to enter and you don’t have to be a Ledger subscriber (though we think once you read it, you will want to be.) Winners will be chosen by an independent panel of wise under-40 judges who do not work for The Ledger or for our event sponsors. Award recipients will receive the traditional certificate suitable for framing (frame not included) and a limited-edition “Charlotte Ledger 40 Over 40” koozie — perfect for keeping cold that adult beverage that they didn’t have to show ID to purchase.

The contest will be overseen by The Charlotte Ledger, the locally owned e-newsletter that is taking Charlotte by storm by repeatedly breaking news and providing thoughtful and lively insights about Charlotte. If you need to sign up for The Ledger, which offers free and paid subscription plans, you can do that here:

This contest is (obviously) unaffiliated with any other age-based award program.

Here’s how the 40 Over 40 Awards works:

1. Starting today, you can nominate somebody by using this easy entry form. People submitting nominations may be any age, and they may submit as many nominations as they like. We do note that while it’s fine for multiple people to nominate the same person, more nominations do not necessarily mean a better chance of winning. It’s most useful when the additional nomination forms give additional information. 

2. Your nominees must be 40 or older (born on Feb. 15, 1982, or earlier) and live or work in Mecklenburg County. 

3. You must personally know the person you are nominating. The main question asks why you are nominating this person. You’ll want a thoughtful answer, but you can complete the form quickly. You may nominate yourself. The nomination deadline is Monday, Feb. 7, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern.

4. After nominations close, The Ledger will convene a panel of outstanding under-40 judges to review the applications. The judges are chosen for their wisdom and common sense. We will introduce you to them in the next few weeks. No Charlotte Ledger employees or relatives of employees will serve as judges, and sponsors of the event will have no role or influence in the judging and selection process.

5. Once the winners are chosen, we will notify them individually in mid-March, verify their information, and then they will be celebrated in a special edition of The Charlotte Ledger in April. We will also honor them at an in-person ’80s-themed party April 28. Stay tuned for more information about the event. 

6. For those who are nominated but don’t win, there’s good news: Your eligibility to apply for The 40 Over 40 Awards in future years expires only when you do! We’ll never punish you for slowing your career to raise kids or for spending your 20s and 30s figuring out what the heck to do with your life. And, of course, in future contests, many of The Ledger’s valued under-40 readers will age into eligibility — a welcome and unexpected perk of turning 40.

For the latest news and information about the contest, be sure you are signed up for our e-newsletter. You might also want to follow our 40 Over 40 LinkedIn page. Official contest rules are available here.

Questions? Contact Deborah Goldberg at 40over40@cltledger.com.

Feel free to spread the word about The Charlotte Ledger’s 40 Over 40 Awards, Presented by U.S. Bank, by sharing this post:

Or nominate a special 40+ person in your life right now:

— Tony Mecia, publisher, The Charlotte Ledger

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Ledger 40 Over 40 team:

• Deborah Goldberg, Ledger director of engagement

• Casey Wilson, Carben Events

• Brie Chrisman, BC Creative

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Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Contributing editor: Tim Whitmire, CXN Advisory; Contributing photographer/videographer: Kevin Young, The 5 and 2 Project