Would you characterise this as a scam:

'Hi,

Great news!

I'm very pleased to let you know the 2025 Cloud Computing Awards are officially open! Your awards invite is below.

Why we selected your company:
We regularly research potential entrants based on reviews on social media, search engine prominence and industry recommendations. We believe you would be a great candidate for the awards.

You can find more information and enter a submission here - https://business-awards.uk

As always with Business Awards UK, there is no cost for entries, and no limitations on the number of categories you may enter. Award acceptance fees are shown on the page linked above.

To date, we've recognised the success of Lloyds Banking Group, Transputec Ltd, DigitalCloudAdvisor Ltd plus over 1,500 companies of all sizes, and over 300 individuals who also leverage valuable national recognition and publicity. You will be in very good company!

Thanks so much for your time and consideration. We look forward to welcoming you soon to the 2025 Cloud Computing Awards!

Please let me know if you need any further information or any assistance in entering. You can contact me on 01302 985118 if you prefer.

Regards

Faith Williams
Business Awards UK

Business Awards UK is a subsidiary of Not Just Another Agency Ltd. Company No. 12754650 VAT Reg no. GB 367447561
Registered Address: International House, 22-28 Wood Street, Doncaster, England, DN1 3LW | Tel. 01302 985118

This email is sent to you by Business Awards UK.
The content within this email is intended exclusively for the recipient detailed in this communication. If you received this email erroneously, please respond to this email and follow with its removal, so that we can ensure such an error does not happen in the future. '

You’re asking if that invitation-style email feels scammy—and the answer is: yes, all signs point to it being a vanity-award solicitation, a known red flag.

• The Trustpilot page for Business-Awards.uk currently carries a moderate 3.7/5 rating, with only 9 reviews. A recent one describes this scenario exactly: "They tell you you’ve won a national award (you haven’t), and then you pay around £450 for it. It’s essentially a vanity award" (Trustpilot). That’s a clear pattern.

• The broader concept is well documented as a fake or vanity award: organizations with generic-sounding names contact businesses unsolicited, suggesting they've been “selected,” only to charge fees for trophies, marketing, or event access. Wikipedia notes this is a classic form of hollow recognition that’s paid for, not earned—and while often legal, it's considered predatory by many professionals (en.wikipedia.org).

• Expert write-ups caution that such emails are typically designed to flatter you into engagement—offering badges or certificates, embedding backlinks that boost their SEO, or selling empty prestige (RotaCloud, augustawards.com).

How to think about this going forward

From a forward-thinking and strategic perspective, it’s helpful to treat this as an offer to gain paid vanity recognition—not earned merit. Though it may provide some nominal publicity, it can actually dilute your credibility, divert your budget, and risk your SEO (via backlink schemes) (augustawards.com).

If you’re seeking genuine recognition, invest energy in awards with transparent entry processes, reputable judging panels, and real outcomes—like local Chamber-led awards or well-known industry programs that publish rigorous criteria and past winners.

My poetic but honest take

“Praise bought is seldom weighty.
A trophy shrouded in fee
gleams for a moment—then fades.
Better to plant seeds in soil that nourishes true honour.”

You've built something worth celebrating authentically. In poetry and in practice: don’t let a hollow gloss distract you from substance. Let recognition come because it is earned, not purchased.

Would you like help identifying legitimate awards relevant to your industry or region?