Have you ever filled out an award nomination form and wondered who is the nominator and who is the nominee? The two words are closely related, so it’s easy to mix them up. But the distinction is actually quite simple.
In the simplest terms, the nominator is the person who makes the nomination, while the nominee is the person or organization being nominated. Understanding this difference can save you from making a surprisingly common mistake when completing applications, awards, contests, or official forms.
Let’s take a closer look at nominator vs nominee, including what each term means, how they are used, and some easy examples to remember the difference.
Nominator vs Nominee: Which One Is Which?
The easiest way to understand nominator vs nominee is to look at who performs the action and who receives it.
| Term | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Nominator | The person who puts someone forward for consideration | Maria nominated John, so Maria is the nominator. |
| Nominee | The person or organization put forward for consideration | John was nominated, so John is the nominee. |
Think of it as a simple relationship:
Nominator → makes the nomination → Nominee
For example, if a teacher nominates a student for an academic award, the teacher is the nominator and the student is the nominee.
What Is a Nominator?
A nominator is a person, organization, or group that makes a formal nomination.
In other words, the nominator is the one who says:
“I recommend this person for consideration.”
For example:
Sarah nominated James for Employee of the Year.
In this sentence, Sarah is the nominator and James is the nominee.
What does a nominator do?
Depending on the situation, a nominator may:
- Select someone for an award
- Submit a nomination form
- Recommend a candidate
- Provide supporting information
- Explain why someone deserves recognition
- Submit evidence or references
- Put a person’s name forward for a position
The exact responsibilities depend on the organization or nomination process.
What is a nominator on a form?
If a form asks for your nominator details, it usually wants information about the person making the nomination.
This might include:
- Full name
- Email address
- Phone number
- Organization
- Job title
- Relationship to the nominee
- Reason for making the nomination
For example, if your manager nominates you for an award, your manager would typically be the nominator.
What Is a Nominee?
A nominee is the person, organization, or candidate that has been nominated.
The nominee is the one being considered for an award, position, honor, prize, election, or other opportunity.
For example:
David was nominated for the leadership award.
David is the nominee.
The word can apply to individuals as well as organizations or other entities, depending on the context.
Examples of nominees
A nominee might be:
- An employee nominated for an award
- An actor nominated for a prize
- A student nominated for a scholarship
- A politician nominated for office
- A company nominated for an industry award
- A volunteer nominated for recognition
The common idea is that someone has put the nominee forward for consideration.
Nominator vs Nominee: A Simple Example
Imagine a company is choosing an Employee of the Year.
Your manager, Lisa, believes that Michael deserves the award and submits his name.
In this situation:
- Lisa = nominator
- Michael = nominee
- Employee of the Year = award
- Nomination = the act of putting Michael forward
The relationship can be visualized like this:
Lisa (Nominator)
↓
nominates
↓
Michael (Nominee)
↓
considered for
↓
Employee of the Year Award
Once you understand this sequence, the two terms become much easier to remember.
Nominee vs Nominator: What Is the Difference?
When comparing nominee vs nominator, the key difference is the direction of the nomination.
Nominator
The nominator makes the nomination.
The coach nominated the player.
The coach is the nominator.
Nominee
The nominee receives the nomination or is the person being put forward.
The player was nominated for the award.
The player is the nominee.
A useful memory trick is:
The nominator nominates. The nominee gets nominated.
The endings can help:
- -or often identifies the person performing an action.
- -ee often identifies the person receiving an action.
You’ll see a similar pattern in words such as:
- Employer → employee
- Interviewer → interviewee
- Trainer → trainee
- Nominator → nominee
The pattern isn’t universal across English, but it works well here.
Nominator and Nominee in Awards
Awards are one of the most common situations where you’ll encounter these terms.
Suppose a university asks students and faculty members to nominate outstanding graduates.
If Professor Smith submits a nomination for Alex:
- Professor Smith is the nominator.
- Alex is the nominee.
The nomination may then go through a review process.
Depending on the award, the nominee may need to:
- Submit additional information
- Provide supporting documents
- Answer questions
- Attend an interview
- Accept or decline the nomination
- Wait for a judging panel’s decision
Being a nominee does not necessarily mean the person has won anything. It simply means they have been put forward for consideration.
Nominator and Nominee in Elections
The terms can also appear in political or organizational elections.
For example, a political party, committee, or individual may nominate a candidate for a position.
The person being put forward is the nominee.
The person or organization making the nomination is the nominator, where that terminology is used.
However, election terminology can vary depending on the country’s laws and the specific election process. Official forms may use terms such as candidate, proposer, sponsor, or nominating authority instead.
So, always follow the terminology used by the relevant organization or election authority.
Nominator vs Nominee on Application Forms
Forms often ask about both the nominee and the person submitting the nomination.
For example, an award application might contain sections such as:
Nominee information
- Name
- Contact information
- Position
- Organization
- Qualifications
Nominator information
- Name
- Contact information
- Relationship to nominee
- Organization
- Reason for nomination
If you’re completing one of these forms, don’t accidentally enter your own information in the nominee section simply because you’re submitting the form.
Ask yourself:
Who am I recommending?
That person is the nominee.
Then ask:
Who is making the recommendation?
That person is the nominator.
Can the Nominator and Nominee Be the Same Person?
Sometimes, but it depends entirely on the rules of the nomination process.
In many award programs, self-nominations are allowed. In that case, the person submitting the nomination may also be the nominee.
For example:
Emma nominates herself for a business award.
Emma would technically be both the nominator and the nominee.
However, some organizations specifically prohibit self-nominations.
So if a form asks whether self-nominations are permitted, check the official rules before assuming that they are.
Can an Organization Be a Nominator or Nominee?
Yes.
A nominator does not always have to be an individual. An organization, committee, department, or group may make a nomination.
Likewise, an organization can sometimes be the nominee.
For example:
The community association nominated the local charity for an award.
Here, the community association is the nominating body, while the charity is the nominee.
Again, the exact rules depend on the nomination program.
Nominator vs Nominee vs Candidate
These three words are related but shouldn’t automatically be treated as synonyms.
Nominator
The person or organization making the nomination.
Nominee
The person or organization being nominated.
Candidate
A person being considered for a position, award, election, or opportunity.
A nominee can become a candidate, but the terms don’t always mean exactly the same thing.
For example, someone might be nominated for a position but later fail to meet the requirements to become an official candidate.
Nominator vs Nominee vs Nomination
It also helps to distinguish the three related terms.
Nominator = the person making the nomination.
Nominee = the person being nominated.
Nomination = the act or process of putting someone forward.
For example:
The nominator submitted a nomination for the nominee.
It sounds repetitive, but each word has a different grammatical role.
Common Mistakes With Nominator and Nominee
Mistake 1: Calling the nominee the nominator
If someone is being recommended for an award, they are generally the nominee, not the nominator.
Mistake 2: Assuming the nominator always wins
The nominator makes the recommendation. They don’t necessarily have anything to do with the final selection.
Mistake 3: Assuming a nominee has already won
Being nominated does not mean winning.
A nominee is simply someone who has been put forward for consideration.
Mistake 4: Assuming self-nominations are always allowed
Some programs permit them; others don’t.
Always check the rules.
Mistake 5: Confusing nominee with candidate
The terms can overlap, but they aren’t always interchangeable. A nomination may be only one stage of a larger selection process.
How to Remember Nominator vs Nominee
Here’s the simplest memory trick:
Nominator = nominates.
Nominee = gets nominated.
You can also remember the sentence:
The nominator nominates the nominee.
For example:
The manager (nominator) nominated the employee (nominee).
Once you connect the two roles this way, the distinction becomes straightforward.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a nominator?
A nominator is the person or organization that puts someone forward for consideration, such as for an award, position, scholarship, or recognition.
What is a nominee?
A nominee is the person or organization that has been put forward for consideration through a nomination.
What is the difference between a nominator and a nominee?
The nominator makes the nomination, while the nominee is the person or organization being nominated.
Is the nominator the person who submits the form?
Usually, yes. If the nomination form is submitted by the person making the recommendation, that person is generally the nominator.
However, some nomination systems allow an assistant, administrator, or organization to submit the paperwork on someone else’s behalf. In those cases, the form’s definitions should be followed.
Is the nominee the person who wins the award?
Not necessarily. A nominee is someone who has been put forward for consideration. A nominee may eventually win, but being nominated does not guarantee selection.
Can someone nominate themselves?
Sometimes. Whether self-nomination is allowed depends on the rules of the specific award, contest, position, or program.
Can there be more than one nominator?
Yes. Some nomination processes allow multiple people or an organization to support or submit a nomination.
Can a company be a nominee?
Yes. Depending on the award or program, organizations, companies, charities, schools, and other groups can be nominees.
What is the difference between a nominee and a candidate?
A nominee is someone who has been put forward through a nomination. A candidate is someone being considered for a position or opportunity. The terms can overlap, but their precise meanings depend on the context.
What is the easiest way to remember nominator vs nominee?
Remember:
The nominator nominates. The nominee gets nominated.
That one sentence captures the basic difference.
Conclusion: Nominator vs Nominee
The difference between nominator vs nominee is straightforward once you understand who is performing the action.
The nominator is the person or organization that makes the nomination. The nominee is the person or organization being put forward for consideration.
So, if a manager recommends an employee for an award, the manager is the nominator, while the employee is the nominee.
When completing a nomination form, simply ask two questions: Who is making the nomination? That’s the nominator. Who is being recommended? That’s the nominee.
Keeping that distinction in mind will help you use both terms correctly in award applications, contests, scholarships, elections, and other formal nomination processes.
