How Entertainment Brands are winning hearts and minds

Our ambitious winners have achieved smashing results in capital raising: Female-led Circle In landed $2M, evee overfunded 500% on Birchal $1.6M, Great Wrap raised $25M, Birchal raised in 63 min $3M, BODD closed $5M, Heaps Normal bagged $8.5M, Midnight Health closed Series B with $24M, and so on.

Here are a few more reasons, but you can read a lot more on the Why Pause page.

Challenge yourself – compete with the best in class!

Be part of an authentic community of achievers

A lifetime promo page in the Pause Index

Share your success story to the world, get funded!

Engage your team in classy black-tie ceremony

Submit your successful funding news to our blog

There are five Category Tracks below which contain 45 categories, with 11 new in 2023.

From a less than three year old company to over 1000 employees, women in business, scaling globally, team culture, import, Ai, sustainability, tech breakthroughs, athlete entrepreneurs, impact at scale, growth hacking, C-Suite and many more categories.

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  Culture⁰⁶

  Creating an inclusive and collaborative workplace culture is essential for success and growth. Entries should demonstrate how this transformation has been achieved across core business functions, that showcase expertise, leadership, and vision in delivering a positive impact and growth for the business, staff, stakeholders and customers.

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  Culture champion ^New

  For the best in Culture Category Track. This award recognises the best entry out of all winning entries in the track that have created a thriving culture.
  
  WHO: The top winners from all categories in Culture.
  
  WHAT: Judges are looking for the sole winner that can proudly represent the track demonstrating exceptional leadership, results and impact in their field.

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  Diverse Co.

  For nurturing an inclusive environment. This award recognises a workplace that has successfully and intentionally encouraged innovation among diverse employees.
  
  WHO: Diversity and inclusion managers, HR professionals, company founders, team leads, and talent acquisition specialists.
  
  WHAT: Judges are looking for entries that demonstrate a purposeful, innovative approach to nurturing an inclusive environment and empowering diverse employees.

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  Large team culture

  For fostering innovation. This award recognises a workplace with over 1000+ employees that has outpaced their cohort in fostering a culture of innovation.
  
  WHO: CEOs, CTOs, COOs, HR directors, and team leads in organisations with 1000+ employees.
  
  WHAT: Judges seek evidence of a workplace that has excelled at fostering a culture of innovation, surpassing peers in the large team cohort.

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  Medium team culture

  For fostering innovation. This award recognises a workplace with 21-999 employees that has outpaced their cohort in fostering a culture of innovation.
  
  WHO: CEOs, CTOs, COOs, HR directors, and team leads in organisations with 21-999 employees.
  
  WHAT: Judges expect entries to highlight the company’s success in fostering a culture of innovation that outperforms others within the medium team cohort.

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  Small team culture

  For fostering innovation. This award recognises a workplace with less than 20 employees that has outpaced their cohort in fostering a culture of innovation
  
  WHO: CEOs, CTOs, COOs, HR directors, and team leads in organisations with less than 20 employees.
  
  WHAT: Judges are looking for entries that demonstrate exceptional success in fostering a culture of innovation, outpacing their small team cohort.

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  Work sweet work

  For a great workplace culture. This award recognises a company that has managed to improve or attain outstanding levels of employee engagement, retention and satisfaction.
  
  WHO: HR directors, employee engagement managers, company founders, and team leads.
  
  WHAT: Judges will assess entries that show significant improvement or attainment of outstanding levels of employee engagement, retention, and satisfaction.

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  Excellence¹²

  Recognising outstanding business success in the marketplace, regardless of company size, and celebrating the impact made on the industry. Entries should showcase exceptional expertise, leadership and vision in the execution of business strategies that have left a significant impression.

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  Company of the Year

  For the best company. This award recognises a company leadership, success, ambition to excel against all odds with the solid future development plans.
  
  WHO: CEOs, COOs, CTOs, company founders, and general managers.
  
  WHAT: Judges expect entries to demonstrate exceptional leadership, success, ambition to excel, and solid plans for future development.

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  Defiant ones

  For new tech breakthroughs. This award recognises a company that defines the future of the industry they play in.
  
  WHO: CEOs, CTOs, company founders, product managers, and innovation leads.
  
  WHAT: Judges seek entries that showcase groundbreaking technology that redefines the industry they operate in.

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  Excellence champion ^New

  For the best in Excellence Category Track. This award recognises the best entry out of all winning entries in the track that have executed to a highest standard.
  
  WHO: The top winners from all categories in Excellence.
  
  WHAT: Judges are looking for the sole winner that can proudly represent the track demonstrating exceptional leadership, results and impact in their field.

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  Hall of fame

  For a lifetime achievement. This award recognises a game-changer who paved the way by breaking new grounds and inventing new categories.
  
  WHO: Judging Board will privately nominate and pick the winner.
  
  WHAT: Judges are looking for the sole winner to award for their lifetime achievement.

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  Hammer

  For nailing it. This award recognises a company’s success – on their own terms – in the market.
  
  WHO: CEOs, COOs, company founders, sales directors and market strategists.
  
  WHAT: Judges expect entries to highlight the company’s unique success in the market on their own terms.

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  I wish I’d done that

  For sheer brilliance. This award recognises a company’s simple and clever idea in a niche market.
  
  WHO: Company founders, CEOs, CTOs, product managers and niche market strategists.
  
  WHAT: Judges will assess entries that showcase a simple, clever, and innovative idea within a niche market.

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  New & first

  For new and First Peoples. This award recognises a successful company with its founders from indigenous, migrant or ethnic heritage in Australia.
  
  WHO: Indigenous, migrant, or ethnic heritage founders, CEOs, company founders and entrepreneurs.
  
  WHAT: Judges seek entries from successful companies led by founders from diverse backgrounds, making an impact in Australia.

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  On the rise

  For early stage mavericks. This award recognises an early stage startup that has done well in its first three years.
  
  WHO: Early-stage startup founders, CEOs, CTOs, and entrepreneurs.
  
  WHAT: Judges expect entries to demonstrate significant success within the first three years of operation.

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  Prodigy

  For being exceptional. This award recognises an under 30 year old person with exceptional qualities or abilities.
  
  WHO: Under-30 entrepreneurs, CEOs, CTOs, COOs and innovators.
  
  WHAT: Judges seek entries that showcase exceptional qualities or abilities of individuals under 30 years old.

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  Singularity ^New

  For an artificial intelligence business. This award recognises a company for developing ai services or those who have successfully integrated ai in their systems to deliver new products and services.
  
  WHO: AI company founders, CEOs, CTOs and product managers.
  
  WHAT: Judges are looking for companies developing AI services or successfully integrating AI into their systems to deliver new products and services.

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  Trendsetter ^New

  For influencer led business. This award recognises a person that has built their own business or a product through their followers’ reach in social media.
  
  WHO: Social media influencers, content creators, entrepreneurs, and company founders.
  
  WHAT: Judges will assess entries that demonstrate successful businesses or products built through the reach of their social media followers.

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  Women in business

  For levelling the playing field. This award recognises a successful female leader and entrepreneur who is paving the way forward for the future generations.
  
  WHO: Female entrepreneurs, CEOs, company founders and business leaders.
  
  WHAT: Judges expect entries to highlight the achievements of successful female leaders paving the way for future generations.

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  Good⁰⁶

  Showcase a company’s commitment to their purpose and mission to create a positive impact on the environment, people and community. The entries should demonstrate ideas intended to change the world; work which sets out to positively impact ingrained gender inequality, social imbalance or injustice.

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  B-Good

  For a good business. This award recognises a company that has done well to change our economic system to positively impact all stakeholders through their commercial practice.
  
  WHO: CEOs, company founders, corporate social responsibility managers and sustainability directors.
  
  WHAT: Judges seek entries that demonstrate positive impact on stakeholders through ethical and sustainable commercial practices.

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  Circular Pioneer

  For making a real difference. This award category recognises a company that is pioneering their circular efforts.
  
  WHO: CEOs, company founders, sustainability directors, environmental managers and circular economy strategists.
  
  WHAT: Judges are looking for companies that excel in implementing and pioneering circular economy efforts.

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  Fame for good ^New

  For a celebrity driven social impact. This award recognises a company that broke into the market by a famous person using its fame for the right cause and purpose.
  
  WHO: Celebrity-founded companies, CEOs, social impact leads and philanthropic entrepreneurs.
  
  WHAT: Judges will assess entries that demonstrate the effective use of fame for driving social impact and purpose.

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  Going green

  For delivering impact at scale. This award recognises a company that is actively leading and delivering impact and scale through sustainable efforts in clean energy, climate change, healthy environment, social and economic justice etc.
  
  WHO: CEOs, COOs, company founders, sustainability directors and environmental managers.
  
  WHAT: Judges expect entries to showcase leadership in sustainable efforts in clean energy, climate change, healthy environments, social, and economic justice.

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  Good champion ^New

  For the best in Good Category Track. This award recognises the best entry out of all winning entries in the track that have displayed great impact in society.
  
  WHO: The top winners from all categories in Good.
  
  WHAT: Judges are looking for the sole winner that can proudly represent the track demonstrating exceptional leadership, results and impact in their field.

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  You’ve got ethics

  For leadership in environmental social governance. This award category recognises a company that is promoting accountability, good governance, leadership in Corporate Social Responsibility and solving societal problems.
  
  WHO: CEOs, COOs, company founders, CSR managers and sustainability directors.
  
  WHAT: Judges seek entries that highlight leadership in environmental social governance, accountability, and solving societal problems.

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  Growth⁰⁸

  ​​Focusing on the productivity and elegance of execution to deliver impactful ideas to a market with the power to cut through the noise. Entries should demonstrate how the innovation and optimisation of the customer journey led to scaled consumer engagement and commercial success.

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  Design first

  For design led products. This award recognises a company that is using design to drive product innovation with the entire company onboard.
  
  WHO: CEOs,CTOs, company founders, design leads and product managers.
  
  WHAT: Judges expect entries to showcase how design drives product innovation within the company.

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  Great pivot

  For a sudden change in direction. This award recognises a company that has taken a pivot, based on insights, to deliver exceptional products.
  
  WHO: Company founders, CEOs, CTOs, COOs and product managers.
  WHAT: Judges will assess entries that showcase successful pivots based on insights, resulting in exceptional products.

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  Growth champion ^New

  For the best in Growth Category Track. This award recognises the best entry out of all winning entries in the track that have displayed incredible success.
  
  WHO: The top winners from all categories in Growth.
  
  WHAT: Judges are looking for the sole winner that can proudly represent the track demonstrating exceptional leadership, results and impact in their field.
  

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  Movement ^New

  For an event experience. This award recognises a company that has delivered an innovative event, conference, campaign or brand activation that emotionally moved people, delivered great social impact or vent viral.
  
  WHO: Event organisers, conference planners, marketing directors and brand activation leads.
  
  WHAT: Judges are looking for entries that demonstrate innovative events or campaigns that have emotionally moved people, created significant social impact, or went viral.

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  New model ^New

  For the new business model. This award recognises a company that has developed an elegant business model which is eating up the market itself.
  
  WHO: CEOs, company founders, COOs, business strategists and innovation leads.
  
  WHAT: Judges expect entries to highlight an elegant business model that is transforming the market.

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  Out of the garage

  For scaling globally. This award recognises a company’s global growth, expansion, and success.
  
  WHO: Company founders, CEOs, CTOs and international expansion leads.
  
  WHAT: Judges seek entries that showcase successful global growth, expansion and impact.

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  Pioneer ^New

  For the first to market. This award recognises a company that has broken into the market with a new product line never seen before, creating a new category.
  
  WHO: CEOs, CTOs, company founders, product managers and innovation leads.
  
  WHAT: Judges are looking for entries that demonstrate groundbreaking, first-to-market product lines that created a new category.

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  Wildfire

  For conquering a marketplace. This award recognises a company that has made a significant impact on the marketplace in the shortest amount of time.
  
  WHO: CEOs, company founders, market strategists and sales directors.
  
  WHAT: Judges expect entries to highlight significant, rapid impact on the marketplace.

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  Operators¹⁴

  Elevating every voice in the ecosystem is crucial for the collective success and growth of the industry. The entries should demonstrate ingenuity which leads to the creation of new products and services, through leadership, by elevating the internal culture and communities they serve.

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  Angel

  For early stage support. This award recognises an angel investor that has garnered a portfolio of companies and has a good track record of helping founders succeed.
  
  WHO: Angel investors, venture capitalists and early-stage startup mentors.
  
  WHAT: This is a free entry and will be evaluated by the public as the People’s Choice award.

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  C-Suite

  For the best leadership. This award recognises the highest-ranking executive that has impeccable leadership, management and interpersonal skills.
  
  WHO: CEOs, CFOs, CTOs, COOs and executive leaders.
  
  WHAT: Judges will assess entries that demonstrate impeccable leadership, management and interpersonal skills.

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  Down under ^New

  For launching in the Australian market. This award recognises an international company who is looking to expand into the Australian market and build recognition in the local ecosystem.
  
  WHO: International company founders, CEOs, market entry strategists and business development leads.
  
  WHAT: Judges expect entries to showcase successful expansion into the Australian market and local ecosystem recognition.

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  Ecosystem star

  For being the community champ. This award recognises a person for their tireless energy in organising, engaging and advocating to their community, business or network.
  
  WHO: Community managers, ecosystem leaders, network builders and advocacy leads.
  
  WHAT: Judges are looking for entries that highlight tireless energy in organising, engaging, and advocating for their communities, businesses or networks.

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  Future builder

  For grit to start a new venture. This award recognises a founder at any level and life stage who has decided to start jumping the hoops of their own business.
  
  WHO: Startup founders, entrepreneurs, and business owners at any level or life stage.
  
  WHAT: Judges expect entries to showcase the grit and determination required to start and grow a new venture.

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  Game changer ^New

  For an elite athlete turned entrepreneur. This award recognises an athlete for starting their side hustle and turning it into a small empire.
  
  WHO: Elite athletes turned entrepreneurs, company founders and CEOs.
  
  WHAT: Judges will evaluate entries that demonstrate successful side hustles turned into thriving businesses.

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  Growth hacker ^New

  For the growth marketing experts. This award recognises a marketing specialist focused on the rapid growth of a company through data mining and experimentation.
  
  WHO: Growth marketing experts, data analysts and digital marketing specialists.
  
  WHAT: Judges seek entries that showcase rapid company growth through data mining and experimentation.

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  Hottest hub

  For the best community. This award recognises a co-working space that provides boutique experience, world class facilities with community management.
  
  WHO: Co-working space operators, community managers and facility managers.
  
  WHAT: Judges will assess entries that demonstrate boutique experiences, world-class facilities and exceptional community management.

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  Launch pad

  For activating the support systems. This award recognises an accelerator or incubator with a good reputation in providing the best startup program and industry connections.
  
  WHO: Accelerator and incubator managers, program directors and startup mentors.
  
  WHAT: Judges are looking for entries that showcase a strong reputation in providing the best startup programs and industry connections.

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  Mind&Body ^New

  For the best wellness provider. This award recognises a business that provides self-care services or apps, retreats, getaways, gyms, clubs, tiny house stays and healthy retailers.
  
  WHO: Wellness service providers, app developers, retreat organisers, gym owners and healthy retailers.
  
  WHAT: Judges expect entries to demonstrate excellence in providing self-care services, products or experiences that promote well-being.

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  Operators champion ^New

  For the best in Operators Category Track. This award recognises the best entry out of all winning entries in the track that have displayed impeccable leadership.
  
  WHO: The top winners from all categories in Operators.
  
  WHAT: Judges are looking for the sole winner that can proudly represent the track demonstrating exceptional leadership, results and impact in their field.

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  Silent achiever

  For those that do the heavy lifting. This award recognises a person that has exceeded expectations, executed and delivered flawlessly projects from the backseat.
  
  WHO: Project managers, team leads, operations managers and product managers.
  
  WHAT: Judges are looking for entries that demonstrate exceeding expectations and flawless execution of projects from a behind-the-scenes role.

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  TopCoder ^New

  For the cleanest code. This award recognises a developer with excellent technical skills, writing a clean code and being a team player.
  
  WHO: Developers, software engineers and technical leads.
  
  WHAT: Judges are looking for entries that showcase excellent technical skills, clean code writing and strong teamwork abilities.

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  Venture cap

  For backing the future business. This award recognises a VC firm with a portfolio of companies that have made a significant contribution to the growth and success of the AU economy.
  
  WHO: Venture capital firms, investment managers and portfolio managers.
  
  WHAT: This is a free entry and will be evaluated by the public as the People’s Choice award.

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  Top Performers⁰³

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  Champion

  Awarded to a single entry in all five Category Track, Champion is the top accolade from all categories in that track. To win the Champion, you need to be at Grand Prix level or score the most points.

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  Diamond

  Awarded to a best-in-show, Diamond is the highest accolade at Pause Awards. To win the Diamond, you need to be one of the five Champion winners.

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  Grand Prix

  Awarded to a single entry in a category, Grand Prix is the top accolade in that category. To win the Grand Prix, the entire Judging Board must unanimously agree that the entry deserves the accolade of being the best in that category.

Introducing the Pause Awards Trophy, the ultimate symbol of excellence in entrepreneurship.

Inspired by the spirit of the Olympic Games, this trophy embodies the qualities of a true champion: strength, innovation and perseverance.