The Intermediary has revealed the categories for its first-ever National Mortgage Awards (NMA) – Second Charge, which will take place on 14 November 2024 at the RIBA building in Portland Place, London. 

The event, held in association with headline sponsor Pure Panel Management, will include a drinks reception, dinner, live entertainment, a celebrity host, and more. With over 20 categories, the NMA – Second Charge aims to recognise excellence throughout the second charge mortgage market—an area often limited to single awards within broader industry events. 

Awards will cover both individual and company achievements, spanning brokers, lenders, industry partners, and champions. Categories such as ‘Packager of the Year,’ ‘Underwriter of the Year,’ and ‘BDM of the Year’ focus on the individuals driving the sector, while ‘Best B2B Broker,’ ‘Best Product Range,’ and ‘Best Use of Innovation’ spotlight the companies leading the way. 

Nominations open next week, kicking off a multi-stage process that includes research and final judging. Industry leaders—comprising the 10 most influential brokers and lenders—will form the judging panels. Brokers will judge lender categories, while lenders will evaluate broker categories. Judges will receive an invitation with a QR code granting access to their assigned categories, with final votes cast via a hand-delivered letter and voting card. 

Ryan Fowler, managing director at Astor Media, said: “We were never going to do awards; we thought there were already enough of them in the market—that’s not a bad thing, it’s a situation that has grown out organically. Our whole purpose is to do something different—just like we didn’t want to put out ‘just another magazine’—and to support the industry. We are really actively engaging with the second charge market to make sure the categories aren’t ‘one-size-fits-all,’ and that we support and promote the industry, showing the build-up and all the good stuff that’s happening. We want to give second charges a platform, and this is a good opportunity to do it.” 

For the full list of categories and information on nominations, visit The Intermediary’s website.