Nominator and nominee are closely related words, but they refer to two different roles in the nomination process. The nominator is the person or organization that puts someone forward for consideration, while the nominee is the person who is nominated. nominator vs nominee
The easiest way to remember the difference is:
Nominator = the person who nominates Nominee = the person who is nominated
For example, if Sarah recommends James for an employee award, Sarah is the nominator and James is the nominee.
Nominator vs Nominee: Quick Answer
A nominator is someone who officially suggests or puts another person forward for an award, position, job, election, or honor. A nominee is the person who has been nominated or put forward for consideration.
| Word | Refers to | Main role |
|---|---|---|
| Nominator | The person or organization making the nomination | Nominates someone |
| Nominee | The person being nominated | Is nominated |
| Nomination | The act or process | Connects the two roles |
So, if one person nominates another, the first person is the nominator, and the second person is the nominee.
What Does Nominator Mean?
Nominator is a noun for a person or organization that nominates someone.
A nominator may recommend someone for:
- an award
- a job or position
- an election
- an honor
- membership
- recognition
- another official opportunity
For example:
Maria nominated David for the leadership award.
In this sentence, Maria is the nominator because she made the nomination.
The word follows a familiar English pattern in which -or can identify the person performing an action. Compare:
- creator → creates
- instructor → instructs
- operator → operates
- nominator → nominates
Cambridge defines nominator as someone who officially suggests that another person should be considered for a job, election, honor, or similar purpose. ([Cambridge Dictionary][1])
Examples of Nominator
- The nominator must provide a reason for recommending the candidate.
- Each nominator may submit one person for the award.
- The committee contacted the nominator for additional information.
- Her manager was the nominator for the employee recognition award.
In each example, the nominator is the person taking the action of making the nomination.
What Does Nominee Mean?
Nominee is a noun for a person who has been nominated.
A nominee can be someone put forward for:
- an award
- a position
- a job
- an election
- an honor
- an organizational role
- another form of official consideration
For example:
David was nominated for the leadership award.
David is the nominee because he is the person being considered.
Cambridge defines nominee as someone who has been nominated and also uses the word for someone officially chosen or suggested for a position or job. ([Cambridge Dictionary][2])
Examples of Nominee
- David was the youngest nominee for the award.
- All nominees will be reviewed by the selection committee.
- The nominee received several letters of support.
- She became a nominee for the vacant position.
The important point is that the nominee is the recipient of the nomination, not the person making it.
Nominator vs Nominee: The Main Difference
The fundamental difference is who does the nominating and who gets nominated.
Nominator → nominates → nominee
For example:
Lisa nominated Mark for the award.
Here:
- Lisa = nominator
- Mark = nominee
- nominated Mark = the action
- award nomination = the process
This relationship makes the distinction much easier to understand.
Simple Comparison
| Feature | Nominator | Nominee |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Person who makes a nomination | Person who receives a nomination |
| Role | Acts | Is acted upon |
| Verb connection | nominates | is nominated |
| Usually appears on | nomination forms | candidate/nominee records |
| Example | Lisa recommends Mark | Mark is recommended |
Nominator vs Nominee Example
Consider this situation:
Emily nominated Daniel for Employee of the Year.
Who is the nominator?
Emily is the nominator because she made the nomination.
Who is the nominee?
Daniel is the nominee because he was nominated.
A simple way to visualize it is:
Emily → nominates → Daniel
Emily = nominator Daniel = nominee
This same relationship can appear in awards, elections, workplaces, schools, organizations, and other formal nomination processes.
Nominator and Nominee on a Form
The difference becomes particularly important when completing an official form.
Suppose a form asks for:
- Nominator’s name
- Nominee’s name
The nominator’s name belongs to the person making the recommendation.
The nominee’s name belongs to the person being recommended.
For example:
| Form field | Person |
|---|---|
| Nominator | Sarah Johnson |
| Nominee | Michael Brown |
| Award | Employee of the Year |
Sarah is putting Michael forward, so Sarah is the nominator and Michael is the nominee.
How to Avoid Mixing Them Up
Ask yourself one question:
Who is putting someone’s name forward?
That person is the nominator.
Then ask:
Whose name is being put forward?
That person is the nominee.
Nominator vs Nominee in Awards
Awards commonly use both terms.
For example:
The nominator submitted a recommendation for the nominee.
The nominator might be a manager, colleague, teacher, organization, or member of the public.
The nominee is the person being considered for the award.
Example
Professor Lee nominated Dr. Adams for the teaching excellence award.
- Professor Lee = nominator
- Dr. Adams = nominee
- Teaching excellence award = reason for nomination
Being a nominee does not necessarily mean the person has won the award. A nomination puts someone forward for consideration; the final outcome depends on the relevant selection process.
Nominator vs Nominee in Elections
The words can also appear in election-related contexts.
A person or organization may nominate someone as a candidate. The person put forward can then be described as a nominee, depending on the rules and terminology used by the particular election or organization.
For example:
The party nominated Alex for the position.
In a context where the nominated person is called a nominee:
- Party or person making the nomination = nominator
- Person put forward = nominee
The exact terminology can vary between electoral systems and organizations, so official election documents should take precedence when completing a form.
Nominator vs Nominee in the Workplace
The distinction is also common in professional settings.
Imagine a company has an annual employee recognition program.
James nominated Priya for Outstanding Employee of the Year.
Here:
James = nominator Priya = nominee
If the company asks James to explain why he nominated Priya, James is providing information as the nominator.
Priya remains the nominee until the selection process is completed.
Nominator vs Nominee in Job Applications
The terms can sometimes appear in formal hiring or appointment processes.
For example:
The board nominated Sarah for the director position.
If the organization’s terminology describes Sarah as the nominee, then:
Board = nominator Sarah = nominee
However, nominee should not automatically be treated as a synonym for applicant.
An applicant generally applies for something, whereas a nominee is someone put forward or suggested for consideration.
Those roles can overlap in some situations, but they are not identical.
Nominator vs Nominee vs Candidate
These three words are related but are not always interchangeable.
Nominator
The nominator is the person who makes the nomination.
Nominee
The nominee is the person who has been nominated.
Candidate
A candidate is a person who is being considered for a position, role, election, award, or other opportunity.
For example:
The committee nominated Sarah as a candidate for the position.
Here, Sarah can be both a nominee and a candidate, depending on the terminology used by the organization.
The key distinction is that nominator describes the person making the nomination, whereas nominee describes the person receiving it.
Nominator vs Nominee vs Nomination
It is also useful to separate the people from the process.
- Nominator = the person who nominates
- Nominee = the person who is nominated
- Nomination = the act or process of nominating
Example:
John submitted a nomination for Maria.
In this situation:
- John = nominator
- Maria = nominee
- John’s submission = nomination
Cambridge defines nomination as the act of officially suggesting someone for a job, position, prize, or similar purpose. ([Cambridge Dictionary][3])
Is the Nominator the Same as the Nominee?
No.
A nominator and nominee are normally two different roles.
The nominator makes the nomination, while the nominee is the person being nominated.
For example:
Anna nominated Ben for an award.
Anna is the nominator, and Ben is the nominee.
However, the exact rules of a particular program may allow unusual situations, such as self-nomination. If someone nominates themselves, that person could occupy both roles under that specific process.
Therefore, when completing a formal application or nomination form, follow the organization’s instructions.
Can a Nominee Be a Nominator?
Yes, depending on the situation.
Being a nominee in one nomination does not prevent someone from acting as a nominator in another.
For example:
Sarah was nominated for an award by David. Later, Sarah nominated Michael for a different award.
In the first nomination:
- David = nominator
- Sarah = nominee
In the second nomination:
- Sarah = nominator
- Michael = nominee
The terms describe a person’s role in a particular nomination, not a permanent status.
Can Someone Nominate Themselves?
Sometimes, yes.
Whether self-nomination is permitted depends on the rules of the award, organization, position, or program.
If self-nomination is allowed, the same person may effectively be both the person making the nomination and the person being nominated.
For example:
Jordan submitted a self-nomination for the professional achievement award.
In this case, Jordan is both the person submitting the nomination and the person being put forward.
Always check the specific rules because some nomination processes require someone else to nominate the candidate.
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Is “Nominator” a Real Word?
Yes.
Nominator is a standard English noun meaning someone who nominates another person. Major dictionaries, including Cambridge and Dictionary.com, recognize the word. ([Cambridge Dictionary][1])
It is less common in everyday conversation than nominee, but it is useful in formal contexts such as awards, elections, organizations, and nomination forms.
Is “Nominee” a Real Word?
Yes.
Nominee is a standard English noun referring to someone who has been nominated or officially suggested for consideration. ([Cambridge Dictionary][2])
It is especially common in formal contexts involving awards, elections, appointments, and professional recognition.
Easy Memory Trick for Nominator vs Nominee
Use this simple pattern:
Nominator = -or = does the action
Nominee = -ee = receives the action
Think:
Nominator → nominates → nominee
Another example of the same broad pattern is:
interviewer → interviewee
The interviewer performs the action, while the interviewee receives it.
This is a useful memory aid, although English suffixes such as -or and -ee do not work perfectly in every word.
Common Mistakes With Nominator and Nominee
Mistake 1: Calling the nominee the nominator
Incorrect:
Michael is the nominator because he was nominated for the award.
Correct:
Michael is the nominee because he was nominated for the award.
Mistake 2: Calling the person who nominated someone the nominee
Incorrect:
Sarah is the nominee because she nominated John.
Correct:
Sarah is the nominator because she nominated John.
Mistake 3: Assuming nominee means winner
A nominee is someone put forward for consideration. Nominee does not automatically mean winner.
For example:
Three people were nominees for the award, but only one received the award.
Mistake 4: Treating nominee and applicant as identical
A nominee is someone who has been nominated. An applicant is generally someone who applies.
The two roles may overlap in some processes, but the words describe different concepts.
Nominator vs Nominee: Sentence Examples
Examples with “nominator”
The nominator must explain why the candidate deserves recognition.
The award committee contacted the nominator for more information.
Her supervisor was the nominator for the annual award.
Examples with “nominee”
She was selected as a nominee for the award.
The nominees will be announced next week.
Each nominee will be evaluated by the selection committee.
FOR using both words
The nominator submitted the nominee’s information.
The nominee thanked the nominator for the recommendation.
The organization contacted both the nominator and the nominee.
The nominator explained why the nominee deserved recognition.
Nominator vs Nominee: Which Word Should You Use?
Use nominator when you are talking about the person or organization that makes the nomination.
Use nominee when you are talking about the person who is nominated.
A quick test is:
Did this person nominate someone? → Nominator
Was this person nominated? → Nominee
Compare These Two Sentences
John nominated Mary.
John = nominator Mary = nominee
Mary was nominated by John.
Mary = nominee John = nominator
The sentence structure changes, but the roles stay the same.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a nominator and a nominee?
A nominator is the person or organization that makes a nomination. A nominee is the person who is nominated. In simple terms, the nominator puts someone forward, while the nominee is the person put forward.
Who is the nominator on a nomination form?
The nominator is usually the person submitting or making the nomination. If you recommend someone for an award and the form asks for the nominator’s details, your information would normally go in that section.
Who is the nominee on a nomination form?
The nominee is the person being recommended or put forward. If you nominate your colleague for an award, your colleague is the nominee.
Is a nominee the winner?
No. A nominee is someone who has been nominated or put forward for consideration. A nominee may later be selected as the winner, but nomination itself does not mean the person has won.
Can the nominator and nominee be the same person?
Sometimes. If a particular program permits self-nominations, one person may nominate themselves. However, the rules vary by organization, award, or nomination process.
Is nominator the opposite of nominee?
They describe opposite roles within the same nomination process, but they are not strict grammatical opposites. The nominator performs the act of nominating, while the nominee is the person being nominated.
What is another word for nominator?
Depending on the context, a nominator may be described as a person who nominates, recommender, or proposer. However, these words are not always interchangeable in formal documents, so nominator is usually the safest term when that is the official label.
What is another word for nominee?
Depending on the context, a nominee may be described as a candidate, proposed person, or person being considered. However, candidate and nominee can have different meanings in specific systems.
What is the easiest way to remember nominator vs nominee?
Remember:
Nominator = nominates Nominee = is nominated
Or simply:
Nominator → action Nominee → recipient
Final Takeaway
The difference between nominator vs nominee is straightforward once you identify who is doing the nominating.
A nominator is the person or organization that nominates someone. A nominee is the person who has been nominated.
Think of the process as:
Nominator → nomination → nominee
If Sarah nominates David for an award, Sarah is the nominator and David is the nominee.
When you see these words on a form, ask: “Who is putting the name forward?” That is the nominator. “Whose name is being put forward?” That person is the nominee.