The waiting is over: the shortlist for Recruiter’s Awards for Excellence 2009, supported by Thomas International, is revealed here.

Eighty-seven companies in all earned places on the shortlists for various categories. Winners will be announced at the gala awards evening on 28 April at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel.

The only category for which shortlisted candidates are specified in the list below is that of Outstanding Contribution to Recruitment, which is aimed at individual people instead of companies. This year marks the first time that a shortlist of candidates for this category has been announced.

“While there can only be one winner, we thought it was time to recognise other individuals whose contributions had been noted by the judges by publicising a shortlist,” said DeeDee Doke, editor of Recruiter.

A panel of 21 judges, divided into four groups, adjudicated the various categories with all being called on to make choices in several categories, including the Best Recruitment Firms to Work For and the individual outstanding achievement honour.

New to judging Recruiter’s Awards this year was Philippa Foster Back, OBE, director of the Institute of Business Ethics. She said: “I was pleasantly reassured that a number of companies care passionately about their clients and the individuals they are trying to place.”

Fellow judge Nick Davis, partner and mergers/ acquisitions specialist at law firm Mishcon de Reya, said of the judging: “It was a great day and great to take part… There are some really good companies out there.” He urged companies which did not make the shortlist to be really specific with all the information asked for next year.