What are the Private Company Boards of the Year Awards?

The awards, now in their 11th year, are presented by Private Company Director, Family Business and Directors & Boards magazines at the annual Private Company Governance Summit. They were created to recognize private companies that go above and beyond legal governance requirements and commit to the highest levels of governance, whether through fiduciary or advisory boards. The awards honor the performance of the board as a whole.

Nominations may be made by anyone with knowledge of the board — board members, company executives, company owners and shareholders, advisers to the board or other colleagues. All nominations are vetted by the editorial teams of Private Company Director, Family Business and Directors & Boards with brief phone interviews. A panel of key private company board members and governance experts reviews the list of finalists and makes the final decision.

Selected boards will receive:

Private Company Boards of the Year Nomination Form

Nominations are open for Private Company Director magazine’s 2026 Private Boards of the Year awards. These awards recognize the performance of an entire board, whether fiduciary or advisory, representing privately owned companies of all sizes and ownership structures.
**Only privately owned, for-profit entities are eligible for this award.
Deadline for submissions is April 3, 2026.

Past Private Company Board of the Year Award Winners