The Hatchet Job of the Year is the brainchild of The Omnivore, a website that aggregates and comments on reviews of books, films and plays. The site was set up by Anna Baddeley, a recent university graduate, who churns out the occasional review for the right-wing Spectator Magazine.

The purpose of the award is to celebrate "artful demolitions" and reward critics "who have the courage to overturn received opinion, and who do so with style," according to Baddeley's manifesto.