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Thanks to Imogen* for this week's Prize challenge.
Found this on the challenging side due to unfamiliar words and a certain amount of UK GK. Several answers got parsed (with effort) but needed Google to verify.

A likely theme but no apparent Ninas.
Many smooth surfaces and standout clues receiving COD consideration.

FOI 3, never made steady progress but had to skip around the puzzle.
LOI 21 which provided a nice PDM after extended struggle.

COD 20 over 5. Second tier of candidates 10, 1d, 11 and 22. Third tier 6, 26 and 15.

*I keep forgetting that Imogen aka Vulcan is male, but managed to recall it tonight: https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/crossword-blog/2020/dec/07/crossword-blog-meet-the-setter-vulcan

Back on the Prize circuit after a wedding in Norway put me out of action last weekend (crossword completed on Sunday long after all had been said and done here).

I agree with geeker that this was on the harder side, but possibly because I was doing it on a noisy train and also very sleep-deprived after Thursday night’s election excitement.

Bottom half much trickier than the top for me. NHO 25, and every reference I’ve found to it has it as a 4,5 rather than a 9.

FOI 9, LOI 27 which I knew but failed for too long to dredge up because of tired brain.

I like all the clues highlighted by geeker, but would add the elegant 14 into the mix.

geeker, you probably want to check in on Clueless from this week!

Thanks, buddy!

HTG ("Honest to God"), I submitted a single entry, figured it was decent but a podium longshot and even forgot I'd entered.

No disrespect intended, thanks for your hosting. Will visit the thread.

This was pretty tricky in places, a lot of places actually, but still good fun.

Never heard of 18d and took a while to understand 27a, which is amusing given my postcode, and had to rack my brain to get 14d which I think I've only seen in barred puzzles before.

COD - Lots to choose from but I'm going with the short and sweet 12a.

Thanks to Imogen.

Congrats on your win Geeker, much deserved:-)

Having looked up 27, now I know where you live, Brendan. 😆

Tough for me as well; never heard of 4, 13, or 25, along with the aforementioned 27.

Indeed Darla, but given the season the trees outside my window are in full bloom meaning my view of it is currently blocked.

Are you in the US like Geeker?

20d - I can't quite see how "was" fits in with the wordplay - I feel the clue would be better if it began "relieved to ..." whereas "was relieved" seems grammatically incorrect for the word it gives us.

Am I just misreading it - any thoughts?

Haven't solved it yet Brendan. I'm finding it tough. I can't figure out 26a. I have an answer that parses but it doesn't make sense.

I can't think of a word that fits 25a either unless my crossers are wrong.