The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word NOMINEES
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
N
O
M
I
N
E
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S
More clues leading to the result NOMINEES
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "candidates" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case candidates = nominees.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does NOMINEES mean?
NOMINEES noun- A person named, or designated, by another, to any office, duty, or position; one nominated, or proposed, by others for office or for election to office.
- A person or organisation in whose name a security is registered though true ownership is held by another party, called nominator, especially for the purpose of concealing the identity of the nominator.
- A person to whom the holder of a copyhold estate surrenders their interest.