2026 Shortlist
Large Employer of the Year
AstraZeneca
Barratt Redrow
Bentley Motors
DHL
Legal & General
Morrisons
RAC
Scottish Power
THG (The Hut Group)
United Utilities
Small Employer of the Year
Alpine Fire
Applethwaite Homes
DAS Fire Ltd
Davies Partnership
Eco Providers
Kamran Rasul Dentistry
Kyzen Sports
Placefirst
Sevadis EV
Sterling Plastering Group
The Prestbury Advisory
Verde Services
Outstanding Corporate Social Responsibility Award
Carpenters Group
DSV
DT Hughes
Flutter UK&I
Go Cardless
Kimpton
Morrisons
SBFM
Scottish Power
The Regenda Group
Outstanding Commitment to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
AstraZeneca
Bethell Group PLC
Graham
Linklaters
Network Rail
RWinvest
SBFM
Story Homes
The Premier League
Wickes
Outstanding Commitment to the Environment
Cadent
Ecotricity
Hawkins/Brown
Huyton Asphalt
Inspire Education Group
Next Energy
Octopus Energy
RSK
Scottish Power
The Malcolm Group
Outstanding Employer
Bute Energy
Story Homes
DHL
Encirc
Eric Wright Group
Greggs
Hugh Baird College
Monzo
One Answer Insurance
Quooker
SGD Fire Protection
Outstanding Employee
Andrew Lees – Hugh Baird College
Daniel Bates – Minster Law
Georgina King – Linklaters
Jack Thorneycroft – MTX
Jo Clarke – Chase de Vere
Paul Rylands – Aurora
Rachel Downey – Legacie
Rebecca Prendergast – Northern Rail
Scott Hall – Stagecoach East Scotland
Thomas Stockton – MSB
William Dryden – Neso
Best Employee Support Network
Bank of America – LGBT+ Pride Ally Programme
Barratt Redrow – The Menopause Network
Bentley Motors – BeProud Network
CFG Law – Wellbeing Champions
EDF (UK) – Young Professionals Network
Entain – BeYou@Entain
Legal & General (L&G) – Neurodiversity Network
London Stock Exchnage Group – LSEG Pride
Nationwide Building Society – Enable Network
NatWest – Rainbow Network
Tesco – Out at Tesco
The Hut Group (THG) – Women In Business Network
HR Leader of the Year
April Tomlinson – Liverpool Football Club
Asif Sadiq – Warner Bros. Discovery
Craig Carney – Seddon Construction
Lucy Adams – Disruptive HR
Lyndsey Chapman – Talos360
Martin Rimmer – Cadent
Nicola Ryan – One + All
Rob Holland – William James Recruitment
Stuart Walsh – Quooker
Tara Ryan – Monzo
Best Practice Award
Adair
CW Berry
DS Smith
Goodmix Concrete
Irwin Mitchell
Legacie
Manchester Surfacing
radius
SBFM
Skyscanner
Warwick North West
Marketing Leader Award
Adam Jones – DSV
Amy Mason – Bidwells
Andrew Barclay – TJX
Daniel Porter – Tesco
David McNiven – Hays Travel
Florence Henderson – Moody’s
Marina Purkiss – Adobe
Rachel Walker – Frank Rogers Building
Richard Warren – Nationwide Building Society
Sam Feasey – Diageo
Construction Employer of the Year
Barratt Redrow
Casey Group
Domis Construction
Eric Wright Group
Fortem
Frank Rogers
Gallaway Construction
Galliford Try
Legacie
Wain Homes
Legal Employer of the Year
Brabners
Forbes Solicitors
Hill Dickinson
JMW Solicitors
Menzies
Minster Law
MSB Solicitors
Pearson Solicitors
RPC
Weightmans
Workplace Hero of the Year
Ben Jackson – Wickes
David Vaal – Overbury
Hardeep Sanghera – Fortel
Jed Saint – National Grid
Kristen Drummond – Slater Heelis Solicitors
Liz Brand – Cadent
Lorna Sharpe – Prospect Homes
Manish Amin – DS Smith
Martin Nolan – Sky Scanner
Melanie Knight – KPMG
Simone Pound MBE – PFA
Sophie Tsouloupas – OPEN Media
Charity or Not-For-Profit Initiative of the Year
Barratt Redrow – Foundation Barratt Redrow
Cash4Clubs – Flutter UKI
DF Capital Foundation – DF Capital
Eric Wright Charitable Trust – The Eric Wright Group
Giving For Good – Stagecoach
JD Sports Founation – JDPLC
Peninsula Group Foundation – Peninsula Group Global
The Brabners Foundation – Brabners
The Legacie Foundation – Legacie
The Sedulo Foundtaion – Sedulo
Most Inclusive Employer
Booker Group
DT Hughes
E.ON Energy
Fortem
Legal & General Investment Management
Moody’s
P3od
SB Interiors
Sunbelt Rentals
The Co-op Group
TJX Group
Property Employer of the Year
Jarron Developments
Kinrise
Legacie
Marshall Property
Mountain Earth
Nexus Residential
Prospect Homes
RWinvest
Springbok Properties
Warden Construction Ltd
Diversity Champion of the Year
Alicia McDonnell – Manchester Airport
Bethany Scott – Morrisons
Brendan Hegarty – Natwest Social & Community Capital
Elaine Clarke OBE – Baa Bar Group
Gemma Webb – Barratt Redrow
Kirsty Rogers – DWF
Lewis Bell – Booking.com
Natasha Douthwaite – Cisco
Rachell Cowell – Softcat
Sam Fresa – Entain
Suki Sandhu – Audeliss
Innovation Employer of the Year
DPL Fabrications
EBS Group
Medicash
Paxton Access
Pfizer
RAC
RWinvest
Uniform Group
Verde Services
Vitabiotics
Best Training & Employee Development Programme
AccessPay
AstraZeneca
BAE Systems
DS Smith
DT Hughes
Legacie
R&B Switchgear Group
Sterling Plastering Group
Timpson Group
Wec Group
William Newton Hospital
Family Business of the Year
BetFred
Equip 2 Clean
Fox Brothers
Hakim Group
Hogan Group
Huyton Asphalt
Joseph Holt Brewery
LA Productions
Mellors Catering Services
Spotmix
Wild Thang
Business Leader of the Year
Alex Bird – The Prestbury Advisory
Athar Mahmood – Rochcare
Chris Casey – The Casey Group
David Hughes – DT Hughes
Dean Rogers – Frank Rogers
Ian Williams – Warden Construction Ltd
John Baybut – Berkeley Shaw
Laura Keir – Protein Works
Phil Jones MBE – Brother UK
Sam Bushell – Brown Turner Ross
Tony Johnston – Tate Steel
Victoria Hunter – Spotmix
Scale-Up Employer of the Year
A&B Engineering
Dragonpass
EBS Group
Melius Finance
Next Energy
Prospect Homes
Rochcare
Sapphire
The Billington Group
Venture Finance Management
Retail Employer of the Year
Adidas
ARNE
Beaverbrooks
Lidl
Morrisons
SPAR UK
Superdrug
Tesco
THG (The Hut Group)
Wickes
Sustainable Business of the Year
Brother UK
Huyton Asphalt
Mountain Earth
Oil Recoveries
Quooker
SP Energy Networks
UK Power Networks
United Utilities
Willmott Dixon
Zevero
Social Impact Employer of the Year
Alcedo Care
Balfour Beatty
Bowmer + Kirkland
Capital&Centric
CBRE Global workplace solutions
Mott Macdonald
Onward Homes
Overbury
PROCare
Warwick North West
Transformational Leader Award
Berna Bayindir – Bilyana Golf
David Thompson – Incio Group
Jacquline Alcindor – Legal & General
Jane Zhu – Dragonpass
Joanna Lewis – Safecall
Laura Leslie – DSG Accountants
Nicky Paine – Balfour Beatty
Rhian Elston – Development Bank of Wales
Sarah Mackenzie – Storal
Sophie Gilmore – Hybrid Training Centre
Financial Employer of the Year
Bridging Finance Solutions
Close Brothers Property Finance
Hope Capital
ICG Real Estate
Morpheus Lending
OakNorth Bank
PM+M
Quantum Mortgages
Roma Finance
Ultimate Finance
Best Investment in Young People
BAE Systems
Bloor Homes
Bruntwood
Future Meds
Howdens Joinery
Legacie
Network Rail
Sterling Plastering Group
WEC Group
Whitecroft Lighting
Young Business Leader of the Year
Alex Le Gros – DPL Fabrications
Chloe Barrett – Immersify Education
Dan and Melanie Marsden – Lounge Underwear
George Heaton – Represent
George Wade – Zevero
Jack Mackreth – Kyzen Sports
Jonathan Hopkins – BGS Group
Maisy Knox – Fortel Group
Nizam Bata – iBC Healthcare
Tom and Phil Beahon – Castore
Best International Employer
Adidas
Astrazeneca
Betfred
Deloitte
JD Sports
Kellogg’s
KPMG
PwC
Siemens
Strada Real Estate