With a record 474 entries received from organisations across the UK, competition to be named a Finalist was truly exceptional. And today, the British HR Awards Judging panel is proud to reveal its 2026 Winners!
Powered by employee insight platform, New Possible, the fifth-edition of the British HR Awards set out to discover and celebrate the teams and individuals who are passionate about delivering a world-class people experience. Organisations taking part this year ranged from start-up pioneers to tech unicorns, global titans, not-for-profits and everything in between. Irrespective of organisation size, industry or resources, all Winners and Finalists shared how their initiatives are transforming the people experience and delivering tangible value for their organisations.
A huge thanks to the British HR Awards 2026 all-star judging panel for reviewing the entries and sharing their expertise:
Lynn Bassett, Director of People and Organisational Development at Barbour | Louise Benford, Chief People Officer at The AA | Sharon Benson, HR & OD Director | Holly Cooper, People Director at Cox Marine | Emma Djemil, Creator of Rebellious Humans. Resourced at Be Unstoppable. | Wendy Doherty, Chief People Officer at TalkTalk | Kath Ennis, Chief People Officer | Mary Foulkes OBE FCIPD, Director of Equity, Inclusion and Culture at Shelter | Leigh Gannon, Director People & Organisation at PUMA UKI | Catrin Gaston-Penny, Human Resources Director at Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult | Julie Griggs, Deputy Chief People Officer at The Open University | Maria Hawley, Director of People at Fisher German | Melanie Hetherington, Chief People Officer at NatWest Cushon | Dr Tracey Leghorn, Chief Business Services Officer at SUEZ recycling and recovery UK | Vilma Nikolaidou, Director of People and Culture at British Film Institute (BFI) | Janet Roberts, Chief People & Culture Officer at Vertiq Hospitality | Perry Timms, Chief Energy Officer at People and Transformational HR | Lucy Tobin, People Director at Frontier Economics
And so, without any further ado, the full list of Winners and those awarded Highly Commended are:
Best Overall People Experience: HubGem
Employee Wellness Initiative of the Year: Lucion
Diversity & Inclusion Initiative of the Year: British Heart Foundation (Highly Commended: Foresight Group LLP | Highly Commended: Leonardo Hotels UK & Ireland)
L&D Initiative of the Year: Vagabond Wines (Highly Commended: Dishoom)
Recruitment Initiative of the Year: Aegon UK (Highly Commended: Primary Care 24)
Early Careers Initiative of the Year: Lumi and Lumiere (Highly Commended: MS Amlin)
Culture Initiative of the Year: Exclaimer (Highly Commended: Bupa | Highly Commended: Cairn Group)
Change Management Initiative of the Year: The Empathy Business (Highly Commended: Active Care Group | Highly Commended: The Melton)
Innovation of the Year: EMCOR UK/OCS
AI Initiative of the Year: iXceed Solutions
Start-Up of the Year: Lumi and Lumiere
SME of the Year: DGM Growers (Highly Commended: LGPS Central)
Large Organisation of the Year: Gressingham Foods (in partnership with Jarrold Training)
People Awards
Leader of the Year: Zoë Walters, Chief HR & AI Strategist at Empowrd AI
Rising Star of the Year (sponsored by WorkFlex): Alberto Natale, Co-Founder at Fairshot AI (Highly Commended: Emma Sanchez Ruiz, People Manager at Vagabond Wines)
Coach of the Year: Mags Kerns, Specialist Coach at Mags Kerns Coaching (Highly Commended: Clare Haynes, Confident Conversations Specialist at Wildfire)
People Team of the Year (<250 employees) (sponsored by Breathe): Emovis (Highly Commended: Harper James | Highly Commended: VIOOH)
People Team of the Year (250-1000 employees): Fife Sports and Leisure Trust (Highly Commended: Forbes Solicitors LLP)
People Team of the Year (1,001-2,500 employees): OneAdvanced (Highly Commended: Bensons for Beds)
People Team of the Year (>2,500 employees): Active Care Group
Supplier Awards
Consultancy of the Year (<10 employees): Be The Change HR (Highly Commended: People Change Solutions)
Consultancy of the Year (10+ employees): Electric Circus
Employee Benefits Provider of the Year: Rippl (Highly Commended: moneyappi)
Recruitment Partner of the Year: iXceed Solutions
Technology Partner of the Year: Quinyx (Highly Commended: Starbucks UK (with AdviserPlus))
Sector Specific Awards
Financial Services Initiative of the Year: TSB Bank (Highly Commended: Lloyds Banking Group)
Professional Services Initiative of the Year: Jenny Garrett Global (Highly Commended: Dentsu)
Technology Organisation of the Year: Exclaimer
Not for Profit Initiative of the Year: British Heart Foundation
Nate Harwood, Founder of New Possible and the British HR Awards, said: "The UK HR community is truly special, and one we’re incredibly proud to have celebrated and supported over the last five years. What stood out in 2026 was how teams are boldly navigating new frontiers. Congratulations to all the Winners, Highly Commended and Finalists."
British Heart Foundation (BHF) took home two awards on the day, winning Diversity & Inclusion Initiative of the Year and Not for Profit Initiative of the Year. Over the past 12 months, BHF has delivered a step change in its approach to equality, diversity and inclusion. This has included the introduction of a number of inclusive policies, such as 12 weeks’ paid leave for all parents, anonymous CV screening, gender bias decoders and flexible working from day one, alongside targeted leadership development for ethnically minoritised colleagues. This has been supported by enhanced use of data through listening groups and a new EDI dashboard. The impact has been significant. Today, 88% of colleagues say BHF is a place where people from diverse backgrounds can succeed (up from 77%), while job offers to ethnic minority candidates have increased from 15% to 20%. Judges commended 'comprehensive changes' with evidence of 'specific improvement for those targeted'.
DGM Growers were awarded SME of the Year for their efforts to encourage belonging and wellbeing. From day one, employees are made to feel welcome through designated ‘buddies’ and clear career pathways. Over the past 12 months, a holistic approach to wellbeing has been embedded across the organisation, with a focus on financial wellbeing alongside mental and physical health. As an example, each new starter completes a ‘care profile’, enabling managers to more effectively recognise when employees may be under pressure or require additional support. The results have been wide ranging and profound: average tenure has increased by 67%, share scheme participation has risen by 16% (reversing an 11% decline the previous year), and mental health-related absences have decreased by 95% (a 5% decrease overall). Judges praised the 'good range of wellbeing initiatives with measurable impact' and the 'clear evidence' presented.
Zoë Walters, Chief HR & AI Strategist at Empowrd AI, took home the highly coveted Leader of the Year award. Over the past 12 months, Zoë's innovative AI FastStart Diagnostic Growth Framework has helped teams diagnose and redesign workflows - already reducing administrative workloads by up to 30-40%. Another initiative, EDGEucation, an AI fluency programme designed specifically for HR, is boosting participants' confidence to use AI and measurably improve employee experience. Judges praised the work as 'science-backed', 'highly participatory' and driving real 'business change and performance'.
Over the next few months, New Possible will be profiling Winners and Highly Commended in a 'Sharing Success' series. Stay updated by registering for our newsletter.
Winners were revealed at a special celebration event held at the iconic Grand Hall of the Grand Connaught Rooms in Covent Garden, London, hosted by comedian Lucy Porter. The event featured an interactive session delivered by Emma Djemil and Toby Kheng, and a panel discussion titled ‘Navigating 'The Jagged Frontier' (AI as fabric, not feature)’, moderated by Perry Timms. Panellists included Wendy Doherty, Julie Griggs, and Lucy Smith.
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Breathe: Breathe is an award-winning HR software platform designed for small-to-medium-sized organisations, from small teams to growing businesses of 30-100+ employees. Trusted by over 17,000 SMEs and 1,000 HR consultancies across the UK, Breathe simplifies HR admin, engages employees, and scales as you grow.
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