Every year, the King's Birthday Honours shine a light on some of the most inspiring people in our society. While media headlines often focus on household names, the reality is that the honours system is primarily about recognising ordinary people who do extraordinary things. The majority of honours awarded each year go to people who have dedicated themselves to serving their communities, supporting others, volunteering their time, raising money for worthy causes, or creating positive change through their work and leadership. The honours system exists to celebrate impact, commitment and service, regardless of background, profession or status. In fact, most recipients are people who have quietly gone above and beyond for many years without seeking recognition. As someone who has spent many years helping people prepare successful King's Honours nominations, I always look forward to reading the Birthday Honours List. It is a wonderful reminder that there are remarkable people making a difference in every corner of the UK. A Well-Deserved Knighthood for Kevin Sinfield One of the most moving recognitions this year was the knighthood awarded to Kevin Sinfield for his extraordinary fundraising and campaigning work for motor neurone disease (MND). Since his friend and former Leeds Rhinos teammate Rob Burrow was diagnosed with MND, Kevin has raised millions of pounds through a series of incredible endurance challenges, helping to fund research, treatment and support for families affected by the disease. When we had the privilege of meeting Kevin last year and listening to him speak about Rob, friendship, resilience and the MND community, there was not a dry eye in the room. His humility, determination and unwavering commitment to helping others were genuinely inspiring. His knighthood is a powerful example of what honours are really about. Not simply achievement, but using your influence and energy to make life better for others. Business Leaders Making a Difference One of the biggest misconceptions about the honours system is that business leaders do not receive recognition. In reality, around 10% of honours are awarded to entrepreneurs and business leaders whose work has created jobs, driven innovation, supported communities and contributed to the UK economy.

There are many factors that impact on attracting and retaining talent, but one that is often overlooked is trust. Candidates want to know whether an organisation is stable and a good place to work. Is it serious about its people? Employees want to know whether their work is noticed and whether the promises made in values statements and wellbeing policies are being taken seriously. Salary, flexibility and career progression all matter, but they are no longer enough on their own. HR and People Directors work hard to create a positive culture, but their success can often go unnoticed. Recognition helps make the invisible work of HR, People and Culture teams visible. A credible award win, shortlist or external accreditation tells candidates and employees that an independent party has reviewed the evidence and found something worth recognising. For people teams, that might include workplace wellbeing awards, employee engagement awards, community impact awards or employee experience awards. Awards such as the UK Employee Experience Awards, Investors in People Awards, Great British Workplace Wellbeing Awards, The Learning Awards and Employee Benefits Awards all give HR and People leaders a way to demonstrate that their work is not just well-intentioned, but evidence-led and independently assessed. Recognition matters more than many leaders realise There is a strong data case for recognition. Our white paper, ‘The Real Value of Business Awards’, reports that Sapio Research found 55% of employees at award-winning businesses believed staff morale had increased since their awards wins, while 32% said staff retention had improved. The paper also notes that 91% of businesses report recruitment as one of their biggest issues. Gallup research also found that employees who receive high-quality recognition are 45% less likely to have left their organisation after two years. For HR leaders trying to reduce attrition, strengthen culture and protect recruitment budgets, recognition is not a soft metric. It has a measurable link to people staying.

We’re halfway through the year and fast heading towards the tail end of the entry period for many major award programmes. That doesn’t mean there isn’t the opportunity to enter some of the world’s leading awards and get recognition in 2026. But the time to take action is now. Take a look at just some of the awards open now for entries, or take the awards generator quiz to find out exactly which awards you could enter. ECCCSA 2026 European Contact Centre and Customer Service Awards (ECCCSA) The European Contact Centre & Customer Service Awards (ECCCSAs) is the longest running and largest awards programme in the European customer contact industry. The programme recognises organisations across Europe that are leading the way in delivering exceptional service to customers. Entry Deadline: 17 July 2026 Winners Announced: 17 November 2026 Global Performance Marketing Awards The Global Performance Marketing Awards celebrates the industry’s most exceptional projects on a global scale. Awarding the best work from across the past 12 months, the ceremony offers incredible networking opportunities for senior representatives from the ecosystem’s leading advertisers, publishers, agencies, networks, and technology providers. Deadline: 23 July 2026 Winners Announced: 19 October 2026 Stevie Awards for Women in Business The Stevie Awards for Women in Business are open to all organisations worldwide, and recognise the achievements of women executives, entrepreneurs, and the organisations they run. Entry Deadline: 22 July 2026 Winners Announced: 16 November 2026 Learning Technologies Awards The Learning Technologies Awards recognise the commitment, enthusiasm, and passion for learning technologies across the world. Winners gain valuable industry recognition that can elevate their profile, open new opportunities, and highlight their impact within the learning technologies community. Entry Deadline: 24 July 2026 Winners Announced: 11 November 2026

April 2026 was quite the month, and not just for us! Sabastian Sawe made history at the TCS London Marathon, becoming the first person ever to run a sub-2-hour official marathon, crossing the line in a jaw-dropping 1:59:30. With Tigst Assefa also setting a new women's world record on the same day. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, Coachella was reborn as Bieberchella, TIME published its 100 Most Influential People of 2026, and awards season swung into full gear with major programmes opening for entries across the country. It was a month full of record-breakers, standout performances, and people doing extraordinary things. Here's what we got up to. BizX Wales: The UK's Biggest Business Event We headed to Wales as proud sponsors of BizX and the BizX Awards, hosted by ActionCOACH UK, at the stunning Celtic Manor Hotel Golf & Country Club, and what an experience it was. A few moments that really stood out for us: Meeting Penny Power OBE was a genuine highlight. As well as being such a warm person who is genuinely interested in others, her talk was honest, thoughtful and quietly powerful. She spoke not just as a business leader, but as a mother, an employer, a human being with experiences that really connected with the audience. Rory Sutherland was, as ever, a complete blast. His take on why “bottomless brunch” works as a marketing position whereas “beers at breakfast” doesn't had the room in stitches. And out of the 5 gold award winning brands he held up as role models, four were family-run businesses. (If you run a family business and you haven't entered awards yet, consider this your nudge!) Tim Campbell MBE was refreshingly grounded and genuinely relatable. His lemon story (you'll have to hear it yourself!) was a simple but powerful reminder of how far thoughtfulness really goes. There were so many other highlights too; Jeb Blount on perseverance, Sara Davies MBE on the importance of thinking about your exit, The Tempest Two showing us what resilience truly looks like, and Mo Gawdat talking all things AI, adaptability, and the future of business.

The King’s Awards for Enterprise are now in their 60th year. That’s six decades of recognising the businesses shaping the future of the UK economy. For 2026, 186 businesses have been named winners of The King’s Awards for Enterprise: the UK’s most prestigious and credible business awards programme. About The King’s Awards for Enterprise Established by Royal Warrant in 1965, with the first winners announced in 1966, The King’s Awards for Enterprise have recognised more than 8,000 UK businesses for outstanding achievement. Widely regarded as the highest official business accolade in the UK, the Awards celebrate organisations making a measurable impact through: - International Trade - Innovation - Sustainable Development - Promoting Opportunity And for this milestone year, the Awards are expanding to champion the next generation with the launch of The King’s Award for Enterprise – Young Founder. The new Young Founder category will spotlight founders aged 18–30 who are actively leading their businesses and building success with impact. Winning a King’s Award is far more than just a trophy or PR moment. For ambitious businesses, the awards act as a powerful third-party validation, which strengthens reputation, increases buyer confidence, and reinforces market leadership. Who Won The King’s Awards for Enterprise 2026? This year, 186 Awards have been granted, with Bristol-based Tailfin Ltd receiving recognition for both Innovation and International Trade for their specialist bike-packing and cycling products. The full breakdown of winners includes: - 76 awards for International Trade - 52 awards for Innovation - 36 awards for Sustainable Development - 22 awards for Promoting Opportunity From scaling technology firms and export-led innovators, to purpose-driven employers and sustainability leaders, the 2026 winners reflect a modern UK business landscape where growth, impact and credibility increasingly go hand in hand. SME’s Leading the Way For 2026, most notably: