Carers UK Awards 2026 nominations open

Following a hugely successful inaugural awards, Carers UK is gearing up for a second year celebrating carers and is calling on individual carers, community groups, organisations and employers to enter The Carers UK Awards 2026.  

Proudly supported by Regina, the awards will be a special moment for people to come together to recognise and celebrate unpaid carers and all those working to build a carer-friendly society. The event will recognise achievements of the last 12 months, promising to be another glittering highlight in the charity’s calendar.  

Last year, the awards attracted a huge volume of incredible entries. Nominations are open now until 5pm on Friday 19 June. Find out more here. 

The 10 nomination categories cover both community and the workplace, shining a light on individuals, local groups, networks and employers who are leading the way to champion and support carers.  

The award categories include:  

• Outstanding Carer Service  

An organisation or provider that delivers a comprehensive service on a local or national level. The service reaches and supports carers in a wide range of channels and shows innovation in its service delivery. It embeds the lived experience of carers into their service and is a leader in the sector.   

• Community Volunteer  

A current or former carer or carer ally, who through their volunteering activities in the last year has used innovative approaches to raise awareness of caring and connect carers with vital support.   

• Workplace Champion  

An employee who, at any level in their organisation, can show that they have gone above and beyond to raise awareness and tackle stigma of carers and caring issues in their workplace.   

• Transformational Employer   

An ambassador for carers in their workplace which embeds the lived experience of carers in everything that they do. Externally, the employer shares best practice and policy to influence wider societal change. They have a clear carers strategy which includes tailored policies and practices benefitting carers.   

Carer of the Year  

Someone who can demonstrate they have overcome significant challenges in their role and shares the positive impact their role has had.  

The judging panel will be made up of business leaders and representatives from Carers UK and joined by last year’s Carer of the Year Amy Elizabeth who cared for her grandmother.  

Amy Elizabeth from Bromley in Greater London said:  

Winning Carer of the Year was genuinely one of the highlights of my life – and by far the best award I think I will ever receive. As a broadcaster and writer, I’ve worked in showbiz for many years but the night of the awards I was surrounded by real hero’s and superstars.  

Caring is not something any of us do for praise, and every single carer deserves an award in my opinion, but to be recognised in such a way was a real shining light at a very difficult time.

Helen Walker, Chief Executive at Carers UK, said:   

I am delighted to announce the second Carers UK awards, to celebrate the fantastic work being done to recognise and support unpaid carers across the UK at such a positive, uplifting event. 

The Carers UK Awards demonstrates what can be done to truly support carers, it showcases innovative, outstanding achievements, to motivate and celebrate change that is making a real difference. We received a huge response to the nominations last year and I am excited to hear about and meet our 2026 nominees.   

In all our communities, millions of people dedicate their time and energy to caring for friends and family, often without recognition or support. We need to see greater equality and rights for unpaid carers, and the good news is that there are so many people with a passion to make a difference.