2026 AWARDS NOW OPEN!Ā 

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šŸŒŸCelebrate Excellence in People ManagementĀ šŸŒŸ

The PPMA Awards are our opportunity to recognise, celebrate, and share the fantastic work taking place every day across your organisations.

Working in Public Service is increasingly demanding and challenging, but the dedication of our HR & OD colleagues ensures that organisations continue to deliver excellent services to all our citizens. This is work that is both vital and deeply rewarding.

Each year, the PPMA Awards bring people together for an inspiring occasionā€”one that showcases remarkable achievements, highlights innovation, and applauds the hard work making a real difference in public services.

Be Part of the Celebration

Celebrate the achievements of you and your team by entering the PPMA Excellence in People Management Awards today!

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Who Can Enter?

The PPMA Excellence in People Management Awards 2026 is open to all:

  • Public sector organisations
  • Voluntary sector organisations
  • Charities
  • Private sector partners
  • Individuals
  • Academic institutions

Entrants must have a place of business, registered office, or home address within the UK.

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What You Can Do

  • Enter one or more Award Categories (a separate entry form is required for each submission).
  • Submit work or projects that took place between May 2024 and December 2025, in whole or in part.

What You Cannot Do

  • Enter more than one award within the same category.
  • Submit an entry on behalf of another organisation without their permission.

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Entry Fees

  • FREE for PPMA Members
  • Ā£100 + VAT per submission for Non-Members

The fee applies per submission for any award category.

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You can download the Awards Information Pack below, which includes:

  • Full details about each award category
  • Step-by-step instructions on how to enter
  • Highlights and insights from previous yearsā€™ awards

You can also download the entry form using the button below.

INFORMATION PACK
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Explore the full list of award categories and their criteria below:

Description
This award recognises the best creative concept for a recruitment campaign that has delivered a successful outcome. Entries may include print, digital, events, or other formats, but should represent a complete campaign supported by clear evidence of impact.

Judging Criteria

Judges will be looking for an original and innovative approach to a recruitment campaign that has delivered a successful recruitment outcome.

Entries should include:

  • A description of the approach used, the rationale behind it, and a clear understanding of the issues addressed.
  • Evidence of strong visual communication and design skills.
  • Evidence of impact and measurable results achieved.
  • Visual examples, which must be included as attachments to the entry.

Campaigns can utilise any form of media, including TV, radio, digital, live events, print, or a combination of channels.

View previous entries here

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Description

This award recognises the importance and impact of an innovative and inclusive approach to recruitment and selection, benefiting both candidates and theĀ Ā Ā  organisation. Entries may focus on a specific recruitment campaign or highlight the organisationā€™s overall approach.

Judging Criteria

Judges will be looking for an organisational approach or recruitment campaign that demonstrates:

  • Innovation and inclusion
  • Attracting and supporting new talent into the organisation
  • Maximising employer branding
  • Evidence of impact and measurable results
  • Feedback from candidates

View previous entries here

Description

This award recognises the importance and impact of employer branding within an organisation. Employer branding goes beyond addressing skill shortages or competing for scarce talent. Entries should demonstrate how the organisation has leveraged its employer brand to compete effectively in the labour market and to drive employee loyalty through successful recruitment, engagement, and retention practices.

Judging Criteria

Judges will be looking for evidence of:

  • How the employer brand shapes the organisationā€™s approach to people management (e.g., recruitment, induction, performance management, reward, internal communications, leadership behaviours, and exit processes)
  • Baseline metrics prior to the implementation of the employer brand
  • The impact on recruitment, engagement, and retention following implementation
  • Feedback demonstrating how the employer brand aligns with the reality of employee experience
  • Feedback from candidates

Description

This award recognises the public sector HR & OD team that has gone above and beyond the day-to-day work of HR & OD colleagues. The winning team will be seen as a national role model for excellence in practice.

Judging Criteria

Judges will be looking for the HR/OD team that demonstrates the most effective workĀ  within their function and successful business partnering with other parts of the organisation. Entries can highlight specific projects while also showcasing the teamā€™s collaborative approach to improving the organisation and their ability to attract and develop excellence in the HR profession.

Entries should clearly describe:

  • A clear narrative demonstrating how the team impacts other functions and the wider business
  • An innovative approach to people management, addressing challenges facing the sector
  • Team size and service provision. Context is importantā€”please include the level of resources/budget available and the business environment, such as the number of employees supported by the team or project
  • Evidence of success, showing how the team has strengthened the organisation through metrics, anecdotes, and case studies

Judges will also value entries that demonstrate:

  • Feedback from customers or service users, and how this is collected and tracked over time
  • Application of feedbackā€”how positive and constructive insights have driven service improvements
  • Positive equality, diversity, and inclusion outcomes, with additional recognition for innovative approaches

Description

This award provides an opportunity for public service organisations to showcase an OD programme that has improved services for customers and communities through a continuous cycle of improvementā€”from strategy and implementation to outcomes, evaluation, and further change.

Judging Criteria

For this award, organisations will need to provide evidence clearly demonstrating an OD programme that places people at the heart of change, promotes creativity and innovation, and positively impacts services for customers and communities.

Judges will be looking for evidence of:

  • Clear links to the organisationā€™s strategic objectives, including metrics that demonstrate outcomes and impact
  • Effective stakeholder engagement and change management
  • Embedding and sustaining behavioural and cultural change
  • Increased organisational effectiveness
  • Positive equality, diversity, and inclusion outcomes
  • A continuous cycle of improvement

View previous entries here

Description

This award provides an opportunity for public service organisations to showcase how they have used data or technology to improve service delivery and/or workforce performance.

This could include the implementation of a new IT system or technology, or the use of data to drive improvements in services or workforce outcomes.

Judging Criteria

For this award, organisations will need to provide evidence of how they effectively utilise technology or data to improve service.

Judges will be looking for evidence of:

  • A clear description of how the technology or use of data improves service, including metrics that demonstrate outcomes and impact
  • Training and staff engagement undertaken to ensure the system or process delivers effectively
  • Increased organisational effectiveness

Description

This award provides an excellent opportunity for public service organisations to showcase their achievements, demonstrating how they have engaged and managed their workforces through major service transformation. It recognises organisations that have delivered unique and improved services for customers and local communities while simultaneously providing a richer work experience for employees.

Judging Criteria

For this award, organisations will need to demonstrate that they have led the field inĀ  workforce transformation. Entries should show how they have built a productive workplace through employee engagement and mitigated the negative impacts of disengagement on organisational performance.

Judges will be looking for evidence of:

  • A unique and flexible approach to workforce transformation, resulting in a transformed and productive workforce
  • Employee engagement and involvement, including employees and Trade Unions, through change and beyond
  • Joined-up ways of working across the organisation
  • Positive equality, diversity, and inclusion outcomes, with additional recognition for innovative approaches
  • Clear links to organisational objectives, including metrics demonstrating results and impact, such as increased productivity or improved customer service
  • Embedding engagement in behavioural and cultural change

View previous entries here

Description

Entrants for this award should provide evidence of a health, safety, and/or wellbeing initiative that has had a significant impact on workforce engagement, commitment, and overall wellbeing, achieved through creative and innovative interventions.

Judging Criteria

Judges will be looking for initiatives that have clearly enhanced organisational awareness of wellbeing in the workplace and significantly improved the lives of employees living and working with mental health conditions.

Entries should clearly describe:

  • The purpose of the initiative ā€“ why it was developed
  • Implementation ā€“ how it was carried out and why this approach was considered appropriate
  • Impact on awareness ā€“ how it has enhanced understanding of mental health or wellbeing in the workplace
  • Evidence of success ā€“ how it has improved the lives of employees living and working with mental health conditions, including metrics, anecdotes, and testimonials from employees, Trade Unions, or leaders
  • Positive equality, diversity, and inclusion outcomes, with additional recognition for innovative approaches
  • Cost and return on investment ā€“ the financial investment and the results achieved

View previous entries here

Description

This award celebrates public service organisations that have implemented a reward, benefits and/or recognition strategy which has delivered measurable improvements in workforce productivity or generated significant organisational savings.

Entries should provide clear, tangible evidence of impact.

Initiatives suitable for this category may include, but are not limited to the introduction of an innovative benefits approach, a new employee or team recognition programme, notable progress in reducing a gender pay gap, or the rollout of a new pay structure that has demonstrably improved productivity, attraction and/or retention.

Judging Criteria

Entries must demonstrate how the strategy has had a direct and positive impact on employees and, in turn, on the organisationā€™s outputs, outcomes and/or budget. As this award focuses on measurable results, initiatives will typically have been in place for at least 12 months.

Judges will be looking for evidence of:

  • A clear narrative outlining the strategyā€™s aims, development, and implementation.
  • Demonstrated benefits to employees, showing how the strategy improved their experience, performance, or wellbeing.
  • Evidence of success, including return on investment and how the initiative has strengthened the organisation, supported by metrics, qualitative data, case studies, and anecdotes.
  • Impact on key workforce measures, such as engagement, retention, productivity, and any other relevant outcomes.

Description

This award recognises the importance of effective and respectful partnerships with trade unions and employee groups across the public sector. It provides an opportunity to demonstrate how such partnerships can deliver sustained improvements for the workforce, the organisation, and the communities they serve.

Judging Criteria

Working with and through recognised trade unions and employee groups is an essential skill for effective HR professionals. This award recognises the organisation that can clearly demonstrate effective and meaningful engagement with trade unions and/or employee groups in driving successful change across the organisation or service.

Entries should clearly describe:

  • How trade unions and/or employee groups work effectively with the organisation
  • Specific programmes of work that illustrate the effectiveness of the partnership
  • The changes achieved through the partnership
  • Positive equality, diversity, and inclusion outcomes, with additional recognition for innovative approaches
  • Endorsements from both organisational leaders and trade union/employee group representatives supporting the entry

Description

This award recognises the importance of learning and development and itsĀ  contribution to service delivery, as well as its role in enhancing the skills, experience, and capabilities of individuals, teams, and the wider workforce.

Judging Criteria

Entries should include evidence of:

  • A clear developmental offer, programme, or initiative that has enhanced the skills, experience, and approach of individuals, teams, or services within your workforce
  • Inclusion and diversity considerations
  • The investment, impact, and sustainability of the offer, programme, or initiative
  • Improvements in service delivery resulting from the offer, programme, or initiative
  • Positive equality, diversity, and inclusion outcomes, with additional recognition for innovative approaches
  • A continuous learning environment

View previous entries here

Description

Skills shortages are a concern across the public sector and at the highest levels of government. With the exit from the EU, it has become more important than ever for organisations to identify and develop their talent, enhancing internal mobility and organisational capability.

This award recognises employers who are addressing this challenge by implementing future-fit, evidence-based, and ethical talent management strategies to meet the current and future needs of their organisation.

Judging Criteria

Judges will be looking for:

  • The range of evidence and information used to inform decisions. What was the driver for the programme/initiative, and how does it align with the organisationā€™s strategic objectives?
  • Impact on the organisation and its people, including measurable outcomes such as financial metrics (e.g., revenue, ROI, productivity), customer engagement/satisfaction, people-related indicators (e.g., absence, retention, engagement), as well as less tangible outcomes, such as the credibility and integrity of the HR/OD function within the organisation.
  • Use of talent management initiatives to develop and upskill employees, including identifying and supporting high-potential talent.
  • Positive equality, diversity, and inclusion outcomes, with additional recognition for innovative approaches
  • Evidence of inclusive talent management practices that value and promote diversity

Description

This award is open to an organisation or partnership presenting evidence of a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture that permeates the workforce and/or the broader local area.

Submissions could demonstrate the organisationā€™s efforts to foster a more diverse and inclusive workplace for all employees and members, highlighting how this supports the attraction and retention of talent.

Entries may include internal initiatives to promote a wide range of careers and appeal to different groups of people. Alternatively, submissions could focus on the broader local area, showcasing initiatives that foster diversity and facilitate inclusion within the community.

Entries may also describe how the organisation has collaborated with other businesses or organisations to improve opportunities or participation, and could include examples of engagement with the wider community.

Judging Criteria

Judges will be looking for evidence of:

  • Positive leadership and the promotion of role models within and beyond the organisation
  • Staff engagement and training, demonstrating efforts to create a culture that fosters change internally and externally
  • Positive outcomes from specific initiatives promoting diversity, equality, and inclusion
  • Creation of more open employment opportunities and the avoidance of exclusion through recruitment processes
  • Setting and progressing towards benchmarks for equality, diversity, and inclusion
  • Integration of equality, diversity, and inclusion into all aspects of the organisationā€™s work, including partnerships and engagement with service users

View previous entries here

Description

This award is open to two or more public sector or public/private sector organisations working together. As public services strive to deliver more seamless, efficient, and integrated services, and demonstrate systemic leadership, collaboration across traditional organisational boundaries has become increasingly important.

This award recognises partnerships that focus on the joint work of two or more public/private sector organisations, or the collaborative efforts of several organisations working together.

Judging Criteria

Entries should demonstrate that the partnership has delivered service improvements and/or increased efficiency.

Submissions should focus on:

  • The organisations involved in the partnership and the services covered
  • The scale of the partnership, including the number of people involved and the value of the work undertaken
  • The objectives of the partnership
  • Evidence of how these objectives have been achieved
  • Evidence of the partnershipā€™s success, particularly measurable improvements to services, cost reductions, and positive impact on local communities

Award entries will be judged on:

  • Evidence of sustainability, showing that the partnership is structured to endure and adapt to challenges
  • Impact on services and costs, demonstrating improvements and efficiencies
  • Value added for local communities, highlighting tangible outcomes
  • Innovation, both in the partnership itself and in the work it is delivering

View previous entries here

Description

The Gold Award is the highest honour, recognising the best overall winner across all award categories. This prestigious accolade celebrates an organisation or team that has demonstrated outstanding innovation, impact, and excellence in their work. The winner of the Gold Award exemplifies the very best of public service, setting a benchmark for others to aspire to.

In addition to the Gold Award, Silver and Bronze Awards are presented to runners-up who have also demonstrated exceptional achievements in their category. These awards recognise organisations and teams that have made a significant impact, delivered innovative solutions, and contributed to positive change for employees, organisations, and the communities they serve.

PPMA People Management Awards An Unforgettable Evening

23rd April 2026

Our Awards Ceremony is a truly unforgettable evening, filled with celebration, camaraderie, and recognition. The People Management Awards honour outstanding achievements in the field of people management, shining a spotlight on the exceptional contributions of our industry peers.

Each year, we bring the event to life with a unique and exciting theme. Previous themes have included Gold, A Night at the Circus, Rock the Kasbar, Night at the Movies, and All That Jazz. The 2026 theme promises to be just as spectacularā€”stay tuned for the reveal closer to the event!

The evening also provides an opportunity to give back, featuring a charity raffle that supports truly worthwhile causes.

Join us for the 2026 Awards Ceremony on Thursday 23rd April 2026 at The Hilton Metropole, NEC Birmingham, for an inspiring night of celebration, connection, and recognition.

Booking for the main conference and Awards Evening will be opening soonā€”stay tuned to secure your place at this unforgettable celebration!

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Award showcase webinars

Every autumn following the PPMA Excellence in People Management Awards, we host our Awards Showcase Webinars. These sessionsĀ  highlight some of the standout shortlisted entries from that yearā€™s awards.

The webinars provide PPMA members with the opportunity to explore exceptional entries in more detail and engage directly with theĀ  organisations involved through live Q&As. They also give the participating organisations a platform to showcase their work, share insights, and highlight the impact of their initiatives in greater depth.

You can watch previous yearsā€™ webinars below.

Excellence in People Management Awards 2025Ā 

Last year, we celebrated our Awards in Manchester at The Midland Hotel. It was a double celebration, as we also marked PPMAā€™s 50th year. To honor this milestone, the eveningā€™s theme was GOLD, treating guests to a night of glitz and glamour. Hosted by Shazia Mirza, the event was filled with thrills, laughter, and plenty of surprises.

You can view the full list of our 2025 winners by clicking below:

2025 WINNERS