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2026 AWARDS WINNERS ANNOUNCED!
We were delighted to host the PPMA Excellence in People Management Awards 2026 in Birmingham on 23rd April, bringing together colleagues from across the public sector for an inspiring evening of celebration and recognition.
Congratulations to everyone who entered this year’s awards. The quality of submissions was exceptionally high, showcasing the dedication, innovation and impact of people management across the sector.
Awards Highlights Video
Relive the celebrations, inspiring moments and award presentations from the PPMA Excellence in People Management Awards 2026.
A huge congratulations to all of our winners and highly commended organisations — your achievements are truly outstanding and reflect the meaningful difference you are making within your organisations and communities.
We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to everyone who attended the evening and helped make it such a memorable occasion. A special thank you goes to our sponsors and partners, whose continued support plays a vital role in enabling us to celebrate excellence across the profession.
We are proud to recognise and celebrate the incredible work taking place across the public sector and look forward to building on this success in the years ahead.
You can view and download our Winners Brochure below, which includes further details on each of our award winners.
To check out all of the photos from the evening, just click on the image below…
Browse each award category below to view the shortlisted entries, winners and highly commended.
WINNER
Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council
Highly Commended
Fostering South West and Penna
SHORTLISTED ENTRIES
Fostering Southwest and Penna
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
Salford City Council
Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council
WINNER
SIS, The Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) with Penna
Highly Commended
Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council
SHORTLISTED ENTRIES
Connect2Hackney / London Borough of Hackney
Real World Group & The Christie NHS Foundation Trust
Royal Borough of Kingston and London Borough of Sutton
SIS, The Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) with Penna
Southwark Council
Wigan Council
WINNER
Leicester City Council
Highly Commended
Sheffield City Council
SHORTLISTED ENTRIES
CMP Solutions on behalf of University of Manchester
Leicester City Council
London Borough of Newham
Sheffield City Council
Somerset Council
Westmorland and Furness Council HR & OD Team
Wigan Council
WINNER
Salford City Council
Highly Commended
London Borough of Sutton
SHORTLISTED ENTRIES
Islington Council
London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
London Borough of Sutton
Norfolk County Council
Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
Salford City Council
WINNER
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority
SHORTLISTED ENTRIES
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority
Leicester City Council
Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA)
WINNER
Runnymede Borough Council and Real World Group
Highly Commended
Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council
SHORTLISTED ENTRIES
Buckinghamshire Council
Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service (GFRS)
London Borough of Hounslow
Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council
Runnymede Borough Council and Real World Group
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 in 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
WINNER
Norfolk County Council
Highly Commended
Westmorland and Furness Council
SHORTLISTED ENTRIES
Leicester City Council
London Borough of Harrow
Norfolk County Council
Walsall Council
Westmorland and Furness Council
Wigan Council
WINNER
Oxfordshire County Council
Highly Commended
Sheffield City Council
SHORTLISTED ENTRIES
Oxfordshire County Council
Sheffield City Council
WINNER
London Borough of Newham
Highly Commended
Buckinghamshire Council
Salford City Council
SHORTLISTED ENTRIES
Buckinghamshire Council
CMP Solutions on behalf of The King’s Fund
London Borough of Hackney
London Borough of Newham
Salford City Council
Westmorland and Furness Council
Wigan Council
WINNER
London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
Highly Commended
Norfolk County Council
SHORTLISTED ENTRIES
London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
London Borough of Newham Council
Norfolk County Council
Plymouth City Council
WINNER
London Borough of Newham
SHORTLISTED ENTRIES
London Borough of Newham
Richmond and Wandsworth Councils and Bailey & French
Stevenage Borough Council
WINNER
West Midland Employers with Tribepad
Highly Commended
Sheffield City Council
Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA)
SHORTLISTED ENTRIES
Durham County Council, North East Ambulance Service
Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA)
London Borough of Newham / Adecco
Sheffield City Council
Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA)
West Midland Employers with Tribepad
WINNER- GOLD
Salford City Council
SILVER
London Borough of Newham
BRONZE
Wigan Council
Award Showcase Webinar Series
Each of our shortlisted entries is invited to take part in our Award Showcase Webinar Series, held later in the year.
Throughout September and October, we host a series of webinars offering participating organisations the opportunity to share more detail about their award submissions, showcase their work and highlight best practice with peers across the sector.
These sessions are consistently well attended and provide valuable opportunities for peer learning, knowledge sharing and celebrating success.
You can view the 2025 series below.
Charity Raffle: Supporting Worthwhile Causes
This year, we were proud to support two important causes selected by our President for 2026: the British Heart Foundation and Alzheimer’s Society.
The British Heart Foundation is the UK’s leading heart charity, funding groundbreaking research into heart and circulatory diseases — the world’s biggest killers. Their work helps save lives, improve treatments and provide vital support to those affected.
Alzheimer’s Society is the UK’s leading dementia charity, offering support to people living with dementia and their families, while also funding research to find better treatments and, ultimately, a cure. Their work ensures that no one faces dementia alone.
Both charities play a crucial role in improving lives and supporting communities across the UK. We are honoured to support their work and raise awareness of the incredible impact they make.
A huge thank you to everyone who donated prizes and to those who gave so generously. Together, we raised an incredible £1,415.00.
Award showcase webinars
Every autumn following the PPMA Excellence in People Management Awards, we host our Awards Showcase Webinars. These sessions highlight some of the standout shortlisted entries from that year’s awards.
The webinars provide PPMA members with the opportunity to explore exceptional entries in more detail and engage directly with the 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 years’ webinars below.
Meet Our Judges
The PPMA Excellence in People Management Awards are judged by a diverse and highly respected panel of senior leaders from across local and central government, the third sector, and the private sector. Our judges bring a wealth of experience, professional credibility, and deep sector insight, ensuring a fair, rigorous, and values-led judging process.
We are delighted to welcome a mix of returning judges and new voices for 2026, all of whom are recognised experts in their fields and passionate advocates for excellence in people management.
You can find full biographies of our judging panel in the downloadable Judges Bio Pack, which provides further detail on their roles, experience, and professional backgrounds.
Excellence in People Management Awards 2025
Last year, we celebrated our Awards in Manchester at The Midland Hotel. It was a double celebration, as we also marked PPMA’s 50th year. To honor this milestone, the evening’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:
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