Control Room Awards 2026 Shortlist Revealed as UK and Ireland’s Emergency Services Heroes Recognised
The shortlist for the Control Room Awards 2026 has been announced, shining a spotlight on the exceptional individuals and teams who work tirelessly behind the scenes to keep communities safe.
Taking place on Thursday 9 July 2026 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hull, the annual awards celebrate the very best of the control room profession across police, fire, ambulance and public safety organisations throughout the UK and Ireland.
Following hundreds of nominations, judges faced the difficult task of selecting finalists from an outstanding field of entries, each highlighting extraordinary examples of professionalism, compassion, innovation and courage.
Control Room Awards Co-Founder Mike Isherwood said: "The quality of nominations this year has been nothing short of incredible. Every year we're humbled by the stories we read, but the standard of entries for 2026 has reached a new level. From life-saving interventions and innovative projects to outstanding leadership and peer support, the nominations demonstrate the extraordinary contribution control room professionals make every single day.
Our judges had an incredibly difficult job narrowing down the shortlist, and every finalist should feel immensely proud of this achievement. These awards exist to celebrate a profession that too often goes unseen, and we cannot wait to recognise them in Hull this July."
Among those shortlisted are finalists in categories including Leader of the Year, the British APCO Control Room Innovation Award, Call Taker of the Year, Dispatcher of the Year, Bravery and Courage, Control Room Ambassador, the John Gilhooly Award and Lifetime Achievement.
Duncan Swan, Chief Operating Officer of British APCO and member of the judging panel, commented: "These awards celebrate the people and work that are a key part of British APCO’s membership; control room staff across police, fire, ambulance, coastguard, and other critical operations. Supporting the awards since their inception eight years ago is a natural thing for us to continue to do, and it was humbling to be a member of the judging team and reading through so many amazing nominations. Huge congratulations to all those who have been shortlisted."
Becky Tipper, UK Policing Director at Salesforce and member of the judging panel, said: "Judging the Control Room Awards this year has been an absolute pleasure, and I am completely blown away by the exceptional standard of the nominations. Awe-inspiring examples of people being there for a total stranger in their darkest hour, calmly saving lives and bringing hope to desperate situations. Brilliant examples of phenomenal peer support – individuals constantly going the extra mile to lift up their colleagues and make the control room a better, brighter place for everyone.
To all the nominees, a massive congratulations. You should be incredibly proud of yourselves; you truly are the beating heart of public safety."
The Control Room Awards 2026 are proudly supported by headline sponsors and partners, including British APCO, Zetron, Salesforce, and Cleric, who join the awards this year.
The shortlisted finalists announced today:
Leader of the Year Award
- Nicola Templeman – Lincolnshire Police
- Luke Shaw – Humberside Police
- Leanne Channing – Kent Police
British APCO Control Room Innovation Awards
- Matt Lilley – Humberside Police
- Lucie Neeve, Dean Nock, Keri Drury - East of England Ambulance
- Rebecca Eldridge and Nicola De Waall – Kent Police
Call Taker of the Year Award - Sponsored by Salesforce
- David Davies – Kent Police
- Gemma Briggs – South East Coast Ambulance Service
- Nicole Douglas – East of England Ambulance Service
- Anna Streeter – Thames Valley Police
Dispatcher of the Year Award - Sponsored by Zetron
- Chris Brett – Northumbria Police
- Gemma Spalding – Kent Police
- Matthew Brown – Lincolnshire Police
Bravery and Courage Award
- Kyle Walker – East Coast Ambulance Service
- Phodios Watkin-Reilly – South East Coast Ambulance Service
- Tanya Alderman and Palmer – Kent Police
Control Room Ambassador of the Year Award
- Steph Everett – Avon and Somerset Police
- Megan Dunkley – Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service
- Lisa Farrell – London Ambulance Service
John Gilhooly Award
- Joanne Sawkins – Thames Valley Police
- Oliver Dean – Yorkshire Ambulance Service
- Susan Sutton – Humberside Police
Lifetime Achievement Award
- Morag Forrester – Scottish Ambulance Service
- Janet Hayton – Humberside Fire and Rescue Service
- Judith Pulford – Humberside Police
Team of the Year Award
- British Transport Police
- Sussex Police FCCD – Force Contact, Command and Control Department
- Humberside Police – ANPR Team
- London Ambulance Service – Incident Dispatch Supervisor (IDS) Team
Services to the Public Award
- Emma Edwards – London Fire Brigade
- Andrea Soames – Lincolnshire Police
- Samantha Payne – Kent Police
Young Achiever of the Year
- Luke Stevenson – East Midlands Ambulance Service
- Lois Colyer – Kent Police
- Kulbir Bhatto – Staffordshire and West Midlands Fire Control
Community Champion Award
- Kelly Kingsnorth – Kent Police
- Laura Edwards – Gwent Police
- Lilly Collier – Kent Police
Winners will be announced at the Control Room Awards ceremony on Thursday 9 July 2026 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hull.
ENDS
Contact for more information from British APCO:
support@bapco.org.uk
Contact for more information from The Control Room Awards:
https://controlroomawards.com/contact
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