CONTROL ROOM AWARDS 2026 SHORTLIST REVEALED AS UK AND IRELAND EMERGENCY SERVICE HEROES RECOGNISED
Judges and organisers at last year’s event.
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.
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 include:
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
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 Ward
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