The UHR Awards 2026 are now open – shine a light on the brilliance of HR

Once a year, we get the chance to pause, reflect and celebrate the incredible work of people professionals across higher education. That moment is now.

We are delighted to launch the UHR Awards 2026 – an unmissable opportunity to recognise and celebrate the outstanding brilliance, dedication and creativity of HR teams and individuals working across the sector. These awards shine a spotlight on the innovative practices that drive success, shape inclusive and forward-thinking organisational cultures, and elevate performance across higher education institutions.

HR work so often happens behind the scenes. It is complex, challenging and deeply impactful – yet rarely visible beyond the organisation itself. The UHR Awards provide a rare and powerful opportunity to bring that work into the spotlight and give it the recognition it truly deserves.

Why enter?

Entry is free of charge and open to all UHR members. But more than that, submitting an award entry is about more than winning. It is a chance to:

• Celebrate your team’s achievements

• Reflect on what has worked well and what you have learned

• Showcase innovative and impactful practice

• Gain meaningful recognition from peers across the sector

• Inspire others and contribute to shared learning across HE

In a profession that often operates quietly in the background, being recognised through a UHR Award provides powerful validation for the difference HR makes every day.

Award categories

There are eight UHR Awards for 2026, recognising excellence across the full breadth of HR work:

• Organisational transformation, effectiveness and performance: this project has driven and demonstrably enhanced organisational performance and competitive advantage, or transformation, demonstrating new ways of working, or the collaborative nature of HR success in working with other functions. This category could encompass how HR has driven sustainable change in challenging financial circumstances, and innovative approaches to activities such as the REF and enhancing academic performance. 
• Culture change and organisational development: this project has achieved transformational culture change or greater staff engagement, or involved collaborative work with another organisation, enabling the university effectively to meet future challenges and uncertainty.  
• Equality, diversity and inclusion: this project has improved equality, diversity and inclusion in the organisation, and brought demonstrable improvements to performance or engagement.  
• Reward, recognition and resourcing: this project has demonstrably improved the ability of the organisation to reward, recognise, resource or recruit staff effectively, particularly in the current challenging climate.  
• Wellbeing: this project has enhanced the wellbeing of staff, and through that, improved the workplace and the student and/or staff experience.  
• Digital and technological innovation and change: this project has enabled the HR team and the university to provide a better service and/or saved significant resources, with potential for further impact in the future. 
• Exceptional HR: for exceptional achievement by an HR team. 
• HR Star: An award to recognise a member of HR staff who has been a valued member of the team and gone above and beyond their role and made an exceptional difference to the organisation through what they have done, or the way they went about it.  

Whether your work has focused on transformation, culture, wellbeing, digital innovation or simply doing something exceptionally well under pressure, there is a category for you.

How to apply

We’ve made it as easy as possible to put together a strong application. All the guidance and resources you need are available online, along with tips to help you present your work clearly and confidently. To spark ideas, we also encourage you to explore previous winners, whose stories show the range and impact of what HR teams across the sector are achieving.

Now is the time to reflect on what you and your colleagues have accomplished. Perhaps you want to showcase a project your team delivered, or nominate someone special for the HR Star Award who has made an extraordinary difference through their commitment and approach.

Don’t miss this moment

The UHR Awards are a powerful way to inspire, motivate and energise your HR team. They celebrate leadership, recognise innovation, and create space for learning from one another at a time when the sector needs it most.

This opportunity only comes around once a year. Apply before Friday 6 March. 

Enter the UHR Awards 2026 and help us celebrate the people and practices shaping the future of higher education.

Team UHR