Hosted exclusively by the Learning and Performance Institute (LPI), the Learning Awards are widely recognised as the premier awards ceremony in the L&D industry. This year’s event, held at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House London, was presented by British TV and radio personality Claudia Winkleman.

With entries submitted from 56 countries, the 2026 awards saw a record-breaking number of nominations, highlighting the global reach and influence of workplace learning initiatives. A panel of 66 industry leaders carefully evaluated each submission, ensuring a rigorous and independent judging process.

"The Learning Awards has reached a significant milestone - 30 years of recognising excellence, celebrating success, and showcasing the incredible impact that learning professionals and organisations have on people’s lives and careers" said Edmund Monk, CEO of the LPI.

The evening began with an opening address from Edmund Monk, followed by the LPI Charity Auction in support of The King’s Trust, a UK charity dedicated to empowering young people through education, leadership, and personal development opportunities.

The headline partner for the 30th Annual Learning Awards was Microsoft, further reinforcing the event’s status as a leading platform for recognising excellence in learning and development.

The Learning Awards 2026 Winners

PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME OF THE YEAR PUBLIC SECTOR/NOT FOR PROFIT 

Gold:  Home Office Asylum Mental Health and Wellbeing team, Hedroc & CDS DS
Silver:  Child Mind Institute & Sponge
Bronze: British Red Cross

PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME OF THE YEAR PRIVATE SECTOR 

Gold:  Dishoom
Silver:  GAIL’s Bakery
Bronze:  Aggreko

APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMME OF THE YEAR

Gold:  WSH
Silver:  ServiceNow & Northeastern University London
Bronze:  MDS & Screwfix

NBOARDING PROGRAMME OF THE YEAR 

Gold: Solvd Together & Deloitte
Silver:  Petrobras
Bronze:  AIA Group

LEARNING LEADER OF THE YEAR 

Gold: Hélène Fournier, GardaWorld
Silver: Steve Rush, MSCI
Bronze: JoCharlesworth, Sheffield City Council

RISING STAR OF THE YEAR

Gold: Giulia Citro, AS Watson
Silver: Zoe Bloomfield, Ciphr
Bronze: Eve Davis, Osborne Clarke

INTERNAL LEARNING SOLUTION OF THE YEAR AWARD

Gold:  Direct Line (part of Aviva )
Silver:  Deloitte
Bronze:  Dishoom

EXTERNAL LEARNING SOLUTION OF THE YEAR AWARD

Gold:  Thompson Harrison
Silver:  Hemisphere Education – Rare for the Greenwich Learning Partnership
Bronze:  Cowry Consulting

LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES AWARD 

Gold:  Home Team Academy, Ministry of Home Affairs, Singapore
Silver:  TD – North American Customer Operations
Bronze: Shell

INNOVATION IN LEARNING AWARD PROGRAMME 

Gold:  VML 
Silver: BAT
Bronze:  CMI Media Group & Compas

INNOVATION IN LEARNING AWARD PLATFORM 

Gold:  Otermans Institute
Silver:  Efekta Education Group
Bronze:  Skillable

DIGITAL LEARNING TRANSFORMATION OF THE YEAR 

Gold:  MSCI
Silver:  Housing 21
Bronze:  Tecnológico de Monterrey

START-UP LEARNING PROVIDER OF THE YEAR 

Gold:  FuturU
Silver:  Embed
Bronze:  Teddy AI

LEARNING PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR 

Gold: Teresa Beazley, The Lighting Industry Association
Silver: Kathryn Swandale, Immediate
Bronze: Karthik Raghuraman, Cognizant

LEARNING PLATFORM OF THE YEAR 

Gold:  The Blue Line by the UN System Staff College
Silver: Learn Amp & Specsavers
Bronze: Otermans Institute

LEARNING TEAM OF THE YEAR 

Gold:  VML
Silver:  GardaWorld
Bronze:  Nationwide Building Society

LEARNING IMPACT AWARD

Gold:  Unilever
Silver:  Nationwide Building Society
Bronze:  Cowry Consulting

THE LEARNING CULTURE OF THE YEAR 

Gold: Bright Horizons
Silver:  Dubai Airports
Bronze: MSCI

BEST USE OF AI IN LEARNING 

Gold:  Efekta Education Group
Silver:  Otermans Institute
Bronze:  Vodafone & GameChanger 

LEARNING PROVIDER OF THE YEAR 

Gold: Efekta Education Group  
Silver:  Mediazoo
Bronze: Inspiro Learning

LEARNING GIVEBACK AWARD 

Gold:  Vichy Laboratoires & GP Strategies
Silver:  Ukrainian St Mary’s Trust & Nestlé UK&I 
Bronze: SoftwareOne

THE COLIN STEED AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO LEARNING 

 David James - 360Learning