Wednesday 3 December, London.The UK’s most prestigious awards for contact centre professionals, the UK National Contact Centre Awards (UKNCCA), are officially open for nominations. Recognised as the most respected and credible awards in the UK contact centre industry, the UKNCCAs honour the people, teams and organisations whose dedication, innovation and leadership drive the sector forward.
Organised by the CCMA (Contact Centre Management Association), the 2026 programme introduces five new categories, reflecting the evolving needs and specialisms of today’s customer contact operations. This year’s new categories are:
Best Colleague Engagement Programme
Best Talent Growth Programme
Best AI for Colleagues
Best Quality Management Programme
Best Change Journey
These additions broaden the opportunity to recognise organisations excelling in workforce development, operational quality, AI-enabled colleague support, and transformational change.
Winners will be announced at a spectacular Awards Night on Monday 22 June 2026 in London, where over 1,000 industry professionals will gather to celebrate the achievements of those shaping the future of customer experience.
Leigh Hopwood, CEO of the CCMA, shared her excitement for the opening of this year’s nominations:
“For over three decades, these awards have shone a spotlight on the incredible people, initiatives and innovations within our sector, and they truly change lives. Our judges are looking for inspiring role models and standout approaches that push our industry forward. Being nominated is more than recognition, it’s a career-enhancing moment that motivates teams and builds reputations.”
Renowned for their integrity and credibility, the awards follow a robust two-stage judging process led by a panel of respected industry leaders and former winners. Jason Mann, Operations Director at PIB Insurance and one of the Head Judges, praised the thorough approach:
“These awards are second to none. Their fairness, transparency and developmental focus make them a unique and meaningful experience for nominees. It’s an honour to be part of this process.”
The CCMA is proud to continue its long-standing partnership with Headline Partner Sabio. Craig Pumfrey, VP of Marketing at Sabio, commented: “The UK National Contact Centre Awards showcase the dedication and brilliance of professionals across our industry. They highlight individuals and teams driving innovation, excellence and positive impact on both customer and employee experiences. We’re delighted to continue our support of this important celebration.”
Entering the awards is simple. Entries are included as part of CCMA membership, and non-members are warmly welcomed to participate for a small fee. Nominations close on Friday 27 February 2026, with the flexibility for entrants to edit their submissions right up until the deadline.
Kate Knowles, Services Director at the CCMA, encourages organisations to get involved.
“Taking part in these awards is an incredibly rewarding journey – from the moment you start crafting your nomination to the pride of seeing your colleagues recognised as finalists or winners. I encourage every organisation to put their stars forward this year to show their support for their people and to celebrate the progress that they are making.”
For more than 30 years, the CCMA has been dedicated to supporting contact centre leaders. We push ourselves to do more for our thriving membership base, which is the largest community of industry professionals in the UK.
The CCMA was founded with the goal of sharing best practice and networking to improve skills and knowledge in order to progress contact centre operations – and we live by that to this day.
We give those who work in contact centres the chance to discuss ideas and share experiences through member-only Special Interest Groups and online and in-person events. Member organisations are invited to become Accredited through the Contact Centre Standards Framework and get independent guidance on where they can improve. There is the opportunity to compare operations against industry standards and 25+ KPIs, via our annual CCMA Benchmark.
Our training arm, CCMA Academy gives contact centre professionals at all levels a structured learning opportunity to support both personal and professional development for the benefit of their operations. We also celebrate the progress our industry is making through the UK National Contact Centres Awards. Those that win go on to share their stories through channels such as the UK National Contact Centre Conference, Best Practice Visits and CareerTalk, while also providing input into our Special Interest Groups and other events.
Chris Ward
0333 9399964