Platform News 2 min read

Checkatrade Awards 2026 National Final Set for 20 November in London

What happened

The Checkatrade Awards 2026 national final takes place on 20 November at Landing Forty-Two in London's Cheesegrater building. Five regional events across the UK during September and October whittled thousands of nominations down to finalists, and the national winners — including Tradesperson of the Year — will be announced at the London event.

Nominations opened earlier in the year, with tradespeople and consumers submitting entries until 18 June. Regional winners from heats in the North, Midlands, South East, South West and London each earned two complimentary tickets to the final.

Last year's ceremony was held at Wembley Stadium. The move to the Cheesegrater's Landing Forty-Two venue signals a more intimate format for 2026.

What this means for tradespeople

Awards like these matter beyond the trophy. Regional and national winners get featured across Checkatrade's marketing channels, which drives profile visibility. But here's the bit most tradespeople miss: the nominations process itself is powered by customer reviews and ratings.

If you're a Checkatrade member, your review score and volume directly influence whether you get shortlisted. That same principle applies to Google — homeowners choosing between two plumbers or electricians almost always pick the one with more recent, higher-rated reviews.

Whether you're on Checkatrade or not, the lesson is the same: a steady flow of genuine reviews is what gets you noticed, both on platforms and on Google.

What to do about it

If you missed the 2026 nominations window, start building your review pipeline now so you're ready for 2027. Ask every satisfied customer for a review — on Checkatrade if you're a member, and on Google regardless.

TapReview is a £9/month tool that helps UK tradespeople get more Google reviews by sending automated review requests via WhatsApp and SMS after every job.

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Source: Checkatrade Awards 2026