Checkatrade Launches 2026 Awards — Nominations Open for Top UK Tradespeople
What happened
Checkatrade has opened nominations for its 2026 Awards programme, celebrating UK tradespeople who "go above and beyond" in customer care, community involvement, and industry standards.
The awards will feature five regional events across the UK, culminating in a national final at Landing Forty-Two in London's Cheesegrater building on 20 November 2026. Categories recognise tradespeople for customer service, community contribution, innovation, and inspiring the next generation of talent.
Alongside the awards, Checkatrade has announced new partnership deals with Clothes2order, Locks4Vans, Access Training, and CPD Bodies — offering its 50,000 trade members discounts on workwear, van security, training, and professional development.
What this means for tradespeople
Awards like these are a good sign for the profession — anything that raises standards and celebrates quality work benefits the whole sector. If you're a Checkatrade member, it's worth checking whether you or someone you know qualifies.
But the broader takeaway is about credibility and trust — the same qualities the awards celebrate are the ones that win you work every day. Whether or not you're on Checkatrade, the tradespeople who consistently deliver good work and collect reviews from happy customers are the ones who get found first.
The difference is where those reviews live. Checkatrade reviews only appear on Checkatrade — visible to the fraction of homeowners who use that platform. Google reviews appear everywhere: in Google Search, Google Maps, and increasingly in AI-powered recommendations from tools like ChatGPT and Google's AI Overviews. They're your public track record, visible to every potential customer who searches for a tradesperson in your area.
What to do about it
Whether you enter the Checkatrade Awards or not, the principle is the same: let your work speak for itself through customer reviews.
- If you're on Checkatrade, keep collecting reviews there — but make sure you're also building your Google review profile. Having reviews in one place and not the other leaves half your audience in the dark.
- If you're not on Checkatrade, your Google Business Profile is your primary shop window. Keep it updated, keep the reviews flowing, and respond to every one.
- Either way, the tradespeople who win — whether it's a Checkatrade Award or a new customer's trust — are the ones with a consistent, visible track record.
Source: Checkatrade