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Prestonians are being urged to nominate their community heroes before the deadline passes tonight for the first ever Proud Preston Awards.
Blog Preston is backing the awards – a celebration of those who make Preston a vibrant and inspiring place – in conjunction with the Lancashire Post, Preston City Council and Central Radio.
The clock is ticking on the final hours to get nominations in before the deadline closes at 11.59pm on Thursday (5 February).
Read more: See every category you can nominate someone in for this year’s awards
Proud Prestonians will be crowned at the glittering awards ceremony will be held on March 19, 2026 at Barton Manor Hotel and Spa.
Hosted by John ‘Gilly’ Gillmore and Neetal Parekh, guests will enjoy a drinks reception, three course meal and of course the fabulous awards.
Editor of the Lancashire Post, Vanessa Sims, said: “It’s been an absolute joy to see the bucket loads of nominations arrive for the new Proud Preston Awards.
“We know there are hundreds of very special people, businesses and organisations going above and beyond to help our great city and Prestonians prosper.
“It’s about time those nominated are put in the spotlight. But it’s not too late to make sure we haven’t missed any of your community heroes.
“If you are yet to nominate, now is your last chance, you have until 11.59pm tonight (Thursday, February 5) to send it in.”
Some of those nominated have already been featured across the Post, Blog Preston, Central Radio and the associated social media channels – such as the work undertaken by Byron Highton, Gemma Spreight’s incredible story and the inspiring work of Dave Clayton and Wot Wud U Do?
Founder and editor of Blog Preston, Ed Walker, said: “It’s easy to get stuck in a doom loop, especially when scrolling online, so I think it is refreshing to have this place for people to showcase and celebrate those who are often going unsung in the city to make it a better place.
“Bringing everyone together to mark those achievements I hope will become an annual fixture in the city’s calendar and also mean many of these community groups and individuals receive the spotlight on them through the coverage because of their nominations.”
There are many ways to get involved with Proud Preston 2026 Awards including nominating your personal heroes as well as category and event sponsorship.
The Charity Partner for this year’s awards is the soon-to-open Vault Youth Zone in the heart of the city centre.
Commercial director at the Lancashire Post, Stuart Mulrooney, said: “This event is a fantastic opportunity to acknowledge the individuals and businesses driving Preston forward.
“We’ve been blown away by the number of businesses wanting to get involved and show their support for the city and their fellow Prestonians.
“If any local businesses are yet to get involved but want to play their part in what promises to be a special celebration of the Preston community this is their last chance to reach out.”
How to nominate?
Visit the Proud Preston Awards website, create an account, and follow the instructions to nominate.
There’s a frequently asked questions page with some guidance about nominating.
Want to back the Proud Preston Awards?
Each category is available for businesses or organisations to sponsor and show their support and help make the Proud Preston Awards an annual fixture in the city’s events calendar. If you’re interested contact stuart.mulrooney@iconicmediagroup.co.uk
Anyone with any questions about the event can contact event manager Sam Campbell on samantha.campbell@iconicmediagroup.co.uk
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