2026 Awards
NCA Annual Awards
Quick link to nomination form 👉 here
2026 Awards
The Northern Cancer Alliance Awards celebrate the people and teams who are making a real difference to cancer care across our region.
These awards recognise commitment, compassion, innovation and leadership — whether through big projects or everyday actions that improve experiences for people affected by cancer.
More information on the awards categories and how to nominate an individual or a team can be found below.
Below you’ll find a description of each award category and what our judging panels will be looking for.
🏆 Quality Improvement & Innovation
What this award is for:
This award recognises individuals, teams or projects that have used new ideas, innovation or improved ways of working to enhance the quality of cancer care.
Judges will be looking for:
- A clear idea, change or innovation
- Evidence that care, outcomes or experiences for patients improved
- A practical approach that can be sustained or shared with others
Innovation doesn’t have to be high‑tech — simple changes that make a real difference matter.
🏆 Clinical Leadership
What this award is for:
This award celebrates clinical leaders who have worked collaboratively across teams, organisations or system boundaries to improve cancer care.
Judges will be looking for:
- Strong leadership and positive influence
- Evidence of collaboration beyond a single service or organisation
- Clear impact on care, pathways or outcomes for patients
Leadership can be shown at any level — not just in senior roles.
🏆 Championing the Patient Voice
What this award is for:
This award recognises individuals or teams who have meaningfully involved patients and carers in their work and used their views to improve services and experiences — particularly for communities experiencing health inequalities.
Judges will be looking for:
- Genuine involvement of people with lived experience
- Clear examples of how patient and carer feedback shaped decisions or changes
- A strong focus on inclusion, listening and equity
This category is about shared power and making sure voices are heard and acted on.
🏆 People’s Choice Award – Going the Extra Mile
What this award is for:
This award celebrates unsung heroes who consistently go above and beyond to provide exceptional cancer care and support. The nominee will have made a positive, meaningful difference to those impacted by cancer. This category is judged by representatives of Patient Partner Voices.
Judges will be looking for:
- Compassion, kindness and commitment
- Willingness to adapt, support others and do more than expected
- Positive impact on patients, carers or families through everyday actions
Small acts can make a big difference — this award recognises that.
If you’re not sure which category best fits your nomination, use the guide below to help you decide. If a nomination could fit more than one category, choose the one that best reflects the main impact of the work.
âś… Choose Quality Improvement & Innovation if:
- The focus is on a new idea, project or way of working
- Changes have improved the quality of care, safety, outcomes or experience
- Innovation (big or small) led to measurable or visible improvement
Example: a new pathway, tool, process or service improvement.
âś… Choose Clinical Leadership if:
- The person is a clinical leader (at any level)
- They have worked across teams, organisations or the wider system
- Their leadership helped bring people together to improve cancer care
Example: leading collaboration across services or organisations to improve patient pathways.
âś… Choose Championing the Patient Voice if:
- Patients, carers or communities were actively involved
- Lived experience clearly shaped decisions, changes or priorities
- There is a strong focus on listening, inclusion and reducing inequalities
Example: co‑producing services, involving under‑served communities, or acting on patient feedback.
✅ Choose People’s Choice – Going the Extra Mile if:
- The person or team consistently goes above and beyond
- Their compassion, resilience or adaptability makes a real difference
- The impact is often seen in everyday actions, not formal projects
Example: an unsung hero whose kindness and dedication stand out.
Still unsure?
Focus on the question: “What makes this person, team or work special?” Choose the category that best reflects that answer — our panels consider impact and values, not job titles or seniority.
Got a query?
Email us at nencicb.nca@nhs.net
Nomination Process
Simply click on the following link and complete the questionnaire to make your nomination
👉 nominate
A few helpful things to know
- You don’t need to use technical language — clear examples and stories are encouraged.
- Nominations can be for individuals or teams.
- Projects don’t have to be large or complex to be recognised.
- What matters most is impact, values and the difference made to people.
Closing date for nominations
The final date for nominations is 20 July 2026.
When are the award winners announced?
Shortlisted nominees will be contacted individually week commencing 14 September 2026. The winners will be announced at the NCA Annual Conference on 9 October 2026.
