The Pride of Britain Awards have been celebrating the incredible achievements of ordinary people for a quarter of century.
The awards - hosted by Carol Vorderman - makes sure those going above and beyond to make the world a better place are not forgotten. And now the star-studded event is just a few months away.
Winners have included the likes of Post Office scandal hero Alan Bates and former rugby league star Rob Burrow - who passed away on Sunday after raising awareness for MND-related causes and fundraising millions of pounds. Here host Carol calls on you to find this year's heroes - and make sure their incredible selfless efforts get the recognition they deserve.
'Our winners are the real stars'
It’s impossible to pick the most memorable moment from the past 25 years of the Pride of Britain awards. How on earth can you, when every year has been packed with dozens of them?
But if one scene sums up what makes these unique awards so special, it was in 2017. As all the winners gathered on stage for one final salute, the Capital Children’s Choir joined them to sing All You Need Is Love. And that few minutes at the end of the night said all you need to know about the Pride of Britain spirit.
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The winners were rightly in the spotlight, including medics who had saved survivors of the Manchester Arena bombing, members of the Grenfell community standing alongside firefighters who fought the blaze, police officers who had risked their lives to protect us from terrorists, and the wonderful Paul Stephenson, who Sir Lenny Henry rightly called a giant for his role in challenging racism and changing the law.
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Carol Vorderman reflects on 25 years of the Pride of Britain Awards (WireImage)
The late Rob Burrow and his youngest daughter at the 2023 Pride of Britain Awards (Daily Mirror)With them, incredibly brave children, campaigners and fundraisers who put others first. The winners are always the beating heart of the Daily Mirror’s Pride of Britain Awards with TSB, but there are two other reasons why that particular finale sticks in my mind.
Firstly, the song, the Beatles classic with the perfect lyrics – All You Need Is Love. That is what our winners had by the bucketload. Love for other people, even total strangers. And secondly, the audience singing along with every word that night included Prince William, the Prime Minister, Dame Joan Collins, Rod Stewart and wife Penny, Ed Sheeran, Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne, Liam Payne, stars of the biggest shows on TV and so many more.
That is the Pride of Britain magic.
This moment from 2017 is one of host Carol Vorderman's fondest memories (Daily Mirror)In any other room, at any other event, they would be the centre of attention, but that night, at every Pride of Britain, they are there to pay tribute to the real stars – our winners. Sometimes it feels like everyone is talking about what divides us, especially now during a general election campaign, but Pride of Britain winners exemplify the values that bring us all together.
Over the years, the audience has included the King and Queen, Diana Ross, Harry Styles, Dame Helen Mirren, David and Victoria Beckham, Idris Elba, Harry Kane, Sharon Stone and Jon Bon Jovi. It’s no exaggeration to say that a Pride of Britain invitation is genuinely the hottest ticket in town.
It’s a magic formula, created by our dear friend and founder, Peter Willis, who passed away three years ago. It was his spark of genius to create Pride of Britain and his passion that drove us forward, and still inspires us as we mark our 25th anniversary.
Veteran Henry in 2007 (IAN VOGLER)We began it together back in 1999, and it’s hard sometimes to be there without him now. The world was a very different place in 1999 – no smartphones, no social media, a new millennium on the horizon, the use of internet in its infancy. But some things never change. In 2024, just as in 1999, there are incredible people, young and old, who deserve to be recognised for their awe-inspiring courage.
And just like then, these amazing people are usually too modest to push themselves into the limelight.
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Peter Willis sadly died three years ago (Daily Mirror)That’s why today, as we launch our 25th anniversary appeal for nominations, we need you to tell us about Britain’s unsung heroes. It is an extraordinary privilege to host Pride of Britain with Ashley Banjo. We get to meet the most remarkable, courageous and inspirational people from across the UK.
They range from children of courage to pensioners – our oldest winner was the 111-year-old Great War veteran Henry Allingham. Information about categories and how to nominate is on this page.
Jean Forrest and Marine McCutcheon in 2000 (Daily Mirror)The Mirror has caught up with Kelsey Trevett too. It’s 15 years since they won a Child of Courage Award, and they are still striving to make the world a better place.
We’ll be revisiting other winners over the next few weeks, and highlighting some new nominations to inspire you to think about someone you know who should be on that stage in the autumn. Some winners have changed the world, such as Sir Tim Berners Lee, inventor of the world wide web, or Samaritans founder Dr Chad Varah.
Others have touched millions of hearts – just look at the outpouring of love this week for Rob Burrow, who we honoured last year with his remarkable wife Lindsey and his best mate Kevin Sinfield.All of our winners are motivated by a desire to put others first, and a refusal to let their own challenges define them. I’ll never forget Jean Forrest in 2000. She was joined on stage by some of the 600-plus children she had fostered over 37 years.
She radiated love and compassion. You could see the difference she had made to those children. We would never have found Jean if someone hadn’t taken the time to fill out a nomination form.
Our team reads every single one to make a shortlist for the judges, so please, please, tell us about anyone you know who deserves a Pride of Britain award. Thank you so much.
How to get involved
It only takes a moment to nominateIt is easy to nominate someone for a Pride of Britain award at PrideOfBritain.com.
We look at every nomination before compiling a shortlist and make sure they are considered for the most appropriate award.
- TSB COMMUNITY HERO For someone who goes to remarkable lengths to help others.
- ITV FUNDRAISER OF THE YEAR For tireless and inspirational charity fundraising, aged 18-plus.
- GOOD MORNING BRITAIN YOUNG FUNDRAISER OF THE YEAR For those aged 17 and under.
- THIS MORNING EMERGENCY SERVICES AWARD For police, fire, ambulance, paramedics or air, sea or mountain rescue workers.
- OUTSTANDING BRAVERY For adults who risk their own safety to help others in danger.
- CHILD/TEENAGER OF COURAGE For battling the odds to help others, or putting themselves at risk to save someone in danger.
- LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT To recognise far-reaching achievement, possibly on a national or international scale.
- SPECIAL RECOGNITION For achievements not covered in other categories, such as inspiring carers, campaigners and armed forces members.
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