Emerging Talent Awards

We’re proud to announce the return of the Emerging Talent Awards at The UK Concrete Show 2026 – reimagined in partnership with The Concrete Society.

Building on the success of previous years, the 2026 Awards will provide greater visibility, deeper technical recognition, and a national platform to celebrate rising talent in concrete.

Open to professionals aged 30 and under, the awards celebrate young leaders who are already making a real impact – bringing fresh thinking, ambition, and a collaborative spirit to the challenges and opportunities facing the sector today.

The refreshed format for 2026 features five focused categories, shaped by real-world industry experience and the expert insight of The Concrete Society, the UK’s leading membership body championing knowledge-sharing, excellence, and innovation in concrete.

Design Excellence

Recognising an individual who has delivered outstanding use of concrete as a design material – through form, finish, or integration with structural performance.

Ideal nominees include:

Graduate Architects
Design Consultants
Structural Engineers
BIM Coordinators
Design Technicians
Specification Advisors
Digital Design Specialists
Concrete Detailing Technicians
Civil Engineers

Submit a nomination

Materials Specialist

Recognising an individual who has demonstrated technical excellence and innovation in concrete mix design, performance testing, and materials optimisation, from laboratory to site.

Ideal nominees include:

Graduate Materials Engineer
Laboratory Technician
Technical Services Rep (e.g. cement, admixtures, SCMs)
QA/QC Specialists
R&D Assistant
Concrete Technologist
Graduate Civil/Structural Engineer (with materials focus)

Submit a nomination

Precast & Offsite

Awarding an individual who has championed innovation and excellence in precast or offsite concrete manufacturing – from design through to quality control and delivery.

Ideal nominees include:

Graduate Design Engineer (Precast)
Precast Production Supervisor
Offsite Assembly Technician
Digital Construction/DFMA Coordinator
Graduate Planner or Scheduler
Manufacturing Process Technician
Quality Assurance Assistant (Precast)

Submit a nomination

Sustainability

Recognising an individual acting as an ambassador for low-carbon innovation, circular economy practices, or improved environmental performance in concrete use, repair, or production.

Ideal nominees include:

Sustainability Advisor or Analyst
Concrete Repair Technician or Engineer
Environmental Technician
Graduate LCA Consultant
Decarbonisation Engineer
ESG or Net Zero Officer
Graduate Materials Scientist (with focus on green cement or SCMs)
Carbon Data/Reporting Specialist

Submit a nomination

Production & Logistics

Celebrating operational excellence in the safe and efficient delivery, handling, and scheduling of concrete, from batching and transport to pumping and pouring.

Ideal nominees include:

Ideal nominees might include:
Batching Plant Supervisor
Ready-Mix Scheduler
Graduate Operations Manager
Logistics Coordinator
Pump Operator
Fleet Planner
Technical Delivery Assistant
Site Operations Technician

Submit a nomination

As part of their achievement, each category winner will receive a package of recognition and rewards designed to celebrate their contribution and raise their profile within the industry:

Presented with their award live at The UK Concrete Show (NEC Birmingham, 25–26 March 2026)
Featured on ConcreteConnect.co.uk
Awarded a £500 John Lewis voucher in recognition of their achievement

The Concrete Society Awards 2026

And following the success of the inaugural Emerging Talent of the Year, won by George Bowman, the 2026 winner will be selected from the category winners and formally recognised at the prestigious Concrete Society Awards.

The category winners, and their nominators, will be invited to attend the ceremony, where the overall winner will be revealed – placing them in the spotlight at one of the industry’s most respected and high-profile events.

Do you work with someone who you want to nominate? If so, we’re ready to celebrate their achievements!

By submitting a nomination, you’re not only recognising the achievements of young professionals making an impact today – you’re also helping to inspire the next generation of concrete industry leaders.

To nominate, just provide a few basic details about your chosen candidate, upload a headshot, and include a short supporting statement (up to 250 words). Once nominations close, a shortlist will be created, and a panel of expert judges will select the final winners.

The judges will take into account:

the nominee’s achievements in the workplace or role
the challenges faced and overcome
their attitude and commitment to self-improvement
the overall quality of submissions

All nominations must be submitted by Friday 6th February, with winners being notified by Friday 27th February 2026. There is no limit on the number of nominations per company.

Please see below the guidance that should be used as a basis for the supporting statement.

your reasons for entering the nominee
examples of positive changes that the individual has instigated
examples of their main achievements so far
examples of commitment to personal development and progression
examples of what the nominee has done to positively impact your business
examples of what the nominee has done above and beyond their job description

Submission form

* Name of nominator

* Job title of nominator

* Company name

* Email address of nominator

* Contact number of nominator

* Submission Category

* Name of nominee

* Job title of nominee

* Contact number of nominee

* Email address of nominee

* Supporting statement (max 250 words)

* Headshot of nominee (select file)

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Recognising the industry’s Emerging Talent

We’re proud to announce the return of the Emerging Talent Awards at The UK Concrete Show 2026 – reimagined in partnership with The Concrete Society.

The 2026 Award Categories

Design Excellence

Materials Specialist

Precast & Offsite

Sustainability

Production & Logistics

Celebrating Each Winner

Recognising talent has never been easier…

Submission form

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