THE community heroes who go the extra mile to make the Island special are to once again be honoured, as the JEP launches its 11th annual Pride of Jersey awards.

 

 

Nominations for the 2026 Pride of Jersey Awards officially opened this morning across 14 categories – including the new Sports Personality of the Year Award.

 

 

This year’s event will be held at The Royal Jersey Showground on 18 November, sponsored by DFDS and Jersey Post and celebrating the best of our Island community.

 

 

The awards were launched in 2015 as part of the JEP’s 125th anniversary celebrations – with last year’s event seeing more than 270 Islanders nominated and 27,674 votes being cast for nominees.

 

 

Nominations can be submitted by visiting the dedicated Pride of Jersey website – prideofjersey.com – or by using the physical form on page 6 of today’s JEP. The form will appear in every copy of the JEP until nominations close on Friday 4 September 2026 at 9am.

 

 

From there, three finalists will be shortlisted in each of 14 categories, with winners selected by a panel in September before being announced at November’s gala event.

 

Carl Walker, group editor of All Island Media, said: “Every year, the Pride of Jersey Awards remind us just how extraordinary and special our island community is. These awards celebrate the people who make Jersey the community we know it to be and are a highlight of our calendar.

 

“We know there are countless deserving individuals and groups whose stories deserve to be told, so we encourage you to submit a nomination and help us recognise the remarkable people around us.”

 

Last year saw many heartwarming stories recognised while the special Gary Burgess Award was received by Sophie Reid, a brain cancer patient who has made extensive efforts to support the cancer community in Jersey and fundraise for multiple charities. She has since founded The Sophie Reid Neurological Association, which is now a registered charity.

 

The ceremony also saw Dr Michael McKinlay posthumously named Teacher of the Year, with his wife collecting the award on his behalf.

 

Each of the fourteen winners last year was presented with a trophy and a prize worth £1,000 from their category sponsor.

 

Nominations for this year’s awards can be made here will be open until 9am on 4 September, before the judging panel select the winners.