The Living Wage Foundation are delighted to announce the winners of the Living Wage Champion Awards 2025. At last night’s awards, held at the Great North Museum: Hancock in Newcastle, employers and individuals from up and down the country were celebrated for their leadership in promoting the real Living Wage, Living Hours and Living Pensions in their respective industries and sectors.
The annual Living Wage Champion Awards celebrate the individuals and organisations who have made an outstanding contribution to the Living Wage movement. This year they were held in Newcastle for the first time in recognition of the strength and growth of the movement in the North East. The awards were hosted by BBC presenter and journalist Sharuna Sagar.
Katherine Chapman, Director of the Living Wage Foundation, said:
"We are delighted to congratulate all our Living Wage Champion Awards winners for their outstanding commitment to the real Living Wage and driving up employment standards. Thanks to their campaigning and advocacy, there are now over 16,000 accredited Living Wage Employers delivering vital cost of living pay rises to nearly half a million workers every year. Over 200 Living Hours Employers and more than 70 Living Pension Employers are raising the bar even further to ensure all their workers have security and dignity today and tomorrow. Together the Living Wage movement has put £3.85 billion back into the pockets of low paid workers since the campaign began. I warmly congratulate all our winners on their well-deserved awards and thank them for their support for the Living Wage movement.”
Here is the full list of 2025 winners:
- Advocate of the Year Award - James Reed, Southwark Council
- Outstanding Achievement Award - Gavin Kelly, Nuffield Foundation
- Outstanding Achievement Award - Jenny Baskerville, The Bridge Group
- Outstanding Contribution Award - Phil Smith, Indigo IFM
- Cultural and Creative Champion Award - Ogilvy
- Recognised Service Provider Champion Award - Regular Cleaning
- Health and Social Care Champion Award - NHS England
- Industry Champion Award - Southwark Council
- Living Hours Champion Award - One+All
- Local Champion Award - Cornwall Council and Truro Foodbank
- Hospitality Champion Award - Bullhouse Brewery
- Third Sector Champion - Sufina Ahmad, John Ellerman Foundation
- Employees' Choice - CIS Security
- Living Pension Champion Award - Newcastle Building Society
Campaign of the Year Award - Cornwall Living Wage Place Campaign
