The 2026 Student Nursing Times Awards are now open for entries

As well as students, the awards are also open to nurse educators, lecturers, practice assessors, plus higher education institutions, trusts and other organisations providing courses and placements.

“We want to shine a light on the best of nurse and midwife education”

Steve Ford

Back for the 16th year in a row, there are 26 fantastic categories highlighting excellence in all four fields of student nurse education, plus midwifery, as well as other important areas of student life.

As ever, we have our standout awards for the top final year students in adult, children’s, mental health and learning disabilities nursing, plus midwifery and research, and not forget nursing associates and apprentice nurses.

There are also the usual categories dedicated to lecturers and educators, practice supervisors and mentors, universities and other higher-education institutions, trusts and service providers going above and beyond to support their students.

Popular categories include Most Inspirational Student Nurse of the Year, University Educator of the Year, and the Mary Seacole Award for Outstanding Contribution to Diversity and Inclusion.

We are also delighted that our Apprentice Nurse of the Year is returning for a second year after its debut in 2025. It aims to recognise an outstanding final-year student on a nursing degree apprenticeship course.

Introduced in England during 2017, nurse apprenticeships are proving an increasingly popular way of entering nursing. This award aims to celebrate this new route into registered nursing.

Congratulations once again to our inaugural winner in this category, Siofra Mckeon Erskine, from Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

Apprentice Nurse of the Year 2025 – Siofra Mckeon Erskine (centre)

In addition, we are excited to announce some new categories for 2026. We have split our previous Teaching Innovation of the Year category into two, to reflect the importance and variety of teaching innovation.

Therefore, we now have a trophy for Teaching Innovation of the Year – Digital, to chime with the recent spike in universities pioneering learning approaches that have digital technology at their heart.

Examples include ideas to prepare students for real-world situations that embrace social media platforms and communications technology, simulation equipment, artificial intelligence and virtual reality.

However, technology is only one aspect of innovation, and we also want to celebrate those pioneering education and learning approaches that are non-digital or where digital forms part of a wider model.

Examples include ideas that embrace games and escape rooms, rounding and reflection, blogs and podcasts. As a result, we have a new trophy this year for Teaching Innovation of the Year – Curriculum.

Plus, look out over the coming weeks for further news about another exciting new category that we plan to introduce for 2026.

So, are you a student, educator or a practice supervisor who goes the extra mile or a university that puts student experience first? We want to hear about what sets you apart from the rest.

The awards are currently open for entries – join the nursing education community in shining a light on the brightest talent making their way into the profession.

You could win a trophy like one of these!

Nursing Times editor Steve Ford said: “The latest academic year is underway, meaning it is also time to start thinking about your entry for the 2026 Student Nursing Times Awards.

“We want to shine a light on the best of nurse and midwife education, to celebrate those who have excelled on their courses and are the nursing rising stars of the future.”

The closing date for is 12 December 2025, after which our expert judges will review and score the entries, then hold live interviews with entrants before deciding who should go through as a finalist.

Those on the shortlisted will be invited to attend our glittering awards ceremony at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel in London on Friday 24 April 2026, where the winners will be revealed.

Most Inspirational Student Nurse of the Year 2025 – Paige Rivers (centre)