Gearing up for blossoming Red Rose Awards 2026

Organisers of Lancashire’s biggest and best celebration of business – The Red Rose Awards – are gearing up for a record-breaking number of sponsors and entrants this year.

The winners of this year’s Red Rose Awards, now in its 16th year, will be revealed at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens on March 12 at the most-anticipated night in the business calendar.

More than 60 sponsors, judges and former winners attended the special event hosted by Red Rose Awards organisers Lancashire Business View at the Park Hall Hotel and Spa in Chorley.

Richard Slater, chairman of Lancashire Business View, said: “Planning for the Red Rose Awards 2026 is well underway and we have had more entries and sponsors than we have ever had at this point.

“The awards tell us about Lancashire’s capacity to share and celebrate success and put us on the business map.”

The headline sponsors this year are Forbes Solicitors and Barclays, while category sponsors include BAE Systems (Operations), Brabners, Brysdales, Chorley Borough Council, D&M Creative, Farleys Solicitors, Forbes, Harrison Drury, High Court Enforcement Group, Napthens, Pierce, PM+M, Porsche Preston and Bolton, Sowena Group and University of Lancashire.

The Red Rose Awards supporters and partners include RBC Brewin Dolphin, Bigtank, Community Foundation for Lancashire, Marketing Lancashire, Merchandise4impact, PDS Engineering, Peter Scott Printers, RSM, Sales Geek Lancashire, Shout Connect, Skiddle, The Fun Experts, The Royal Dyche, Trident and Viva.

The charity partner is Lancashire and South Cumbria Hospices Together.

Pauline Wild, from Forbes, told the audience about the legal firm’s long-standing relationship with the awards.

She said: “The Red Rose Awards celebrates excellence, innovation and fun and that represents our values as a business and it is part of our DNA.

“Since we first came on board with Red Rose Awards, we were known as a high street law firm and now we’re a £26m turnover business with a third of that being in the commercial sector.”

Shakira Musarat, from Barclays, said the Red Rose Awards is a chance to celebrate ‘the finest that Lancashire has to offer’.

She said: “It’s not just about the clients that you celebrate, or the prospective businesses that you meet. It is the relationships you build with other business professionals to benefit the wider community.”

Rafiya Sherin, from Park Hall Hotel and Spa, talked on stage about wanting to put the Chorley venue on the map by hosting the launch event for the Red Rose Awards this year.

She said: “We were the only hospitality venue that was a finalist last year in the Transformation category and that shows the trajectory we have gone.”

There are 24 different categories this year with three new ones - ‘AI and Tech Innovation’, ‘Creative Business’ and ‘Deal of the Year’.

Perran Cooke of the Sowena Group spoke to guests about sponsoring the new ‘Deal of the Year’ award, saying it ‘is about recognising the businesses and fantastic entrepreneurs in Lancashire’.

Last year’s winners, Carrie-Ann Kay of Rene K Couture and Oli Minett from Dennis Eagle shared their Red Rose Awards journeys and gave hints and tips for a ‘punchy’ entry to wow the judges.

Lisa Egan-Woodhouse from Rawtenstall PR agency Viva told the guests about being an entry support partner for the awards.

Viva has put together a downloadable guide for entry storytelling and has created a podcast with judges about what to include in entries.

Richard Slater chatted to Rich Dyer from Longridge-based ticketing platform Skiddle about being a former Red Rose Awards winner and how it is returning to be ‘Runway’ and ‘Afterparty’ sponsor this year.

The deadline for nominations for the award is midnight December 5.  You can enter the awards by checking out www.redroseawards.co.uk/enter-an-award.

To sponsor, visit https://www.redroseawards.co.uk/become-a-sponsor