The 2026 National Pig Awards – get your entries in now!

With just under four weeks to enter the 2026 National Pig Awards, now is the perfect time to start getting those entries in.

The awards, recognising the excellent, vital and often unseen contributions made by individuals and businesses across the pig sector, will be celebrating the best of the British pig industry for the 13th year. The winners will once again to be unveiled at a gala awards ceremony in London, in November.

There is one tweak to the awards categories this year. The Farm Initiative of the Year, replacing the Innovation Award, will reward businesses that have established exciting new projects over the past year.

Otherwise, the categories will have a largely familiar look. The Overall Pig Producer of the Year, won last year by North Farm Livestock, is again sponsored by principal sponsor ForFarmers, and will be split into Indoor and Outdoor categories.

There are the usual awards for finishing herds and farm businesses excelling in sustainability, marketing and pedigree breeding. Individual awards will recognise the best stockpeople, unit managers, young pig farmers and trainees.

The Pig Vet of the Year category will again be open to all vets across the sector, recognising the fantastic work they do, while the all-important allied sector will be represented in the only category voted for by the public.

Nominations for all of the awards are actively encouraged – so if you know a farm business or individual that is doing something special, or a vet who deserves recognition, go ahead and nominate by simply getting in touch with us with a few reasons why they should be considered. The awards team will do the rest.

All finalists will be invited to the awards night, which will bring the industry together for its biggest night of the year.

Stewart Houston will return as chair of our expert panel of respected industry judges for what will be his 12th year. “Entering these awards really can give your team the boost it deserves,” he said. “They recognise excellence across the sector that, in many cases, otherwise goes unnoticed. This is a chance to shine and also set an example for others to follow.

“I would urge anyone who thinks they or their business has something to shout about to enter this year – or to nominate others who you think deserve the opportunity.”

Entry details

The categories and criteria

Here is a summary of what the judges are looking for:

INDOOR PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
OUTDOOR PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
OVERALL PRODUCER OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by ForFarmers

Entrants need to provide evidence, where appropriate, of key production figures, a focus on welfare and sustainability, herd health planning, biosecurity protocols, any new initiatives, staff motivation and training, and contributions to the wider industry.

FINISHER OF THE YEAR

This award is based on key performance data, including growth rates and feed conversion ratios. The judges will also consider the proportion of pigs sent that are within the weight range and grading, while welfare and other general information will be taken into account.

UNIT MANAGER OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by Ceva

Entrants can be nominated by the business owner or themselves. If the latter, a reference from the owner is required. Judges will be looking for evidence of how the manager has driven the business forward and excellence in motivating staff, hitting targets and record-keeping.

FARM INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by Danbred

For farmers or farm businesses, not suppliers. In this new category, you must demonstrate the success of any initiative, new idea or business development concept that has come to fruition in the past 12 months. This could be, for example, an innovation, an exciting new investment, a welfare or sustainability improvement or a new training or staff incentivisation programme that has demonstrably driven your business forward.

MARKETING INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR

The judges will look for evidence of how pig producers have successfully marketed their products, including developing a new brand, grown novel markets domestically or overseas or shown smart use of media.

TRAINEE OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by Rattlerow

Open to pig unit staff who can show how training is helping their career and livestock performance on their unit. This award can be supported by unit performance data.

YOUNG PIG FARMER OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim

Entrants must be aged 35 or younger on December 31, 2026. Your entry must include details of involvement in the business, new initiatives and a commitment to the wider industry.

FARM VET OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by Huvepharma

This award is open to all individual vets, recognising the huge contribution they make to the health and welfare of the entire pig sector. Judges will be looking for examples of proactive herd health management, evidence of addressing on-farm disease challenges and a strong focus on pig welfare.

STOCKPERSON OF THE YEAR

Judges are looking for evidence of excellence in pig husbandry, which could be reflected in performance and welfare, commitment to the job and examples of an innovation or concept that the stockperson has been responsible for. Entries can be nominated by the employing farmer or the employee.

PEDIGREE BREEDER OF THE YEAR

Open to breeders of pedigree pigs, this award is managed and judged by the British Pig Association. More information will be available soon at britishpigs.org.uk/news

SUSTAINABLE FARMING AWARD

Sponsored by Elanco

This award will recognise a pig farming business that has examined its own carbon footprint and made measurable improvements to its environmental sustainability. Evidence must be provided about the steps taken and the resulting impact on environmental sustainability.

• You can submit entries and find the full criteria online.