Entries open for 2026 National Pub & Bar Awards

On-trade operators can begin their 2026 on the front foot, as entries have opened for this year’s National Pub & Bar Awards.

The annual celebration of pubs and bars is returning for its 10-year anniversary with its key goal of driving footfall and sales in hospitality venues across the UK. 

Whether a pub or bar is a nominee or an eventual winner, through media coverage, word-of-mouth and guided marketing, the National Pub & Bar Awards aims to put as many businesses in the spotlight as possible. 

Headline sponsored by Tyrrells, the awards will once again be crowning the best venues within 94 counties across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Just like in 2025, this year, over 250 highly commended pubs and bars will be invited to the National Pub & Bar Awards Grand Final to discover the 2026 County Winners, Regional Winners and National Pub & Bar of the Year.

Taking place on the 10 June at Big Penny Social, London, the night will also reveal the results of the Industry’s Choice Award, which is voted for separately by a panel of 400 handpicked industry judges.

On top of that, the consumer-voted Pub Group of the Year and Bar Group of the Year awards will also return, as well as the Tyrrells Tyrrellbly Good Taste Award.

“Our bigger and better format that debuted in 2025 was such a success, we can’t wait to roll it out again this year,” says Tristan O’Hana, editor of Pub & Bar magazine, which hosts the event. “The fact that the celebrations last from the long Easter weekend, when we reveal the County Nominees, right up until the awards night at the beginning of summer is no less than this wonderful industry deserves. We’ll do what we can to spread the word about these brilliant businesses.”

How the National Pub & Bar Awards works 

Each county from across the UK has a shortlist of venues, which is revealed on Wednesday 1 April, ahead of the Easter weekend. All of those sites will be invited to the National Pub & Bar Awards ceremony in June. On the evening, the 94 County Winners will be unveiled by region, meaning areas can all celebrate as one. 

From those County Winners, a Regional Winner is then announced for every region of the UK. 

The Industry’s Choice Award, which launched in 2025, is made up of thousands of sites from across the sector, following a voting process from hundreds of industry leaders. This is revealed in a Top 10 format on the night. 

Pub Group of the Year and Bar Group of the Year are decided by UK consumers, taken from exclusive data provided by CGA.

This overall National Pub & Bar of the Year is the final award of the evening. 

To enter the National Pub & Bar Awards, visit naitonalpubandbarawards.co.uk – the closing date for entries is Friday 6 March. 

You may also be interested in…