Commercial Broker Awards 2026 opens for submissions
Entries are now open for the seventh annual NACFB Commercial Broker Awards, celebrating broking excellence across the NACFB Member community.
With 26 award categories to choose from, the event recognises firms, teams, and individuals across a wide range of achievements, including five new awards introduced this year.
New award categories
Bridging Finance Broker of the Year features two separate categories (1-3 brokers and 4+ brokers) and recognises both smaller specialist firms and larger organisations. The awards celebrate excellence in delivering complex transactions, strong lender relationships, and the ability to support clients across a wide range of short-term funding scenarios.
Industry Leader of the Year recognises individuals who demonstrate outstanding leadership within the intermediary-led lending sector. It celebrates those who drive success within their own firms while also shaping industry standards, strengthening relationships, and championing best practice.
Pioneering Broker of the Year celebrates brokers and firms who are leading from the front within the intermediary-led finance sector. It shines a light on those setting the standard through leadership, influence, and a commitment to driving the industry forward.
The Intermediary Excellence Award honours firms that set the benchmark for professionalism, integrity, and compliance within the intermediary-led finance sector. It celebrates brokerages that go above and beyond regulatory expectations, embedding best practice, transparency, and accountability into every aspect of their operations.
Finally, the Women's Advocate Award recognises an individual or firm that is actively championing and advancing the role of women within the commercial finance industry. Judges will be looking for those firms or individuals driving meaningful change through advocacy, leadership, and support, helping to create a more inclusive and representative sector.
Commenting on the award categories, NACFB CEO Jim Higginbotham said: “We are always looking to refresh our categories to accurately reflect the evolving dynamic of our Members. I believe that, whoever the winners may be, all will be delighted by the accolade and the recognition these awards provide.”
The categories for the NACFB Commercial Broker Awards 2026 are:
Asset Finance & Leasing Broker of the Year (1 to 3 brokers) - sponsored by Haydock Finance
Asset Finance & Leasing Broker of the Year (4+ brokers) - sponsored by Aldermore
Bridging Finance Broker of the Year (1 to 3 brokers) - sponsored by Alternative Bridging Corporation
Bridging Finance Broker of the Year (4+ brokers) - sponsored by Together
Buy-to-Let Mortgage Broker of the Year (1 to 3 brokers) - sponsored by Hampshire Trust Bank
Buy-to-Let Mortgage Broker of the Year (4+ brokers) - sponsored by Barclays
Commercial Broker Network of the Year - sponsored by YBS Commercial Mortgages
Commercial Mortgage Broker of the Year (1 to 3 brokers) - sponsored by NatWest
Commercial Mortgage Broker of the Year (4+ brokers) - sponsored by Lloyds Bank
Development Finance Broker of the Year (1 to 3 brokers)
Development Finance Broker of the Year (4+ brokers) - sponsored by Roma Finance
Industry Leader of the Year - sponsored by Funding Circle
Industry Specialist of the Year
Intermediary Excellence Award - sponsored by Momenta Finance
Invoice Finance Broker of the Year (1 to 3 brokers)
Invoice Finance Broker of the Year (4+ brokers)
Northern Irish Broker of the Year
Pioneering Broker of the Year - sponsored by Allica Bank
Rising Star of the Year - sponsored by Shawbrook
Scottish Broker of the Year
Service Excellence Award - sponsored by HSBC UK
Short-term Finance Broker of the Year (1 to 3 brokers) - sponsored by YouLend
Short-term Finance Broker of the Year (4+ brokers) - sponsored by Reward Funding
Unsung Hero of the Year - sponsored by Ultimate Finance
Welsh Broker of the Year
Women's Advocate Award - sponsored by Cambridge & Counties Bank
Full details of each category can be seen here
Entry into each category is completely free of charge and open exclusively to NACFB Member brokers. The submission deadline is 5pm on Monday 15th June 2026, giving firms more than a month to hone their entries.
Organising the awards, NACFB events manager Imogen Wright said: “We encourage Members to put themselves forward for as many categories as they feel reflect their achievements. We also recognise the time and effort that goes into crafting a strong submission, which is why each entry is kept to a concise 300 words.”
To further support entrants the trade body has published 10 Top Tips for writing a compelling, award-winning entry. Brokers are also welcome to reach out to the membership team should they need help making their selections.
The judging process
This year, a carefully selected panel of experts will review the submissions to create a shortlist of brokerages and individuals. Every entry will be reviewed fairly and individually, with the shortlist drawn on merit. Importantly, to maintain impartiality, the judges will review submissions without knowing the entrant names. The judging panel will be revealed in the coming weeks.
The shortlist will be revealed in late July at which time NACFB Patron lenders and Partner suppliers will be invited to vote. The judging panel’s scores will be combined with the votes to determine the winner and highly commended in each category. Entry criteria and full terms and conditions are available on the website.
Awards ceremony and tickets
The winners of each award will be revealed and presented with their trophies at an in-person ceremony on the afternoon of Friday 11th September at Lancashire Cricket Club, Manchester.
Early bird tickets are available to NACFB Member brokers only until Monday 10th August, and are priced at £140 +VAT each. Both individual tickets and tables of ten are available for purchase.
From Tuesday 11th August, tickets for Members will increase to £205+VAT each. Depending on availability, a limited number of tickets will also be made available to NACFB Patron lenders and Partner suppliers, priced at £230 +VAT each.
All tickets include a welcome drink on arrival, a three-course meal, half a bottle of wine per person, and entertainment. Full details of the celebration, including this year’s host, will be announced soon – so do keep an eye on the NACFB Morning Briefing and LinkedIn for updates.
Sponsorship
The events team is now busy working with the NACFB Patrons and Partners who have kindly agreed to sponsor elements of the awards ceremony. A limited number of opportunities remain and those interested are asked to contact the events team for more information.