Twenty-three UK contractor service providers won 25 awards at the Contracting Awards 2026 in London, with the head judge saying the contractor market is “getting re-energised.”
The black-tie ceremony took place on Wednesday, September 30th 2026 at Park Plaza Riverbank Hotel — chosen because the ballroom used in 2025 is no longer large enough.
Compere Marcus Brigstocke, the actor and comedian, poked fun at the contest’s sheer size, teasing providers that with 25 awards and five commendations up for grabs, missing out meant they really must be bad.
Contractors may feel the joke’s on them, though, as they face zero-hours and 'agency regs' changes, umbrella regulation in 2027, and now in force for umbrella clients — Joint and Several Liability (JSL).
How is the UK contractor market faring in 2026?
The UK contractor sector has “innovated and overcome” many times before, said Contracting Awards 2026 head judge Anthony Sherick.
In his welcome speech, Mr Sherick added: “Amid JSL, the Employment Rights Act, IR35 abolition back on the agenda, plus AI transformation — the market is getting re-energised.
“As an industry, we always have so many challenges about the future of work, [ranging] from political interference to legislation changes.
“[As well as the awards and recognising service providers], tonight is the opportunity to have a drink and enjoy the company of the people who understand what this industry is all about.”
On cue, Marcus Brigstocke took the mic and volunteered he probably wasn’t one of those people.
He knew about contracts, he said (‘like the big one organisers have had to pay me to compere here tonight’), but — he mused to the room: “I don’t really understand what you all actually do.”
Who judged the Contracting Awards 2026?
Fortunately, the Contracting Awards 2026 were decided by ten judges chosen for their understanding of UK contracting being second to none.
“As a judge, one of the best parts of the evening is seeing just how much it means to people when their name is called,” said one of the ten, Rebecca Seeley Harris, of Re Legal Consulting.
“The excitement, pride and sheer joy of the winners is always brilliant to see. The standard seems to get higher every year. And that makes the judging both harder and more rewarding.
“There are so many impressive people and businesses across the contracting sector. And everyone who makes it through deserves recognition, whether or not they ultimately take home an award.”
What’s the judges’ top tip for entering Contracting Awards 2027?
A second judge, Umbrella Ready’s Shelley Ankers-Wainwright, who has just started advising a new umbrella company, clearly undeterred by the legislative medley, told ContractorUK:
“As a judge, you get to see the hard work behind the entries. So it was lovely to see that recognised and celebrated on Wednesday night.
“My biggest tip for anyone entering next year is to give your submission the time it deserves. We can only judge what’s presented to us, so clearly explain your achievements and back them up with evidence — don’t assume we already know your business.”
Who won the new AI award?
At the September 30th awards ceremony, Clever Accounts won the first-ever “Excellence in AI and automation for contractors” award — one of two new categories for 2026.
Clever Accounts said: “We’re delighted to share that…[we have] been named the winner of the Excellence in AI and Automation for Contractors award at The Contracting Awards 2026.
“[We] showcased the AI platform we’ve spent the past 18 months building in-house to help us deliver a smarter, more responsive service for contractors. This recognition reflects the significant investment we’ve made in AI-powered tools that streamline processes, enhance service delivery, and improve outcomes for our clients while keeping expert human support at the heart of everything we do.”
Contracting Awards 2026: full winners list
Winners
- Excellence in contracting financial services: Brookson Financial Ltd
- Excellence in AI and automation for contractors: Clever Accounts
- Innovation in contractor services: SafeRec
- Best contractor insurance provider or broker: Markel Direct
- Best payroll software: Kintec
- International contractor services provider of the year: YunoJuno
- Best contractor accountancy: PaperRocket Accounting (under 500 clients), ICS Accounting (500-1,000), SG Accounting (1,000-3,000), PayStream (over 3,000)
- Best contractor pension provider or broker: Jarvis
- Best accounting software for contractors: FreeAgent
- Best contractor mortgage provider or broker: Freelancer Financials
- Excellence in compliance and risk management: FCSA
- Best liquidation provider: The Liquidation Centre
- Best umbrella company customer service: Sapphire
- Best contractor recruitment agency: First Point Group
- Outstanding career product, service or jobsite: The IT Contracting Academy
- Best contractor screening and verification provider: PayStream
- Best legal, compliance or tax provider: Qdos
- Best umbrella company: Arkon Pay (under 500 clients), AG Payroll (500-1,000), Focused (1,000-3,000), Advance Contracting Solutions Ltd (over 3,000)
- Outstanding supplier to the contracting industry: FCSA
Highly commended
- Innovation in contractor services: Compass
- Best payroll software: My Digital
- Excellence in compliance and risk management: SafeRec
- Best umbrella company customer service: Advance
- Best umbrella company (1,000-3,000 clients): New Red Planet
Winners react
At the 2026 ceremony, SG Accounting lifted ‘Best Contractor Accountancy firm’ (1,000-3,000 clients).
Managing director Dan Mepham told ContractorUK: “We’re delighted to have been recognised at the Contracting Awards 2026.
“It’s a fantastic achievement for…[our] team and reflects the hard work, commitment and expertise of our people across the business.
“The contractor market continues to evolve, and we remain focused on supporting contractors with compliant, reliable and high-quality services. A big thank you to our team, clients and partners for their continued support. This award is something we can all be proud of.”
Who won best contractor insurance provider?
Another of the winners, Markel, reflected: “We’re delighted that Markel Direct has once again been named ‘Best Contractor Insurance Provider’ at the Contracting Awards 2026.
“The award recognises our continued commitment to supporting contractors with specialist insurance, practical business support and outstanding service.
“This recognition is a testament to our talented people and the trust placed in us by you — our customers. Thank you.”
Who won the legal and recruitment awards?
Qdos, an IR35 contract review firm, won the award for Best Legal, Compliance or Tax Provider.
“To be recognised in this category is a brilliant achievement for the team and reflects the work we do every day to support contractors and the wider contingent labour market,” the firm said.
“It was a fantastic evening celebrating the contracting industry and connecting with so many great people in the sector. Thank you to The Contracting Awards, and congratulations to all of this year’s finalists and winners.”
After being crowned on Wednesday ‘Best Contractor Recruitment Agency,’ First Point Group reflected:
“Twenty-two years in, it’s great to see our work in the contract market recognised again across data centres, telecoms and technology. Huge credit to the team, who earned this. Congratulations to the other finalists, and thanks to the Contracting Awards for a brilliant night.”
Which 2025 winners held on to their awards?
Markel, First Point Group, Qdos, and an umbrella company — AG Payroll — all retained Contracting Awards they scooped in 2025; a clear trend among this year’s winners.
“Last night, AG Payroll was named ‘Best Umbrella Company’ at the Contracting Awards 2026. That’s two years in a row,” the umbrella’s owner Chris Fahey wrote in a social media post.
“We’re a Glasgow company up against the biggest names in the UK. We’re told no Scottish company has won it back-to-back before. Nobody in the room was more surprised than us, and there were a few emotional faces at our table. This one belongs to everyone who makes it happen.”
Who won more than one contracting award in 2026?
The Freelancer & Contractor Services Association (FCSA) is celebrating a ‘double’ of a different kind: two awards in one night.
“Alongside ‘Excellence in Compliance and Risk Management,’ FCSA was also named ‘Outstanding Supplier to the Contracting Industry’ at [the 2026] Contracting Awards”, said the association’s CEO, Chris Bryce.
“I'm particularly pleased with this one, because ‘supplier’ undersells what FCSA’s job has become. FCSA started out 18 years ago as an accreditation body. Today it’s also FCSA’s Diligence Hub, where agencies run their supply chain checks in one place. It’s veriPAYE, tracking RTI submissions and pension contributions on worker payslips continuously.”
Who just won three Contracting Awards?
FCSA member PayStream Group went one better with a ‘three-in-one’ — winning three awards at the ceremony, including one for its 2003-founded umbrella company Focused.
The group said: “[We] had another great evening at The Contracting Awards 2026 in London. A big thank you to the event team for organising such a fantastic evening, and to the judges for recognising the PayStream Group with three awards.”
The Altrincham-based group won ‘Best Contractor Accountancy Firm’ (over 3,000 clients), and ‘Best Contractor Screening and Verification Provider’, in addition to Focused winning ‘Best Umbrella Company,’ 1,000-3,000 clients.
Which brokerage company has won four years running?
But even the hat-trick was topped — in a sense — by Freelancer Financials, named ‘Best Contractor Mortgage Provider or Broker’ for the fourth year running.
“This award belongs to the whole team”, said Freelancer Financials’ head of mortgage sales George Yerou. “Our brokers deal with complex incomes every day, whether that’s someone who has moved between a limited company and an umbrella, or someone working two contracts at once.
“Our job is to know which lenders will assess this income fairly, to advise our clients of their options and get their mortgage over the line.”
Similarly familiar with advising contractors of their options in not always straightforward circumstances, The Liquidation Centre was crowned ‘Best Liquidation Provider.’
The Liquidation Centre said: “Another fantastic evening at The Contracting Awards 2026, celebrating the brilliant service providers supporting the contracting industry.
“Huge congratulations to all the winners and finalists, and well done to our team for…[working] hard every day to support directors and their businesses through the liquidation process.”
What did the head judge say after the ceremony?
In a statement this morning, Contracting Awards 2026 head judge Anthony Sherick called the ceremony “inspiring”.
“It was truly wonderful to see so many people engaged and excited about the contracting industry,” Mr Sherick began to ContractorUK. “As I mentioned in my welcome speech, the industry has always faced so many challenges — most recently HMRC’s Joint & Several Liability — but the companies and individuals in the sector always embrace change and evolve. So it was inspiring to see such a great turnout at the awards and so much energy in the room.”
“Top night as always,” echoed Parasol’s Ashley Olliver. “For me, the best night of the year — without a doubt.”
Start the discussion
Working contractors, accountants and recruiters chime in on the issues raised in this article.
No comments yet — be the first to chip in.