WellChild Awards Nomination 2027

Nominations close at midnight on 5th October 2026.

The WellChild Awards, in association with GSK, celebrate the inspirational qualities of the UK’s seriously ill children and young people, along with those who go that extra mile to make a difference to their lives. 

Please read the eligibility criteria below before nominating. Submit your 2027 WellChild Award nominations below. If you have any questions about nominations or have difficulty filling out the form please email us via [email protected]

To find out more about the WellChild Awards, click here >>

WellChild supports children and young people with complex medical needs.

Children or young people with complex medical needs tend to have two or more long-term and complex medical conditions, which may or may not have a diagnosis. They rely heavily on health services and work with a range of specialities to thrive. Some children we support may have a limited life expectancy, be disabled, or require medical equipment to sustain life. Others may not require equipment but still need a high level of support from health professionals and have a complex medication regime.

Children and young people living with just one of the following conditions are not eligible for WellChild programmes:

  • Behavioural disorders e.g. ADHD, ODD etc.
  • Mental illnesses e.g. anorexia, depression, Tourette’s syndrome.
  • Cancer
  • Visual impairment
  • Hearing impairment

Child/Young Person Categories

Inspirational Child or Young Person – A child or young person between the ages of four and eighteen who has demonstrated exceptional resilience, determination, and achievement while facing significant challenges posed by complex medical needs. This includes but is not limited to instances where the nominee has overcome obstacles, surpassed expectations, or exhibited extraordinary courage and perseverance in their pursuits, thereby serving as an inspiration to others.

Inspirational Sibling – Having a child with a long-term complex medical condition can have a huge impact on the whole family; this category is for those siblings between the ages of six and eighteen who despite all the challenges have thrived – this is their time to shine.

Professional/Adult Categories

Outstanding Nurse – A children’s nurse who goes the extra mile for children and young people with serious health needs.

Outstanding Professional – A professional who has worked above and beyond for children and young people living with serious health needs.

Inspirational Parent Carer – A parent carer who has gone above and beyond the care they provide for their child(ren) living with serious health needs and/or has contributed to improving support for families, or awareness of the challenges they face.

How long does the nominations period last?  

  • Nominations will be open until 5th October 2026.
  • Nominations will open again in the new year and close on 9th March 2027.

Can I save my nomination form to complete it later?  

  • Yes, you can save your nomination and come back to it later to complete it. When you save it, you will be given a unique link to use to come back to your form. However; this link only lasts a limited time, if you do not complete your form in the time allowed, your nomination will be disqualified.

What do I need to hand before starting my nomination?  

  • You will need the name, date of birth and contact information of the person you are nominating so we can make sure they are happy being nominated.  
  • If you are nominating a child/young person and you are not their parent/guardian, you will need the contact details of their parent/guardian.  
  • If you are nominating a child/young person for an award you will need to provide details about their condition and mobility needs. If you do not know this, you may wish to discuss your nomination with them/their parent/guardian.  

When will I know if the person I nominate has won? 

  • We will only contact those who progress through to the final stages of judging, or those who are selected as winners. If the person you nominated, or their parent/guardian does not hear from us by mid June 2027; then sadly they have not been selected as a winner. 

I nominated someone for a WellChild Award before, but they didn’t win; can I nominate them again this year?  

  • Yes.  

Can I nominate someone who has won a WellChild Award before?  

  • No; to help us celebrate even more inspirational children/young people, parent carers and professionals, previous winners, or other members of their family, cannot be nominated again.  

My child won a WellChild Award, and I would like to nominate their sibling; can I?  

  • No, to help us celebrate even more inspirational children/young people, parent carers and professionals; previous winners’ family, cannot be nominated. 

The person I would like to nominate does not live in the UK; can I nominate them?  

  • No; we cannot accept nominations from outside the UK.  

I have been nominated for a WellChild Award; can I read the nomination? 

  • Yes, contact us at [email protected] and we will arrange for you to receive a copy of your nomination. Please note this will not include any details which may breach our privacy policy such as the nominator’s personal details and any other sensitive information not about you. You may read our privacy policy here: www.wellchild.org.uk/privacy-cookies/  

Do you accept multiple nominations for the same person?  

  • No, we only accept one nomination per person. If multiple nominations are received, we will at our own discretion, select the nomination with the most information given to be used in judging.  

What is the WellChild Awards Ceremony like?   

  • The WellChild Awards ceremony usually takes place in London and can be a fun but long day for winners and their guests. You can watch a video of last year’s event, which took place at The Royal Lancaster London, here >>
  • The Awards Ceremony usually takes place during the week, with winners traveling to the venue on the day, with the event taking place in the evening. If you are selected as a winner more details will be shared with you as soon as they are confirmed.  

I’m worried about my or my child’s disability and being able to participate in the WellChild Awards; what support is available to me or my child?  

  • Our dedicated Awards Team is on hand to support all our winners. Anyone who is shortlisted to the final stage of judging will be asked to complete a questionnaire sharing all the accessibility needs you or your child might have. The team will endeavour to meet these needs wherever possible and answer any questions or concerns you may have.  

Will I have to take part in media if I win an award?  

  • Yes, if you, or a child or young person, is selected as a winner there is a lot of media and press attention that surrounds the WellChild Awards. There will be the requirement to participate in some filming for winners’ videos ahead of the awards ceremony, as well as possible interviews for press, T.V and radio. This includes both National and Local press. During the event, there will be a large media presence who will be taking photographs and video content of attendees and there are many celebrity guests who may talk to you and your family. Following the awards there may be T.V, radio or printed press who are interested in interviewing the winners too.  

I would like to make a nomination, but I need support to do so; can you help me with my nomination?  

  • Our dedicated Awards Team is on hand to support anyone with accessibility needs to complete a nomination. If you need support, you can request help by emailing us at [email protected]