Competition entries officially closed on 31 March 2026 for Bodyshop Magazine’s two high-profile celebration initiatives – the Bodyshop Awards and 30 Under 30 competitions – both of which will recognise and applaud the UK accident repair industry’s highest achievers when the industry gets together for the Bodyshop Awards & Expo 2026 on 14-15 October.
The Awards, which celebrate their 29th birthday this year, remain the industry’s most coveted honours because they are properly assessed and independently judged, while this year marks the 9th anniversary of the 30 Under 30 initiative which is unique within the UK body repair sector.
Raising standards
Bodyshop editor Simon Wait said: “We always endeavour to improve the standards of our competitions and keep pace with advances within our industry, so we are mixing things up a bit this year with some new additions to the Awards categories, and we will be introducing a more thorough testing programme to ensure we identify the best of the best from across the sector.
“It is well known within our industry that you can’t buy a Bodyshop Magazine Award, you’ve got to earn it, and the incredible response we’ve had this year in terms of the volume of entries proves that the industry’s oldest and most-desired independent awards programme is still the one that everybody in our sector wants to win,” he added.
To qualify for 30 Under 30 this year, candidates must be 30 years of age or under on 15 October 2026 and they must work within the UK collision repair industry on the repair side or in the supply chain. They can hold any job title, with previous winners coming from among bodyshop apprentices and technicians, recruiters and front-of-house staff, VDAs, managers and business owners, paints suppliers, marketers and distributors, insurers and vehicle manufacturers, and more.
The final line-up of 30 winners, as chosen by an independent panel of industry experts and Bodyshop Magazine, will be celebrated live on stage during the Bodyshop Awards 2026 in October.
More Awards categories
The line-up of major Bodyshop Awards categories established in 1997 continues this year with Technical Training Provider, Supplier, Small, Medium, Large and Bodyshop Group, plus the return of Vehicle Manufacturer and Work Provider.
There are also three completely new categories reflecting the technological advances in the sector. These are ADAS Services Provider of the Year, which is open to diagnostics and calibration companies, Bodyshop Software which is open to bodyshop management systems and estimating software providers, and Apprentice Vehicle Damage Assessor of the Year.
The Technician and Apprentice categories for skilled MET, panel and paint technicians, as well as senior VDAs, are all about promoting technical excellence and inspiring the next generation of repair professionals. These will be assessed using a series of online exams, interviews and practical testing at the Thatcham Research Automotive Academy in June 2026.
With the race to find our 2026 Awards finalists now well under way, please look out for future issues of Bodyshop Magazine and visit www.bodyshopmag.com to find out about the jury and judging process, and come back regularly to stay up to date as the buzz builds for Bodyshop Awards 2026.