Spirit of Northern Ireland Awards 2025: How to enter and nominate your local champions

Belfast Telegraph

30-04-2025

We want your nominations from people from every county who have gone above and beyond for others, excelled in their field, shown immense bravery or overcome great adversity in life.
Now established as the biggest ceremony of its kind, the gala night at the Culloden Estate and Spa in Cultra, Co Down, continues to attract some of the biggest names in showbiz and sport to add some sparkle to the occasion.
The event is all about recognising everyday people who achieve extraordinary things.
Last year, those in attendance to pay tribute to our finalists and winners included First Minister Michelle O'Neill and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly.
Ms O'Neill said: 'It's such a great event to celebrate what is so good out there across our society. There are so many people who do such amazing things all around us, who just get on with it, and they don't get rewarded, so it's such a positive thing.
'It's an opportunity to celebrate what is amazing about Northern Ireland and the people and what they do.'
Ms Little-Pengelly added: ' It's about celebrating unsung heroes and the incredible things they do. Northern Ireland is made up of incredible people who do incredible things every day, so it's fantastic to be here to celebrate it.'
​The winners on the night last year included Young Carer Bláthnaid Girvan. The Lurgan girl is a carer for her sister Nessa, who is 11 and has a number of complex conditions that affect her mobility, co-ordination and vision.
Another winner was Donna Magennis, who took Spirit of Health. She formed a unique and special bond with a boy named Jonathan, who was born with a rare connective tissue disorder. She has even inspired Jonathan's mum to retrain as a paediatric nurse and regularly checks in to help with her studies.
Roy McNaught was named winner of the Unsung Hero Award after turning his love of music into a force for good, setting up Kids in Need Charity Promotions.
Super mum Gillian Clarke, the Caring Spirit Award recipient, moved heaven and earth to care for daughter Kathryn, who was diagnosed with a rare type of tumour at a young age. Gillian stepped down from her full-time job to provide around-the-clock care.
Aaron Kerr was named winner of the Overcoming Adversity Award. The 26-year-old lives with cerebral palsy, uncontrolled epilepsy, a rare chromosome disorder, renal failure and is a full-time wheelchair user.
But Aaron is known for living his best life and, together with his parents, has been taking part in marathons across the UK and Ireland as Team Kerr. To date, they have over 50 marathon medals in their collection, having smashed the 2024 London Marathon at the end of April, and raised thousands of pounds to help fund specialist running chairs for other athletes with complex needs.
Ciara Laverty, from Maghery, Co Armagh, was crowned winner of the Eco Champion Award for her work as a ranger at Lough Neagh, which has been at the epicentre of an environmental crisis after green algae began to blanket the water.
Our Spirit of Sport award winners were Cathy Booth and Andrea Harrower. The sisters, who have both lost loved ones to pancreatic cancer, took on a gruelling challenge to fundraise for Northern Ireland's only pancreatic cancer charity, NIPANC.
Pedal the Periphery saw Cathy and Andrea cycle 480 miles in just 48 hours and have raised over £100,000 for pancreatic cancer research.
Una Burns of Charlie's Bar in Enniskillen took away the Community Hero Award last year after tackling the topic of loneliness and helping the pub to become a global sensation thanks to their heartwarming Christmas advert which went viral and usurped the likes of John Lewis, Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury's.
Anne Graham was the winner of the Charity Champion Award for her 12 years of work with victims of human trafficking in Northern Ireland. Along with husband Michael, she helped found the NI office of the Victims of Slavery Support Service with the charity Migrant Help. The service has grown from supporting a handful of victims at any one time into current support of over 350 individuals, many of whom have fled violent trafficking ordeals overseas.
Last year's 999 Hero honour went to the RNLI for helping hundreds of people involved in incidents at sea every year.
We had two Spirit of Youth winners. Since she was six years old, Jasmine Parker has collected thousands of Easter eggs and delivered them to children in hospitals across the province.
Singing sensation Isla McManus (11) from north Belfast has autism, but has shown the world how amazing people with autism and other neurodiverse disorders can be through her work with Autism NI.
Fred Brown (75), winner of the 2024 Spirit of Education Award, is a tutor with Include Youth, an organisation providing education for children and young people who have not had a positive experience with mainstream education.
Students of Methodist College were named the winners of the Special Recognition Award, springing into action when classmate Oliver collapsed to the ground after suffering a cardiac arrest during a game of rugby.
The students got a teacher who began administering CPR, before a classroom assistant arrived with a defibrillator, which they kept going until an ambulance crew took over.
The Outstanding Contribution Award was presented to broadcasting legend Pamela Ballantine for her work on cancer awareness. The UTV presenter inspired many when she opened up about her cancer diagnosis.
It is individuals and groups like these that we want you to nominate for a Spirit of Northern Ireland Award this year.
All of our categories are listed here today, including awards for Unsung Hero, Charity Champion, Community Hero, Young Carer, 999 Hero, Spirit of Health, Spirit of Education, Spirit of Youth and Spirit of Sport.
We have sought people who have demonstrated a spirit of compassion, neighbourliness, charity, courage or devotion, or those who have gone beyond the call of duty in the fields of education, the emergency services, the caring sector, health or sport.
The awards ceremony will be held at Culloden Estate and Spa on Friday, June 20. It will be hosted by UTV's Sarah Clarke and Cool FM's Pete Snodden, with the radio station also media partner.
Terry Robb, head of personal banking at Ulster Bank, said they were delighted to be backing the awards yet again to pay tribute to heroes across our community.
He said: 'Both Ulster Bank and the Belfast Telegraph/Sunday Life share a passion for championing communities, bringing people together, and celebrating local heroes. This is why we are so proud of our continued association with the Spirit of Northern Ireland Awards.
'The awards give us the opportunity to say a big thank you to the many groups and individuals who make such a valuable difference to everyday life here and give them the recognition they so richly deserve.
'Over the years, we have been honoured to meet incredible sports coaches, teachers, nurses, charity fundraisers and volunteers, and I'm sure this year's entrants will be just as inspiring.'
Awards founder and Sunday Life and Belfast Telegraph deputy editor-in-chief, Martin Breen, said: 'We want you to tell us about the heroes in your life and local community in every corner of Northern Ireland.
'The success of these awards is down to each and every person who nominates someone for recognition, so I would urge everyone to let us know about those people who have made such a positive impact to the lives of others. Let us give them the recognition they truly deserve.'
Cool FM breakfast show host Pete added: 'The awards are always an incredible occasion, bringing together outstanding individuals and businesses across Northern Ireland.
'It's a privilege to host again and see Cool FM continue to be part of such a fantastic celebration.
'What makes the night so special are the stories behind the winner. Every year, I'm blown away by their achievements, and I can't wait to meet them all.'
You can nominate at [e-mail] telling us why that person or group deserves an award. The closing date for nominations is May 6
The Categories
CHARITY CHAMPION (sponsored by Kingsbridge Private Hospital Group) – An individual who has worked tirelessly for a charity as a volunteer or as a fundraiser for many years, making a difference through their work.
SPIRIT OF EDUCATION - A truly inspirational teacher, lecturer, classroom assistant or another key figure in education, who has helped children and young people fulfil their potential.
UNSUNG HERO (sponsored by The Boulevard) – An individual whose great deed or deeds have previously gone unnoticed but who has made a major contribution to your life or to your community.
CARING SPIRIT (sponsored by Power NI) - A person who has dedicated their time to caring for a friend or family member.
YOUNG CARER (sponsored by Punjana) - A person under the age of 18 who has dedicated their time to caring for a friend or family member.
SPIRIT OF YOUTH (sponsored by Better) - Someone under the age of 18 who should be recognised for their special achievements.
SPIRIT OF SPORT (sponsored by A Aesthetics) - Someone who has made an exceptional contribution to sport over a number of years. This can be an inspirational coach, a club volunteer, or someone who has helped others participate in sports.
999 HERO (sponsored by Four Star Pizza) - A member of the emergency services or group from the emergency services who has gone above and beyond the call of duty in their job.
SPIRIT OF HEALTH (sponsored by Balmoral Healthcare) - A medical professional who has gone the extra mile to improve the health and wellbeing of their patients and their families.
ENVIRONMENTAL HERO (sponsored by Metcollect) - An individual or community group that has gone the extra mile to care for and protect the local environment. Whether it's organising litter picks, campaigning for cleaner water, or encouraging future generations to recycle, we want to honour this volunteer for their work.
OVERCOMING ADVERSITY (sponsored by Coca Cola HBC Ireland & Northern Ireland) - Someone who has overcome huge personal challenges, whether it is dealing with illness or disability, or overcoming problems.
COMMUNITY HERO (sponsored by nearby) – Someone who has made an outstanding contribution to their local community and made their neighbourhood a better place to live.
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION (sponsored by Ulster Bank) - This award recognises an individual who has demonstrated exceptional dedication to Northern Ireland and its local communities, creating a lasting impact, driving positive change and embodying the true spirit of Northern Ireland. This award can be chosen by the judges from any entries in the awards.