The entry period is now open for our 2025 Culture Pioneer Awards! Powered by HRZone, the programme shines a spotlight on the organisations and leaders dedicated to progressive change in the workplace.
In a year where command-and-control leadership looks set to dominate, Culture Pioneers is pushing back on this agenda and celebrating those who dare to lead forward. We’ll be championing workplace cultures that prioritise employee wellbeing, development and inclusion to fuel business success.
Why take part in the 2025 Culture Pioneer Awards?
We’re geared up to recognise the leaders and organisations fighting the good fight and persisting with progressive workplace initiatives.
In a climate where employee expectations are fast-evolving, being crowned a Culture Pioneer will show the world you genuinely care about your people.
Achieving Culture Pioneer status will help you attract and retain great talent and boost your reputation as a workplace culture advocate. You’ll also be joining a vibrant community of like-minded leaders.
Key information and dates
The entry period is now open, so you can make a start on your entry today! (The deadline for completing entries is 3rd June 2025.)
To remove any financial barriers organisations or individuals may face, it is free to enter the Culture Pioneer Awards.
What’s more, you can enter as many categories as you like (see category information below), as long as you craft each entry to suit the respective category.
Finalists will be announced on 13th August across HRZone and Culture Pioneer’s digital channels.
Following this, our 2025 winners will be revealed on 16th October at our Culture Pioneers Leadership Forum in central London. Save the date, and check out our photo gallery from last year’s event to get a flavour of the day!
This year’s categories
This year’s awards programme has five categories for you to choose from.
Simply decide which area you and/or your organisation excels in and get started.
LEADERSHIP
The Culture Pioneer Leadership Award is for individuals in senior positions who are spearheading a thriving workplace culture.
You can be a leader within the people profession or the wider business function. If you are making notable efforts to nurture your culture we encourage you to enter. Show us how you nurture an exceptional culture where people love to work and thrive, even through challenging times.
BRAND
The Culture Pioneer Brand Award is for organisations that can demonstrate a strong link between their internal culture and their external brand, employee value proposition and company values.
If you’re looking to showcase your organisation’s approach to creating a great place to work – where company values are lived and breathed – then this category is for you.
WELLBEING
The Culture Pioneer Wellbeing Award is for those businesses that are evolving their wellbeing strategy to support changing employee needs.
The wellbeing category is designed for organisations that take the responsibility of wellbeing seriously to create sustainable improvements for employees.
INCLUSION
The Culture Pioneer Inclusion Award is for organisations that are creating meaningful, sustainable improvements in workplace inclusion and belonging.
If you and your organisation can demonstrate commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, then this is your opportunity to show it.
LEARNING
The Culture Pioneer Learning Award is for organisations that are cultivating a culture that proactively supports business-aligned learning.
In a climate where skills development is critical, this is your chance to showcase the impact of your L&D activity for employees and the wider organisation.
Judges of 2025
Making up this judging panel is a talented group of industry experts, senior HR practitioners and former winners. The 2025 judges include:
- Atif Choudhury, CEO of Diversity and Ability
- Tom Kegode, Future of Work & Culture Strategist
- Perry Timms, No1 HR Most Influential 2022 and Chief Energy Officer of PTHR
- Laura Overton, Award-winning industry analyst, Founder of learning changemakers
- Prof. Emma Parry, Professor of Human Resource Management and Head of the Changing
Show us how you are leading culture forward
We’re on a mission to galvanise leaders to break free from outdated norms, embrace innovation and build progressive workplace cultures.
If you are passionate about this too, we encourage you to enter the 2025 Culture Pioneer Awards and join our movement.
