Which? Awards 2026: which brands have made the shortlist?

The shortlist for the prestigious annual Which? Awards has been announced. 

We celebrate the brands that offer outstanding products and services and go above and beyond for the consumer. This year, there are 13 categories of awards, including four new ones:

• Home Appliance Brand of the Year 
• Consumer-First Brand of the Year 
• Consumer-First Service of the Year 
• Best Value Brand of the Year 

The Which? Awards are completely independent – brands can't influence who wins. Our shortlists are decided by a rigorous set of criteria, including brand performance in Which? testing and surveys, reliability, analysis of provider data and results from investigations.

Read on to find out which companies made the shortlist, why there isn't an insurance category this year, and when the awards will take place.

Banking Brand of the Year 

• American Express
• First Direct
• Marcus

American Express's market-leading cashback and reward credit cards, along with its excellent customer scores and five-star ratings for its overall customer service, communications and mobile banking app, have earned it a place on our shortlist.

First Direct's nomination reflects its near-flawless record of five-star customer service across current accounts, credit cards and savings, as well as setting an industry standard for helpful telephone support.

Marcus has secured the Which? Recommended Provider badge for savings for five consecutive years and impresses its customers with its competitive rates and simple products. It also received five stars for online banking and overall customer service in our latest survey.

• Find out more: Best banks and bank accounts

New: Best Value Brand of the Year

• Aldi
• Hotpoint
• Lidl
• Talkmobile

Aldi's nomination is well deserved, given that its impressive range of budget-friendly Which? Great Value products span everything from baked beans and Yorkshire puddings to sun creams and washing-up liquid.

Hotpoint consistently delivers Great Value products across a wide range of home appliance categories, from built-in ovens and hobs to tumble dryers and dishwashers.

Lidl earned its place in the shortlist for its high number of Great Value products over the judging period. It also achieved the highest-scoring Great Value products for its pork sausages and Christmas puddings.

Talkmobile is a Great Value mobile network provider with a wide range of contracts that all include a 5GB free EU data allowance. It's a Which? Recommended Provider, too, and has removed all mid-contract price rises.

• Find out more: Best supermarket food and drink

New: Consumer-First Brand of the Year 

• Epson UK
• Eufy
• Meaco UK
• Miele
• Vax

This new award recognises brands that have achieved excellent results in Which?'s testing and shown that the customer experience is at the heart of what they do. 

Unlike other Which? Awards, long-listed brands were invited to submit an entry telling us more about how they have focused on significant positive impact for consumers through their initiatives.

New: Consumer-First Service of the Year

• 100Green
• Jet2
• Octopus Energy
• Sainsbury's Energy
• Talkmobile
• Tesco Mobile

This new award recognises service providers that have achieved excellent results in Which?’s surveys and assessments and clearly demonstrate a commitment to putting consumers at the heart of what they do. 

Unlike other Which? Awards, long-listed service providers are invited to submit an entry telling us more about how they have focused on significant positive impact for consumers through their initiatives.

• Find out more: Best energy suppliers 2026

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Electric Car Brand of the Year

• Kia
• Mini
• Renault
• Volkswagen
• Volvo

Kia's fantastic EV line-up gave it a place on our shortlist. Many of its models earn Best Buy and Eco Buy status. The EV3 is a standout model.

Mini offers a fantastic entry point into the EV market, blending performance, efficiency and notably low running costs.

Renault has proved that EVs can be highly capable and accessible. The recently tested Renault 4 and 5 models picked up Best Buy, Great Value and Eco Buy accolades, as well as receiving great customer feedback.

Volkswagen's extensive line-up achieved the highest average score among our shortlisted brands. Standout models include the ID.3, ID.4 and ID.5 SUVs and the ID.Buzz people carrier.

Volvo offers a premium electric experience, with every single Volvo model tested achieving Best Buy status.

• Find out more: Best electric cars

Health & Wellbeing Brand of the Year

• Braun
• Dyson
• Nivea
• Nutravita
• Peloton

Braun makes excellent grooming tools; its updated electric shavers and beard trimmers continue to excel, and it offers a superb selection of Great Value products as well as top Best Buys.

Dyson consistently beats the competition when it comes to haircare. Its hairdryers continue to rule the roost, and its latest Airwrap hot brushes seriously impressed in our testing.

Nivea impressed across three categories, with Best Buy sun creams as well as Great Value lip balm and hand cream.

Nutravita provides affordable bioavailable supplements and received Best Buy and Great Value recommendations for Vitamin D and Magnesium.

Peloton was shortlisted for its gym-grade experience at home, shining in tests of both exercise bikes and treadmills, supplemented by its extensive range of online classes.

• Find out more: Best nutrition and supplements, best personal care products, best fitness and wellbeing products

New: Home Appliance Brand of the Year

• AEG
• Bosch
• DeLonghi
• Hotpoint
• Kenwood
• Miele
• Philips
• Shark

AEG's large selection of appliances across budgets excel in lab tests, producing top-scorers in three home appliance categories and an impressive average top score across all products.

Bosch offers products across the widest range of tested categories, with more than half of its models earning a Best Buy recommendation, and it's regularly one of the top brands in Which?'s annual satisfaction surveys.

DeLonghi stands out for being the top scorer in the coffee machine category. It also has Best Buys across kettles, toasters and freestanding cookers.

Hotpoint consistently impresses across refrigeration and cooking products, and it's earned plenty of Great Value recommendations.

Kenwood produces a popular range of large and small appliances - including our top-scoring kettle. Around 40% of Kenwood's tested models received a Best Buy recommendation.

Miele is known for premium quality and for making products that are built to last, as borne out by our annual reliability survey results. Around 60% of its tested products are Best Buys.

Philips has an impressive Best Buy rate and a strong average product score across domestic appliance categories. It particularly shines in the air fryer category, achieving the top-scoring air fryer and the highest average score in the air fryer category overall.

Shark delivers excellent floorcare performance, standing as the top scorer and achieving the highest average score in the vacuum cleaner category. It has an outstanding Best Buy rate and offers a great selection of Great Value products.

• Find out more: Best home appliances

Home Entertainment Brand of the Year

This award celebrates the brand that has delivered technologies enabling consumers to enjoy cinema-quality experiences or stunning soundscapes without having to leave the sanctuary of their own homes. The shortlist includes:

• Bose
• Bowers & Wilkins
• Hisense
• JBL 
• LG
• Samsung
• Soundcore by Anker

Bose's status as one of the finest names in audio continues. We tested five sets of Best Buy Bose headphones in 2025 alone.

Bowers & Wilkins's outstanding quality as an audio brand delivers year after year. Five of the eight sets of headphones we've tested from the brand were Best Buys.

Hisense's commitment to low prices and high quality means it not only offers plenty of Best Buy TVs but also an exceptional range of Great Value ones. It also offers the best projector we've tested.

JBL has earned several Best Buys across headphones, soundbars and speakers, as well as a high proportion of Great Value options.

LG's impressive range of Great Value TVs, top-tier OLED displays, Best Buy wireless speakers and soundbars earned it a place on the shortlist.

Samsung's Best Buy and Great Value soundbars and TVs that compete at the top of our testing table show its skill across the market.

• Find out more: Best TV and home entertainment, best audio products

Renewables Installer of the Year

• ACD Electrical Green-Tech Ltd
• Fusion Renewables Ltd
• Sustain Heating and Renewables Ltd 
• Wow Energy

ACD Green-Tech's original approach to tackling consumer confusion by hosting free, no-pressure 'Solar Energy Coffee Mornings' led to its shortlisting.

It was Fusion Renewables Ltd's family-run approach and tailored site surveys designed for the unique needs of rural homes, traditional buildings and farms that earned them a place on our shortlist.

Sustain Heating and Renewables insists on mandatory independent heat loss surveys to prevent unsuitable sales. The company also offers excellent, informative social media videos.

Wow Energy tackles real industry pain points like oversized systems and a lack of post-installation support. A mandatory but complimentary 'Energy Optimisation Session' post-installation is a great proactive initiative.

• Find out more: Solar panel brand reviews and Heating your home with renewable energy

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Retailer of the Year 

• Euronics
• John Lewis 
• Joie Baby
• Lakeland
• Richer Sounds
• Samsung
• The iOutlet

Euronics' network of independent appliance specialists, many of which are family-run businesses that have been around for decades, has created a very loyal customer following.

John Lewis's strength in breadth is impressive, making its customers happy whether buying tumble dryers or dining tables. And it offers value for money and first-class customer service.

Joie Baby's customers give it high praise for its value for money, customer service and delivery. It also has an excellent returns policy.

Lakeland earned its nomination for its easy-to-use website and stores that customers love to linger in, as well as its quality products and second-to-none returns policies.

Richer Sounds couples top-tier customer service with highly knowledgeable staff. It's a standout destination for anyone shopping for audio-visual products.

Samsung is unmatched when it comes to home appliance purchases and is also a fantastic retailer for buying both new and refurbished tech.

The iOutlet impressed in our inaugural second-hand and refurbished tech retailer survey, standing out for its product quality, accurate descriptions and great value, as well as its five-star customer service.

• Find out more: Best tech and appliance shops,  Best baby shops, Best furniture, homeware and DIY shops

Travel Brand of the Year

• Jet2
• National Trust Holidays
• Skyscanner
• Trailfinders 
• Wetherspoons Hotels

Jet2's position as the top-rated short-haul airline and the joint top-rated villa provider, as well as its great customer scores and star ratings, earned it a place in our shortlist.

National Trust Holidays not only performs excellently for customer score and value, but it also boasts one of the strongest sustainability programs in the industry, while its income supports the conservation of buildings and the countryside.

Skyscanner's top customer score and easy-to-use flight comparison site, as well as its helpful reviews of the booking sites it lists, led to its nomination.

Trailfinders specialises in tailor-made trips and is a Which? Recommended Provider in nine separate categories in our travel surveys. It protects all customer money in a trust account until they return home.

Wetherspoons Hotels is the only hotel chain to be awarded a Great Value recommendation. It combines low cost with spacious, silent and clean rooms.

• Find out more: Best airlines, Best UK hotel chains, Best UK holiday cottage companies

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Trusted Trader of the Year

• Associated Stairlifts Ltd
• Balhousie Glazing Ltd
• Easystep Stairlifts
• Hadley & Ottaway
• LCM Flat Roofing Ltd

Associated Stairlifts Ltd stands out for eliminating pressure on vulnerable customers during stressful, urgent times. Customer-first solutions include using WhatsApp for exact digital quoting alongside a specialised chatbot for those with speech or hearing impairments.

Balhousie Glazing Ltd's transparent digital quoting tool empowers customers to visually map windows onto their homes and receive an itemised quote upfront.

Easystep Stairlifts's strict non-negotiable pricing structure protects vulnerable stairlift customers from manipulative sales tactics. They are also commended for their external empathy training for staff and thoughtful touches like 30-minute arrival warnings for customers managing medication.

Hadley & Ottaway, a removal firm, simplified its paper-heavy quotation process to relieve stress for people moving house.

LCM Flat Roofing Ltd never take upfront payments. They ensure they speak to consumers to confirm complete satisfaction before ever issuing an invoice, and prepare detailed written quotes to eliminate any unwelcome hidden extras.

• Find out more: Which? Trusted Traders

Utilities Brand of the Year

• E (Gas and Electricity)
• Octopus Energy
• Talkmobile 
• Zen Internet

E (Gas and Electricity) is a prepayment energy specialist and is highly rated by customers for its customer service, clear statements and how easy it is to contact. 

Octopus Energy is in its ninth consecutive year as a Which? Recommended Provider for energy. Customers praise its clear statements, easy contact and outstanding support for those who need it most.

Talkmobile's extremely competitively priced contracts all come with a 5GB free EU roaming allowance. It keeps the price of its deals fixed throughout contracts and has both a Which? Recommended Provider and Great Value endorsements.

Zen Internet is the top-ranked broadband provider for the tenth time. Its success is built upon reliable connections, value for money and a commitment to keeping prices the same for the duration of a customer's contract.

• Find out more: Best broadband providers, Best UK mobile networks and Best energy suppliers

Why is there no Insurance Brand of the Year this year?

Which? has taken the decision to pause the Insurance Brand of the Year award for 2026, after 18 years of inclusion. This follows our recent super-complaint to the Financial Conduct Authority regarding systemic issues in the home and travel insurance markets. 

Although we will continue to point consumers in the right direction for their insurance needs, we believe that until the regulator and industry address these fundamental challenges regarding claims handling and policy clarity, it would be inappropriate to go ahead with a 'Brand of the Year' title. 

We remain committed to working with the sector to raise standards, so that we can celebrate true consumer champions in the future. 

• Find out more: End the insurance rip-off 

When will the winners be revealed?

The winners in each category are decided by an expert panel of judges.

The winners will be revealed at an in-person ceremony on Thursday 14 May at the Science Museum in London.

Winners receive a trophy and are entitled to use a 'Which? Awards winner' endorsement logo across all their marketing for a year.