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The shortlist for the Control Room Awards 2025 has officially been announced, honouring the outstanding professionalism, dedication, and compassion of the people working behind the scenes in control rooms across the UK and beyond.
Now in their seventh year, the Control Room Awards remain the only accolades dedicated to the unsung heroes in police, fire, ambulance, and coastguard control rooms, as well as other critical control operations, whose actions save lives and support frontline responders every day. Winners will be announced at a glittering ceremony on July 3 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Hull.
The 2025 Control Room Awards Judging Panel featured high-profile leaders from the control room sector, including:
Judging took place the day after the tragic events in Liverpool, where celebrations turned to horror. This incident underscored the vital role control room professionals play in coordinating fast, effective, and life-saving emergency responses.
Andy Day, who returned as a long-standing judge and headline sponsor, said “I am absolutely delighted to be back again for the 2025 Control Room Awards, this is such a highlight for me each year. After judging the awards for so long, you’d think it would get easier—but it never does. The level of courage, professionalism and compassion shown in the nominations is always humbling.
On the eve of judging, we saw the horrifying scenes unfold in Liverpool. A night that should’ve been full of joy became something else entirely. The speed and coordination of the emergency services that night—Police, Fire, Ambulance and other agencies begins in the control room. This incident will have been extremely challenging and serves as another example of how vital our control room professionals are.”
The panel was joined by new judges who brought fresh insight to the process, including Becky Tipper of Salesforce, who spent more than 22 years working in Avon and Somerset Police control room. Becky Said:
As a first-time judge for the Control Room Awards, I found the experience incredibly moving. Every nomination told a powerful story – from moments where someone starts out as a voice on the end of a phone or radio, to becoming the person someone remembers for the rest of their life. These are people who show up day in, day out in some of the most challenging circumstances – saving and changing lives, supporting their communities and colleagues and working hard to improve service to the public, often without realising the full impact they have had.
To say ‘It’s just my job’ doesn’t even come close; it’s so much more than that. The bravery, compassion and dedication in these nominations was extraordinary. Narrowing it down to a shortlist was unbelievably difficult because there are so many worthy winners. That’s why these awards are so important. They shine a light on the individuals and teams whose dedication might not always be seen, but whose work transforms lives in the most profound ways. Everyone nominated should be extremely proud. You are truly remarkable.
Also joining the judging panel this year was Jeremy Turnbull, representing BAPCO. Jeremy said: “It was my first time judging and I was delighted and honoured to represent BAPCO. The experience was awe-inspiring, and I’m looking forward to a brilliant night celebrating some of these unsung heroes.”
Sopra Steria and Salesforce are joint headline sponsors for the 2024 Control Room Awards, building on their existing collaboration through a new citizen-centric policing platform. This partnership aims to modernise contact and engagement in control rooms by integrating Sopra Steria’s STORM Command and Control system with Salesforce technology, improving emergency response and support for vulnerable individuals.
The Finalists for the 2025 Control Room Awards are:
Bravery and Courage Award
Community Champion Award
Control Room Ambassador of the Year
Call Taker of the Year – Sponsored by Salesforce
Dispatcher of the Year- Sponsored by Sopra Steria
John Gilhooly Award
Leader of the Year
Lifetime Achievement
Services to the Public
The British APCO Control Room Innovation Award
Team of the Year Award
For more information on the Control Room Awards, visit www.controlroomawards.com. You can also follow the Control Room Awards on Facebook: @controlroomawards; Twitter: @CR_Awards; and LinkedIn: Control Room Awards.