01 April 2026 - The UCISA 2026 Award – Winners Announced!
And the winners are…
Thank you to everyone who attended the UCISA Awards 2026 evening on 18 March at Liverpool Cathedral, and particularly to those who took the time to nominate a person or project for one of our awards. Congratulations to all our shortlisted nominees; our judges were impressed with the amazing work being produced across the sector and the quality of all the entries this year.
The UCISA 2026 Award winners are:
CIO / IT Leader of the Year
PJ Hemmaway, CIO, University of Manchester
PJ Hemmaway is recognised for transforming the University of Manchester’s digital landscape through inclusive, people‑centred leadership and a clear strategic vision. He unified previously fragmented IT teams, embedded inclusive digital practices, and delivered major improvements such as the unified student portal, advanced research computing, and a hybrid multi‑cloud strategy. Under his leadership, IT satisfaction rose from 72% to 91%, and research funding increased by £15M. PJ is widely praised as an inspiring, values‑led leader whose collaboration, innovation, and integrity have set new standards for CIO excellence
Diversity and Inclusion
University of Southampton for their Removing Barriers for Women in Tech Project
This project transformed technical recruitment by removing systemic barriers that excluded women and other underrepresented candidates. Through evidence-based redesign of job descriptions, elimination of unnecessary “essential” criteria, and shifting interviews to focus on values rather than credentials, the team dramatically increased applications, diversity, and retention. Female applicants rose from under 2% to 18%, teams reached 28% women, and the department achieved zero attrition to other organisations over five years. The approach has since been embedded institutionally, shared across the UK higher education sector, and proven to be scalable, sustainable, and highly impactful.
Outstanding Corporate Member
Amos nominated by University of the Creative Arts
Amos is an exemplary corporate partner whose work with the University for the Creative Arts has delivered significant, measurable digital transformation. Through a deeply consultative and transparent approach, they modernised ten critical legacy integrations, introducing Amos Connect—an API driven, cloud ready platform that improved resilience, reduced downtime, strengthened data quality, and simplified long term maintenance. Their work has enhanced daily operations across multiple service teams and future proofed UCA’s integration landscape. Amos’s methodology and sector specific expertise provide a replicable model with clear relevance across higher education, addressing common challenges around technical debt and system interoperability. Defined by professionalism, integrity and genuine partnership, Amos consistently exceeds expectations and embodies the spirit of the UCISA Outstanding Corporate Member Award.
Outstanding Leadership Award sponsored by Jisc
Emma Horrell, User Experience Manager, University of Edinburgh
Emma Horrell is a standout leader in UX, digital sustainability and open source innovation. At the University of Edinburgh, she has expanded UX capability through a new online course completed by nearly 300 staff, further training, and coaching that improved 10% of the institution’s websites. As Chair of the UCISA UX Group, she builds national networks and delivered a 180 person UX Community Day. Her leadership in digital sustainability has driven measurable environmental improvements and produced an AI powered editorial assistant through student internships. Internationally, she influences Drupal as UX Manager for Drupal Core, earning the Women in Drupal
Rising Star sponsored by HPE
Joanna Addison, IT Service Improvement Lead, University of Kent
Joanna Addison is an outstanding emerging digital leader whose work at the University of Kent has delivered transformative, student‑centred change. She spearheaded the Student Shapers co‑creation initiative, enabling diverse students to redesign Study Hub content, campus maps and physical spaces, resulting in major improvements and over 160 applications for the next cycle. Joanna also led the redesign of the University’s IT Service Status page, improving accessibility, clarity and trust. Her cross‑department collaboration, inclusive mindset and ability to translate complex technical information into meaningful user experiences have earned widespread respect, culminating in a University Special Recognition Award. Joanna exemplifies creativity, leadership potential and a strong commitment to inclusive digital transformation—making her an exceptional Rising Star nominee.
Supporting Learning, Teaching and Research sponsored by Akari Software
Queen Mary University of London for their COPE Managed Service Rollout
COPE represents a bold and innovative transformation in how Queen Mary University of London enables its academic and research community to work with technology. Previously, restrictions on managed devices limited access to specialist tools and created barriers to innovation in teaching, learning and research. COPE resolved these challenges by enabling secure, flexible access while maintaining robust data protection. Co-designed with academics, researchers and IT teams, COPE delivers a secure yet flexible device model. This balance of academic freedom and enterprise-grade protection has empowered users to teach, research and collaborate with fewer limitations, enhancing productivity, inclusivity and digital excellence across the institution
Sustainable Digital Project or Initiative
Queen Mary University of London for their Sustainable Data Centre Transformation
Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) transformed its legacy data centre into a sustainable, future-ready facility, integrating heat recovery technology to cut carbon emissions and energy costs. Partnering with Schneider Electric and Advanced Power Technology Ltd, QMUL implemented EcoStruxure solutions and heat pumps to reuse waste heat for campus heating, reducing fossil fuel reliance. Outcomes include £234K annual savings, 8,172 tonnes CO₂ reduction over 15 years, and enhanced High Performance Computing capacity. This project aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), QMUL’s Strategy 2030, and UCISA’s sustainability theme, showcasing innovation, collaboration, and environmental stewardship
Transformation sponsored by CGI
University of Edinburgh for their ELM Project
The ELM platform, built by EDINA at The University of Edinburgh, represents a critical digital transformation in how UK Higher Education engages with Generative AI. Faced with the sector-wide challenge of high student GenAI usage (over 92% of UK students use AI in some form) alongside significant risks concerning data privacy, security, and academic integrity, the University of Edinburgh chose a path of managed innovation over prohibition.
ELM is the result of that vision. As the first UK HE institution to offer secure, institution-wide access to a bespoke, multi-model GenAI environment, ELM transitioned GenAI from a fragmented, high-risk consumer trend into a foundational, ethically-governed utility for over 21,000 active users
Special Award: Outstanding Contribution to UCISA
Adrian Ellison, Pro Vice Chancellor (People and Digital), University of West London
Adrian Ellison is being recognised for an extraordinary 20 years of service to UCISA, during which he has shaped the organisation’s governance, strategy, culture, and sector influence. As a founding Trustee and first Chair of UCISA Services Ltd, he helped modernise UCISA’s structure, redefine its brand, and strengthen member engagement. He has authored key resources, championed sector-wide initiatives, and represented UCISA nationally and internationally. Even after stepping down as Chair, he continued to support governance reform and thought‑leadership work. Adrian’s longstanding dedication and impact make him truly deserving of this special award.
Our judges also Highly Commended Edinburgh Napier University for their Webex Retiral Project in the Supporting Excellence in Learning, Teaching and Research Category.
We would also like to congratulate Richard Walker, Associate Director (Digital Education), University of York, winner of the Digital Education and Digital Capabilities Award 2026.
A huge congratulations to our winners, shortlisted nominees and all our entrants, and a massive thank you to our UCISA Awards 2026 sponsors and judges.
