Winners of The Brit List Awards 2026 announced

WORDS BY Sophie Harper

November 5, 2026

Live from The Brit List Awards 2026 – we reveal who’s been crowned this year’s winners across 15 individual categories…

Marking a decade of celebrating the best in hospitality and design, on 5th November, the iconic Ministry of Sound in London played host to the 10th anniversary of The Brit List Awards, which brought the 2026 campaign to a close with a masquerade party.

Since 2016, the awards have championed the best in British – and international – hotel design and hospitality. Guests traded their usual attire for masks, glamour and a little mystery, and the venue’s legendary halls were transformed for the occasion. Hotel Designs’ Publisher Katy Phillips and Editor Sophie Harper presided over the evening, unveiling the winners to a room full of the industry’s finest.

Over 250 finalists were shortlisted across 15 categories this year, with the individual and group winners invited to the stage to be crowned and receive their specially designed award trophy from EGGER. The Brit List 2026 book was also unveiled on the evening, a publication profiling the top 75 interior designers, architects and hoteliers in Britain – you can view The Brit List 2026 book online here.

With the masks off and the celebrations in full swing, here are this year’s winners:

Outstanding Contribution Award

Winner: Iain Watson, David Collins Studio

Interior Designer of the Year

Winner: David Harte, Studio Moren

Highly Commended: Sammy Bikoulis, LXA Projects Ltd

Architect of the Year

Winner: Richard Holland, Holland Harvey Architects

Highly Commended: Stuart Forbes, Stuart Forbes Associates

Hotelier of the Year

Winner: Chris King, Crafted

Highly Commended: Charlotte Weatherall, Corinthia London

Best in Accessible Design

Winner: Fitzroy of London

Highly commended: Ablestay

Best in Bar & Restaurant Design

Winner: Simpson’s in the Strand, Studio Shayne Brady

Highly commended: Brasserie Olivia, B3 Designers

Best in British Product Design

Winner: Eden Project Harmony Mattress, Hypnos

Highly commended: Solace Pendant, Northern Lights

For the Love of Art

Winner: Mandarin Oriental Vienna, Minda Dowling Hotel Art Consultants Ltd

Highly commended: Hart Shoreditch, Mali Mowka/Hart Shoreditch

Hotel of the Year

Winner: The Sloane Club, Morrison Design

Highly commended: The Trafalgar St James, DLSM Studio

International Award

Winner: Baines’ Lodge, Luxury Frontiers

Highly commended: Intercontinental The Red Sea, Kristina Zanic Consultants

Mentor of the Year

Winner: Guy Hilton, The Waldorf Hilton, London

Highly commended: Elena Verdera Pastor, Studio Moren

Rising Star Award

Winner: Emily Morton, Kristina Zanic Consultants

Highly commended: Adnan Fakhouri, DesignEQ

Team of the Year

Winner: Studio Moren

Highly commended: SpaceInvader

The Eco Award

Winner: Six Senses London at The Whiteley, Foster + Partners

Highly commended: voco Zeal Exeter Science Park, IHG

The Innovation Award

Winner: The Kinetic Collection, Soho Lighting Company

Highly commended: AEES, Elena Kotelnikova

The Brit List Awards will return in 2027 for another annual celebration of design and hospitality’s top talents – will you be a winner? Keep an eye out for submission entries opening at the end of April.

Fun fact: I’m usually the person friends rely on to organise trips, schedules, and group plans.

Workhighlights: Successfully coordinating events from planning through to delivery and seeing everything come together on the day.

Fun fact: I’m a keen cyclist and will happily bore people with copious amounts of cycling chat. My top cycling experience (so far) would have to be riding in the spectacular mountains of Crete.

Work highlights: Charles joined Forum Events in 2022. With a background in publishing, editorial media and events, Charles brings a wealth of experience to his role as Senior Production Manager. Having being involved with SPACE from the outset, he is excited to see the brand grow and develop.

Fun fact: People tell Sienna she gives off Bridget Jones vibes, and she loves to bake, always making sure there are shortbreads floating around the office

Work highlights: Sienna joined Forum Events & Media Group while studying Communications and Media, starting in the sales team where she managed and helped launch the first the PA Life Leading Venues of London SHOWCASE, where she built relationships with luxury venues across the capital. Drawn to the stories behind these spaces, she naturally transitioned into the editorial team, creating social media and editorial content. Upon graduating in June 2026, she is excited to be joining as Assistant Editor for Hotel Designs and SPACE.

Fun fact: When not working, Jess can usually be found tending to her kitchen garden in the Sussex countryside or foraging for herbs in the nearby woods. A keen grower, she recently studied a RHS Level 2 Diploma in the Principles of Horticulture during her spare time.

Work highlights: Jess joined SPACE magazine in 2022 and has since progressed from Assistant Editor to Editor. During this time, she has worked across many aspects of the publication – from shaping editorial strategy and overseeing operations to contributing to art direction and representing the brand on stage at industry events including Surface Design Show and WOW!house.

Alongside her role at SPACE, Jess has built a creative career spanning the arts, culture, design and travel sectors. Prior to joining the magazine, she spent more than a decade in the commercial art industry, in artist liaison, gallery management, and curating collections for the hospitality sector across hotels and cruise ships. During this time, she also worked on freelance projects as a writer, photographer, and creative content producer.

Jess studied photojournalism at London College of Communication and the Danish School of Media and Journalism and holds a first-class BA (Hons) in Culture, Criticism and Curation from Central Saint Martins.

Fun fact: Katy has spent years perfecting all kinds of accents and loves a good impersonation!

Work highlights: Katy has been with Hotel Designs since the beginning, way back in 2015 when Forum Events & Media Group acquired the brand.

During this time, she has fostered many meaningful relationships with clients from across the hospitality spectrum, as well as playing a pivotal role in the launch of The Brit List Awards, Hotel Designs MEET UPs, client-led roundtables and panel talks, brand and website redesigns, HD Wellness Sets, DESIGN POD podcast, Hotel Designs LIVE panel talk series, Accessible Design Talks and more. Katy is always on the lookout for the next opportunity to help grow the Hotel Designs brand even further.

Most recently Katy has stepped in to the role of Publisher at SPACE magazine, the printed bi-monthly publication focused on hotel design, architecture, and development.

Together these platforms offer a comprehensive 360-degree service encompassing digital media, print publishing, and live events – providing unparalleled value to advertisers, partners, and readers alike.

Winners of The Brit List Awards 2026 announced

Live from The Brit List Awards 2026 – we reveal who’s been crowned this year’s winners across 15 individual categories…

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