Armstrong Watson has been shortlisted among the UK’s top employers to compete for a coveted accolade at the British Business Awards, featuring special guest George Clooney in a star-studded ceremony in Edinburgh on 30 April 2026.
The business, which employs more than 800 staff and was named in The Sunday Times’ Best Places to Work in 2025, is the only professional services firm to be one of the eight shortlisted in the Employer of the Year category, which also includes Highland Spring Group, Stagecoach and ROL Cruise.
This year’s shortlist will also form the inaugural British Business Leaders List, a new designation recognising the organisations setting the benchmark for modern enterprise and shaping the UK’s economic future. It features some of the most recognisable and influential names in British and global business, including AstraZeneca, Moderna, Iceland, Warburtons, Nando’s, Dishoom and Holland & Barrett, alongside a dynamic mix of high-growth scale-ups, family-owned firms, and innovative SMEs from every corner of the UK.
A record number of more than 400 entries were independently evaluated across five core pillars: business performance, innovation, workforce and culture, customer impact, and contribution to society and the wider economy, with those achieving the highest combined performance across these metrics securing their place on the shortlist. The strongest performers now go forward to the independent judging panel, comprising 18 key figures from British industry, chaired by the former CEO of Unilever Alan Jope CBE and Emma Crystal, CEO of Coutts Bank.
The awards, which take place at Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC), are set to be bigger than ever with up to 2,000 business leaders in attendance and the announcement of award-winning actor and humanitarian, George Clooney as special guest, plus the return of keynote speaker Sir Bob Geldof and co-hosts Rob Brydon and Elaine C Smith.
Armstrong Watson’s CEO and Managing Partner Paul Dickson said: “We are so pleased to have been recognised in the Employer of the Year category - and it is only possible because of the collective effort, professionalism and generosity of our people. Fostering a working environment where staff feel valued, supported and empowered, and where they have opportunities to progress in their career is hugely important to us as a business.”
Alan Jope CBE, Chair of the judging panel, said: “The calibre of companies on the shortlist is extraordinary, and our job as judges is simply to maintain the highest standards and ensure that truly outstanding businesses emerge as the winners. From global innovators like AstraZeneca and Moderna to much-loved brands such as Nando’s, Warburtons and Iceland, this year’s cohort represents companies that are truly shaping Britain’s economic future.”
The awards will once again be raising funds for UK homelessness charity, Social Bite, with a target of helping to raise over £1 million, alongside a fundraising dinner held by the charity the night before.
Josh Littlejohn MBE, Founder of Social Bite and Event Director of the British Business Awards, added: “It’s brilliant to see so many businesses across multiple sectors and sizes listed on this year’s shortlist. We look forward to welcoming back the British business community for another night of celebration, and to help raise vital funds for Social Bite to allow it to continue making lasting impact for people who are experiencing homelessness throughout the UK.”
