Outstanding Contribution to Community

Gloria Hunniford

One of Britain’s best loved TV and radio personalities, Gloria is today best known for fronting shows like “Rip Off Britain” on BBC One and her regular appearances on ITV’s “Loose Women”. The full range of her career – spanning more than 60 years on TV and radio – has been marked by a special night of programmes on BBC Four in August 2026, a rare honour, which took in a range of content from the BBC archives.

Well known as a presenter of chat shows, current affairs and consumer programmes, Gloria’s first taste of showbiz was as a four year old magician’s assistant in her father’s variety shows. She began touring Ireland as a singer when she was seven.

Her legendary broadcasting career began as a production assistant for Ulster TV. By the 1970s, she was the face of Good Evening Ulster. In 1982 she became the first woman to have her own daily radio show on BBC Radio 2, which she presented continuously for 13 years. She was also one of the first female broadcasters to host her own TV chat show, with the highly successful ‘Sunday, Sunday’.

Among her other credits are series such as ‘Pebble Mill at One’, and, from 2009, the popular consumer affairs series ‘Rip-Off Britain’, now one of BBC One’s longest-running Daytime factual brands. She has been a regular panellist on ‘Loose Women’ for ITV (since 2014), a news reviewer for ITV’s This Morning, and regular reporter and host of ‘The One Show’. She has also competed on both ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ and ‘The Masked Singer’, as well as being the subject of ‘Piers Morgan’s Life Stories’ and a ‘This is Your Life’ special. Gloria was nominated for a Broadcast Award in the Best Daytime Programme category for her ‘Loose Women Special: Sir Cliff Richard, Out of the Shadows’.

In 1979, Gloria recorded the album ‘A Taste of Hunni’, a timeless collection of popular standards and evergreens. Digitally remastered and re-released in February 2025, ‘A Taste of Hunni’ made its debut on CD, smashing the Amazon charts. The re-release was complemented by the inclusion of Gloria’s debut single Are You Ready for Love plus a specially written foreword by Sir Cliff Richard.

Gloria was awarded an OBE for services to cancer charities through breast screening services and cancer support, in the Queen’s Birthday Honours. She received the Freedom of the City of London in 2026, reflecting her standing well beyond broadcasting and yes, she has driven the sheep over London Bridge as the honour allows!

Gloria is also a successful author and her long-awaited autobiography ‘My Life’ was also a smash hit, alongside many other books she has authored. What is particularly impressive is that at 86, Gloria is still fronting a network BBC programme, appearing on ITV’s Loose Women, and remains a recognisable figure across multiple generations. That’s quite rare in British broadcasting.

Outstanding Contribution to Comedy

Dara Ó Briain

Dara Ó Briain is an award-winning comedian, television presenter, and bestselling author. He rose to prominence through stand-up before becoming a familiar face on shows such as Mock the Week and Stargazing Live. With Mock the Week now on TLC, he continues to delight audiences with his trademark wit, having also won Channel 4’s Taskmaster with the highest points total ever recorded.

A regular international touring comedian, he follows the huge success of his previous tour, So, Where Were We?, which featured 173 sold-out shows across 20 countries, with his latest tour, Re:Creation. Beyond the stage, he has presented acclaimed science and history documentaries, including The Moon (2023), followed by The Sun and The Mysteries of the Pyramids in 2024. He is also the author of several bestselling books, including Tickling the English, Beyond the Sky, Secret Science, and Is There Anybody Out There?. Alongside his television and writing work, he co-hosts Curious Cases with scientist Hannah Fry, exploring fascinating questions about science and the world around us.

Lifetime Achievement in Country Music

Daniel O'Donnell

The Heart of Ireland. The Voice of a Generation.

Daniel O’Donnell stands among the great entertainers of our time. A national treasure in Ireland and a cherished star worldwide, Daniel’s warm, unmistakable voice and genuine connection with audiences have made him one of the most successful recording artists of his generation.

Donegal-born Daniel has been in showbusiness for over 40 years, amassing 12 gold-selling albums, 11 Top 30 singles, and over 13 million albums sold. He holds the record for the longest continuous run in the British charts with his album being in the main official album charts each year for 36 years. His authenticity and down-to-earth charm continue to win new audiences while keeping long-time fans devoted across generations.

At a time when Irish music is enjoying a renaissance among younger audiences, Daniel, a fluent Irish speaker and champion of tradition, celebrates how bands like The Tumbling Paddies and the younger country singers in Ireland are carrying Irish songs into the future. “There’s nothing new about it, but young people are drinking it up,” he says. “This music is done with heart.”

In a world increasingly shaped by AI, Daniel believes Irish music’s enduring appeal lies in its authenticity. “Wherever you go in the world, if there’s an Irish bar, it will be full,” he says. “When people left Ireland, they brought very little with them but the music they could carry. It was a link to home. That’s why the culture has stayed so strong.”

Growing up in Donegal, Daniel was immersed in country music and Irish ballads, listening to Charley Pride, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, and Irish singers like Dolores Keane and Philomena Begley, alongside his sister Margo, herself a respected country singer. “It’s the type of music I ended up singing,” he says.

Beyond the music, Daniel’s generosity of spirit continues to define him. Deeply connected to his community in Donegal and beyond, Daniel is an ambassador for local festival festivals such as the Mary from Dungloe International Arts Festival and the Burtonport Festival. Daniel regularly supports various charities and is the patron of the Donegal Relay for Life charity raising funds for cancer. “Giving back is really important,” he says. “I’m doing what I can do. I’m no different to the man that’s standing on the corner.”

Outstanding Contribution to Sport

Brian O'Driscoll

Brian O'Driscoll (born 21 January 1979) is a former Irish professional Rugby Union player. During his 15 year career, he captained Leinster, Ireland and the British and Irish Lions. He played 141 test matches – 133 for Ireland (83 as captain), and 8 for the British and Irish Lions.

O'Driscoll holds the Six Nations record for most tries scored with 26 and was also chosen as Player of the Tournament in the 2006, 2007 and 2009 Six Nations Championships.

In 2009, as Captain of Ireland, he led the Team to their first Six Nations Grand Slam in 61 years, as well as winning the Championship and Triple Crown. He was also part of the Ireland team that won the Six Nations Championship in 2014.

At Leinster, he won three Heineken Cups and four Celtic League/PRO12 titles, making a huge contribution to the province’s success.

He was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2016, recognising a remarkable career and his lasting contribution to Irish and international rugby.

Since retiring from International Rugby in 2014, Brian works in a number of different capacities both in Sport and in the Business world.

Outstanding Contribution to The Arts

Emmett J. Scanlan

Emmett plays series regular Paul in Guy Ritchie’s MOBLAND for Paramount+, alongside Tom Hardy, Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren. Season 2 is set to TX on 18th September, with filming on Season 3 due to begin shortly.

He is currently filming the third season of BBC/RTÉ's gangster series KIN, reprising his role as Jimmy Kinsella. His performance as Jimmy earned him an IFTA Award nomination for 'Best Supporting Actor'.

Later this year, Emmett will reprise his leading role as Adam Fairley in the second season of Barbara Taylor Bradford’s A WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE for Channel 4. He also recently wrapped the upcoming Channel 5 detective series AN IMPOSSIBLE WAY TO DIE, alongside Sharon Rooney, and stars as series regular Owen in Lisa McGee’s Netflix thriller-comedy HOW TO GET TO HEAVEN FROM BELFAST.

Other recent credits include Netflix’s FOOL ME ONCE, Guy Ritchie’s IN THE GREY, Amazon MGM Studios’ A WORKING MAN and Matthew Vaughn’s ARGYLLE for Apple. Emmett also reprised his role as Billy Grade in the final series of PEAKY BLINDERS and played a leading role across three series of ITV’s THE TOWER. Further television credits include KRYPTON for SYFY and DC Entertainment, and ITV’s BUTTERFLY, opposite Anna Friel and Alison Steadman.

Outstanding Contribution to TV Drama

Aidan Gillen

Aidan Gillen is the recipient of three Irish Film & Television Awards and has been nominated for a British Academy Television Award, a British Independent Film Award, and a Tony Award.

On television, he has most recently been seen in the Taylor Sheridan/Paramount+ series Mayor of Kingstown, the AMC+ series Kin and RTÉ series Tall Tales and Murder. He previously starred in Queer as Folk; HBO series The Wire; the RTÉ series Love/Hate; the HBO series Game of Thrones; and The History Channel's Project Blue Book.

His film roles include The Dark Knight Rises, Blitz, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials and Maze Runner: The Death Cure, The Lovers, Bohemian Rhapsody, Those Who Wish Me Dead, Trad and Gorky Resort.