Young people celebrated at 50th anniversary King's Trust Awards
The King and Queen joined a host of celebrities to celebrate young people and their achievements in London last night
Last updated 12th May 2026
A star-studded event has been honouring young people from across the UK at the 50th annual King's Trust Awards.
The King’s Trust Celebration, hosted at London's Royal Albert Hall, aims to celebrate the work of the monarch's youth charity and is this year celebrating it's 50th anniversary.
Hosted by Ant and Dec, young award winners from UK and the world were celebrated for their courage, resilience, ingenuity and creativity, alongside an all-star line-up of performersincluding Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, Sir Rod Stewart, Rita Ora, Ronnie Wood, Anne-Marie and Craig David.
The awards hope to prove what’s possible when young people are given the chance to thrive.
Meet the 2026 winners
Here are the winners from last night's event:
Brandon Tatterstall - Young Achiever Award
Brandon Tatterstall, a 27-year-old from Chorley, Lancashire, has been recognised as England Young Achiever 2026 for overcoming setbacks and mental health challenges to go from struggling student to a successful Junior Data Analyst at BAE Systems.
Reflecting on his journey, Brandon said, “The difference between my life then and now is day and night. My job makes me want to wake up each morning, and I feel like I have value in this world.”
Dan - Enterprise Award
A Cardiff filmmaker has launched his own award-winning production company, thanks to support from The King’s Trust. 26 year old Dan used a grant and mentoring to set up 66 Days, a business making story-led films for national clients and global projects.
Dan says building positive habits helped him overcome anxiety, and he now travels the world for work. He’s also running workshops to help other young people start out in the creative industry.
“None of this would’ve been possible without the support I received from The King’s Trust."
Musa - Rising Star Award
A young man who fled Sudan as a teenager has made a new life in Glasgow, thanks to support from The King’s Trust. Musa arrived in the city with no job and feeling lost, but after joining the Trust’s Explore programme, he gained confidence, improved his English, and found friends.
Musa now works full-time at a construction firm, and says he’s grateful for the help he received with job applications and interview skills. He’s become an inspiration for other young people settling into the city.
Reece Harrison – Education Award
Reece from Doncaster has won England's Education Award after overcoming autism and speech difficulties to succeed in school and work. The 20 year old boosted his confidence through The King’s Trust Achieve programme, earning qualifications and landing a paid adviser role in his hometown.
Reece says it’s an incredible honour and hopes his story proves that hard work pays off.
Sahara Pring – Breakthrough Award
Shauna Tiffany - Young Change Maker Award
18 year old Sahara Pring from Bristol is celebrating after winning an England Breakthrough award. Sahara left school at fourteen, struggling with her mental health and feeling her needs weren't being met.
After finding support and completing a security training programme, she now works as a Door Supervisor and hopes to become a mentor for others joining the industry. Sahara says the help she received gave her hope and helped her believe in herself again.
Shauna Tiffany from Leeds has been named Young Changemaker of the year. Shauna, 33, who moved into the care system as a child, drew on her own experiences to start Lighthouse Therapy Hub, helping people work through trauma and boost their self-esteem.
With support from The King's Trust, Shauna's business has helped more than four hundred people access therapy and holistic mental health support. She now works alongside schools, councils and lawyers to deliver programmes across Leeds.
Strabane Academy - Community Impact Award
A group of 15 year old pupils from Strabane Academy in Northern Ireland have been recognised for raising over three thousand pounds to install a life-saving defibrillator outside their school gates.
The seven students took on the project after two members of their team lost their fathers at a young age, one to sudden cardiac arrest.
To fund the equipment, they organised CPR training, cake sales and sponsored walks, helping unite the school and community. The team say they hope to keep building a "Community of Lifesavers" and tackle other important causes in the future.
Alan - Volunteer of the Year
Alan has spent nearly 25 years volunteering as a business mentor with The King’s Trust, supporting young people to start their own businesses through the Enterprise programme. He first became involved in 2001 while working in insolvency at PwC, where he was encouraged to use his skills to help young entrepreneurs facing early challenges.
Since then, Alan has mentored many young people through The King's Trust across a wide range of sectors, including web design, tutoring, floristry, and magic and balloon modelling. His approach focuses on building essential business skills such as money management, negotiation and customer relationships - areas he believes are critical to long-term success.
Alan has continued mentoring through significant personal challenges, including a cancer diagnosis and the loss of his wife in 2025. Volunteering remained a source of purpose during recovery, and he returned to mentoring in 2024, adapting to remote support.