The North East and Tees Valley’s brightest emerging construction talent was celebrated in a showcase of achievement at the Generation for Change (G4C) 2026 Awards.
Among the standout winners, Alanis Burgess of P+HS Architects received the G4C Future Leader Award, with Hollie Laws of Willmott Dixon Construction being Highly Commended.
Held at the Hilton Newcastle Tyne Bridge, the awards brought together industry leaders, young professionals and organisations committed to developing the next generation of talent across the built environment.
Part of Constructing Excellence North East, G4C champions young professionals and promotes continuous improvement across the UK construction sector. Constructing Excellence North East is a member-led organisation that brings together clients, contractors, consultants and public sector partners to drive best practice, collaboration, innovation and improved performance across the region’s-built environment.
The annual awards shine a spotlight on individuals and organisations making a tangible impact through innovation, leadership and a commitment to skills development.
The event was supported by headline sponsor Caddick Construction for the third consecutive year, alongside category sponsors including Bowmer+Kirkland, Castle, Northern Counties Builders Federation, Northumbrian Water Group, Robertson CE and drinks reception sponsor, RED Engineering.
G4C co-chairs for the North East, Matt Beattie of BAM Construction and Jessica Morgan of Bowmer+Kirkland and G4C co-chairs for Tees Valley, Alex Philpott from AtkinsRealis and Ellie Fraser-Mitchell from MGL Group spoke during the evening and helped lead the successful delivery of this year’s awards event, with many attendees commenting on their inspiring address to guests.
G4C Future Leader award winner Alanis Burgess, of P+HS Architects, was recognised as a remarkable emerging leader redefining how research, inclusive design and professional leadership shape the built environment. Judges commended her for influencing professional culture and live projects through her ability to translate rigorous research into practical, implementable change. As chair of a local industry young professionals forum, she gained praise for strengthening early career networks, championing equality and embedding social value into practice. Her leadership was highlighted as thoughtful, evidence-led and transformative, marking her out as an outstanding future leader for the industry.
Winners were also announced across a range of categories, celebrating achievement at every stage of career development. Ieuan Crawford of Robertson CE was named Trade Apprentice of the Year, while Louis Hall of BAM Construction took home Technical Apprentice of the Year. Highly commended went to Rocco Dack, Applebridge Family. Katie Clark of Kier Construction was awarded Student of the Year and Anhelina Burkovska of AtkinsRealis was recognised as Trainee of the Year.
In the New Professional of the Year category, judges named two winners: Megan Groom of Castle and Rebecca Watt of Turner & Townsend, with Olivia Clark of RLB UK commended. Andrea Nicholls of A&N Safety Consultants was awarded Mentor of the Year, with Simon Rennison-Rae of GSSArchitecture highly commended. Kier Construction took home the award for Commitment to Employee and Training Development.
Judges praised the high calibre of entries, highlighting technical excellence alongside strong leadership, collaboration and a clear commitment to inclusion, skills development and professional growth.
Paul Dodsworth, group managing director at Caddick Construction, said: “We’re very proud to have been headline sponsor of the G4C Awards, and sponsor of the G4C Future Leader Award, for the third consecutive year. Supporting the next generation of talent is something that’s very important to us at Caddick. The future strength of our industry depends on the people coming through, and their ideas, energy and ambition. There’s nothing more rewarding than helping talented people develop and thrive.
“That commitment is reflected in our own growth. Since opening our regional office in Durham last year, we’ve seen first-hand the opportunities that come from investing in the right people. The G4C awards closely align with our values by recognising emerging talent, championing potential and helping to shape a strong future for the industry.”
Catriona Lingwood, chief executive of Constructing Excellence North East, said: “Congratulations to all of this year’s winners and commended entrants on an exceptional set of achievements.
“The calibre of those shortlisted was particularly impressive and bodes well for the future of our industry. Alanis Burgess’ recognition as Future Leader is a powerful example of that talent, ambition and forward thinking in action.
“Alanis will represent the North East at the Constructing Excellence national awards to be held later this year in London.
“I would like to thank our sponsors for their continued support in helping us deliver the G4C Awards and for their commitment to investing in the next generation of construction professionals across the North East and Tees Valley.
“I also want to acknowledge the time and effort of our North East and Tees Valley co-chairs and the evening’s judges, who had the very difficult task of selecting winners. The standard of entries was exceptional. A huge well done to everyone nominated.”
The awards continue to provide a vital platform for recognising excellence, fostering collaboration and inspiring future leaders within the construction and built environment sectors.