The UK Pantomime Association announces the winners of
The Pantomime Awards 2026
with designer Terry Parsons awarded for Outstanding Achievement and the inaugural Panto Icon Awards presented to
Brian Conley and Lesley Joseph

On Sunday 19 April, the winners of The Pantomime Awards 2026, staged in partnership with Trafalgar Entertainment and ATG Entertainment (ATGE), were announced by the UK Pantomime Association at a star-studded ceremony at Wycombe Swan in High Wycombe, presented by Vernon Kay.

The Special Recognition Awards, which celebrate productions and individuals representing the values that the Association seeks to promote, were presented to:

Terry Parsons who received the Award for Outstanding Achievement in Pantomime. Terry is a designer whose imaginative and iconic work, from Cinderella with Stanley Baxter to Mother Goose with Danny La Rue and Dick Whittington with Barbara Windsor, has shaped the look, spirit and craft of British pantomime for more than fifty years. 

The first ever Panto Icon Awards were presented to Brian Conley, whose tireless energy, definitive Buttons performances and unrivalled connection with audiences have made him one of the most recognisable figures in the form and Lesley Joseph, celebrated for her star presence and for consistently delighting audiences as a leading Fairy and Villain across the UK’s major pantomime stages. This category was introduced this year to recognise the sustained commitment to the artform, mastery of its unique craft, recognition and affection from audiences, and a consistently high standard of performance over many years.

Johnny McKnight, who received the award for Achievement in Innovation, and whose brilliance as a writer, director and performer over more than twenty years has joyfully transformed pantomime through groundbreaking productions, bold inclusivity and creative courage.

Keith Simmons, who received the Nigel Ellacott Special Recognition Award for Pantomime History, Tradition, and Heritage. Keith is a leading performer, writer, and director who has helped shape, preserve, and pass on the traditions of British pantomime for more than fifty years. 

The full list of winners can be found in the link below.

Author Simon Bell.

UK Pantomime Awards winners 2026.