The British Veterinary Nursing Association has opened nominations for its 2026 awards, giving veterinary teams, families and friends a way to recognise colleagues for compassion and empathy.

The awards will be presented at BVNA Congress 2026 and finalists from each category will be invited to attend the Dinner Dance and Awards Ceremony on Friday 9th October 2026.

The 2026 BVNA Awards are being presented in memory of individuals from the association's history.

Categories are The Jean Turner Award - RVN of the Year, The Des Thompson Award - Veterinary Team Member of the Year, The Jennifer Townson Award - SVN of the Year, and the VNJ Writer of the Year Award.

The RVN, SVN and veterinary team member categories are open to nominations from registered veterinary nurses, student veterinary nurses, other members of the veterinary team, and family and friends of the nominee.

The VNJ Writer of the Year Award is open to nominations from BVNA members only and covers articles published in the VNJ between September 2025 and July 2026.

BVNA President Sarah Holliday said: "We are delighted to launch this year's BVNA Award nominations, to recognise and celebrate the exceptional individuals that make up the veterinary nursing and wider veterinary professions.

"The BVNA Awards recognise the skilled care that individual RVNs and SVNs provide, and the unwavering compassion and empathy that they demonstrate every day.

"We know that veterinary nurses are not only powerful advocates for animal welfare, but also the wellbeing of the people around them.

"We're also thrilled to include an awards category for members of the wider veterinary team, who provide such valuable support to their veterinary nursing colleagues."

She added: "Simply being put forwards for an award also provides much-deserved recognition to all of our nominees, so we would really encourage colleagues, friends and family to nominate an individual you feel should be celebrated.

"We're looking forward to showcasing the special individuals within the veterinary profession and welcoming the worthy finalists and winners to BVNA Congress."

The deadline for nominations is 31 July 2026.

https://bvna.org.uk/bvna-awards-2026/