London, UK – The 2026 AI Awards gala night brought together the brightest minds and most innovative organisations in artificial intelligence for an unforgettable evening of celebration, recognition, and networking. Held at the magnificent De Vera Grand Connaught Rooms in London, the event honoured exceptional achievements across 13 categories, spotlighting the remarkable contributions shaping the future of AI.
The AI Awards serve as a unique platform for recognising the individuals and organisations pushing the boundaries of innovation in this fast-evolving field. As artificial intelligence continues to transform industries and redefine what is possible, this prestigious event offers both a moment of reflection on how far we have come and a celebration of the brilliant ideas and people driving us forward.
2026 AI Awards – Category Winners
Winners were announced across the following categories:
- Best AI for Sustainable Development
- Best AI Usage in Healthcare Award
- Best Ethical Risk Management in AI Output
- Virgosol Most Impactful GenAI Implementation in Customer Interaction Award
- Best AI Research Paper
- Best AI Usage in Retail
- Best AI Usage in Finance
- AI Champion of the Year
- Best AI Usage in Telecommunications
- Best Use of Machine Learning in Business Setting
- Best AI Product
- AI-Powered Quality Assurance Award
- Overall Winner for the 2026 AI Awards
View all winners here >> https://theaiawards.co.uk/winners-2026/
The Judging Panel
The 2026 AI Awards benefited from an outstanding panel of judges drawn from some of the world’s most respected organisations in AI and technology:
- Maria Stefanova (Chair), Head of PMO – Artificial Intelligence, MSc, SPC, International Airlines Group (IAG)
- Priya Gandhi, Director of Quality, Aristocrat Technologies Incorporation
- Basit Tanveer, Head of Business Platforms, Lebara
- Apoorv Kashyap, Head of AI, Santander
- Henry Tse, Global Head of Products and Services, BAE Systems Digital Intelligence
- Michal Kendereski, VP AI & Solutions, Publicis Health
- Damian McAlonan, AI & Digital Solutions Director, Mark Allen Group
- Mohit Panwar, Head of AI Product Management, Honeywell
- Julie Wall, Professor of AI & Advanced Computing, University of West London
- Silky Vaidya, Portfolio CTPO and WIBD EMEA Leader, Women in Big Data
- Ajwad Ali, Head of AI Engineering, AXA UK
- Added Elah, Senior Director of AI & Technology Transformation, SkyShowtime
- Mohamed ElMikaty, Director of AI, Fusionride Technology
View the full judging panel here >> https://theaiawards.co.uk/judging-panel/
Thank You to Our Partners
The 2026 AI Awards would not have been possible without the generous support of our partners:
Virgosol
Virgosol is a technology company dedicated to building trust in the software world by ensuring the quality, reliability, and sustainability of digital products end-to-end. Its flagship AI platform, RabbitQA, deploys three autonomous agents across the delivery pipeline to predict quality risk, prevent production failures, and protect revenue. Headquartered in Istanbul with a global hub in Berlin and three R&D centres, Virgosol serves leading enterprises in banking, fintech, e-commerce, aviation, telecommunications, and retail. The company has been recognised with three consecutive Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Türkiye rankings, Deloitte Technology Fast 500 EMEA, the Stevie Technology Excellence Awards, and Great Place to Work certification. Virgosol proudly served as a category partner for the 2026 AI Awards.
Website: www.virgosol.com Email: info@virgosol.com
Infosys
Infosys is a global leader in digital services and consulting, committed to helping enterprises build intelligent, high-trust, and future-ready technology ecosystems. Guided by an AI-first vision, Infosys enables organisations to achieve exceptional reliability, resilience, and speed across their digital landscape. Its AI-first Quality Engineering practice transforms traditional testing into an autonomous, insight-driven discipline, while its comprehensive AI assurance framework -built on Business Assurance, Benchmarking, Red Teaming, and Responsible AI -ensures AI solutions deliver intended outcomes with fairness, transparency, and compliance.
Website: www.infosys.com LinkedIn: Infosys Quality Engineering
About the AI Awards
The AI Awards are an unforgettable annual celebration dedicated to honouring exceptional achievements within the field of artificial intelligence. This prestigious event highlights the remarkable contributions of individuals and organisations, while offering a unique platform for networking with like-minded professionals passionate about innovation in AI. As the field continues to evolve at a remarkable pace, the AI Awards are proud to showcase the brilliant ideas and pioneering people shaping the future. The event is organised by Test Associates Ltd.
Media & Press Enquiries
Press Office -Test Associates Ltd
Email: hello@testassociates.co.uk
Phone: 0203 931 5823
To learn more about the AI Awards or to participate in other events organised by Test Associates Ltd, please get in touch at hello@testassociates.co.uk
Disclaimer: BFM Times acts as a source of information for knowledge purposes and does not claim to be a financial advisor. Kindly consult your financial advisor before investing.
