Our 2026 International Quality Awards offer an exciting, multi-sector, and multinational array of finalists, all chosen for their work in powering performance through quality. Join me at Quality Live in London to celebrate and recognise their work and look out for their stories in CQI communications.
International Quality Awards 2026 winners
We're delighted to announce the winners for the International Quality Awards 2026.
The CQI’s annual International Quality Awards celebrate quality excellence across eight categories, recognising and rewarding the contribution of quality professionals, teams and organisations worldwide. Our panel of subject-matter experts evaluates and judges the entries to ensure submissions meet the strict criteria.
We continue to see year-on-year growth with more stand-out entries than ever across all categories.
With thanks to our awards partner:
Emerging Talent
This award recognises the quality professional who has demonstrated the greatest impact on their organisation by applying their knowledge and skills in the areas below, set out in the CQI Profession Map.
To be eligible for this award, entrants must be a quality professional in the first three years of their quality career and have a role with no line-management responsibilities.
Quality Professional of the Year
This award recognises the chartered quality professional who has demonstrated the greatest impact on their organisation.
Digital Transformation
This award recognises the initiative that best demonstrates how quality professionals applying the principles of Quality 4.0 can drive organisational digital transformation.
Developing Quality Talent
This award recognises a strategy, initiative or project that demonstrates a commitment to identifying and developing quality talent.
Quality Team of the Year
This category recognises the quality team that has had the greatest impact on their organisation, taking into account the context within they operate. This must be demonstrated by applying their knowledge and skills in the CQI Profession Map areas of Context, Governance, Assurance, Improvement and Leadership.
Quality Organisation of the Year
This award recognises the organisation that best exhibits a culture of quality and puts it at the heart of everything they do.
CQI Volunteering Impact
The CQI Volunteering Impact award recognises the volunteering activity or activities which have made a demonstrable impact on the CQI, its members and/or the wider quality profession.
CQI and IRCA members are invited to add their vote to our judging process and help determine the winner of this award. Voting will be open during volunteers week, from 1-5 June, and members will be sent an email through which they can register their vote.
Outstanding Contribution to Quality Management Practice
This award recognises an individual or organisation that has made a significant and lasting contribution to quality management, resulting in clear benefits to society in any one or more of the following areas:
- academic thinking
- education
- policy
- practice