LifeSearch Awards 2026 Shortlist

LifeSearch, the UK’s leading protection specialist, has today announced the shortlists for the LifeSearch Awards 2026, recognising excellence, progress and collaboration across the protection market.

The awards celebrate insurers, partners and individuals who are delivering better customer outcomes, improving access to protection and strengthening the industry’s response to consumer need.

Sponsored by Iress, this year’s awards will take place on 15 April at the Underglobe, London with a refreshed conference style programme. The agenda centres on ‘Protecting People Properly with Human Intelligence’, exploring how digital capability and human expertise work together to improve access, experience and outcomes in protection - and the shared challenge of closing the UK protection gap.

For 2026, LifeSearch has streamlined the awards’ framework, combining improvements to products and processes within its core product categories. This approach reflects a growing focus on end to end customer experience, delivery and outcomes, rather than isolated innovation.

Debbie Kennedy, Chief Executive Officer at LifeSearch, said: “At a time when the FCA is rightly challenging our industry to do more to close the protection gap, these awards shine a light on the organisations and individuals who are making a real difference.

“Throughout 2025, we saw meaningful progress across underwriting, claims, accessibility and customer support, alongside stronger collaboration between insurers, partners and distributors. 

“At LifeSearch, our own focus remains on combining digital progress with human judgement and empathy, so that protection becomes easier to understand, easier to access and more relevant to people’s lives. We are proud to recognise those who share that ambition and who continue to raise standards across the market. Congratulations to everyone shortlisted. We look forward to celebrating these achievements when we announce the winners at the awards ceremony.”

The awards are structured across two categories: Heritage Awards, which recognise sustained excellence and best practice among insurers; and Horizon Awards, which spotlight forward-looking innovation, technology and broader efforts to close the UK protection gap. The winners of the LifeSearch Awards 2026 will be revealed on 15 April.

LifeSearch Awards 2026 Shortlists

Heritage Awards:

Best Income Protection Provider

• Cirencester Friendly
• LV=
• Scottish Widows
• The Exeter

Best Critical Illness Cover Provider

• Guardian
• HSBC Life
• Legal & General
• Royal London

Best Life Assurance Provider

• Guardian
• Legal & General
• Scottish Widows
• Vitality
• Zurich

Best Private Health Insurance Provider

• Aviva
• AXA
• Bupa
• The Exeter
• Vitality
• WPA

Best Specialist Product Provider

• Guardian
• Legal & General
• National Friendly
• Royal London
• The Exeter

Best Claims Partnership

• Aviva
• Royal London
• Scottish Widows
• The Exeter

Outstanding Insurer Online

• Legal & General
• One Family
• Royal London

Outstanding Insurer Offline

• Guardian
• HSBC Life
• LV=
• Royal London
• Scottish Widows

Horizon Awards:

Best Use of Data and Tech to Refresh Protection

• 4C
• CIExpert
• Scottish Widows
• Vitality

Best Supporter in Powering LifeSearch to Break Barriers

• BrightEdge
• Publicis Sapient
• TalkDesk
• Yavia

Closing the Protection Gap

• Financielle
• Paradigm Norton
• Scottish Widows/Lloyds Banking Group
• Which?
• Yorkshire Building Society

Leading Light – Protecting People Properly

• Vicky Churcher and Jo Miller, Income Protection Task Force
• Greg Levine, Vitality
• Rose St Louis, Scottish Widows and Lloyds Banking Group
• Louise Colley, Zurich