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