See this year’s categories and past Winners below…
Companies, partnerships and organisations may enter multiple categories.
Please see our Top Tips on writing a winning nomination.
Bear in mind that our judges are guided to assess nominations on these lines:
- Clear evidence of business/organisation excellence in the period 50%
- Clear evidence of long-term excellence 15%
- Civic/ESG/values 15%
- Quality of Nomination 15%
- Testimonials 5%
Platinum Award
The Platinum Award is given to the crème de la crème, stand-out best category winner on the night chosen by our judges. They’ll be looking for a company that has had demonstrated a stellar year with serious impact on the city. That could be through recruitment, awareness raising activity, contribution to local causes and the community or the economy.
Sponsored by:
Previous Winners
2024 Winner: The Bath Safe Bus by The Bath BID
2023 Winner: Bath Welcomes Refugees
2022 Winner: Noya’s Kitchen
2021 Winner: 3SG
2020 Winner: Three Ways School
2019 Winner: Team Bath
2018 Winner: Rocketmakers
2017 Winner: Kaleidoscope Collection
Arts & Creative
From PR agencies and designers, to galleries and festivals, this category seeks to recognise what makes Bath unique, benefitting residents and attracting visitors. Tell us what makes your organisation stand out, showcase and share the creativity of the city.
Sponsored by:
Previous Winners
2024 Winner: Bath Philharmonia
2023 Winner: Bath Festivals
2022 Winner (Arts): New Old Friends
2022 Winner (Creative): Persephone Books
2021 Winner (Arts): 44AD
2021 Winner (Creative): Emma Rose Art Works
2020 Winner (Arts): Little Theatre Cinema
2020 Winner (Creative): Steers McGillan Eves Design
2019 Winner (Arts): Bath International Comedy Festival in partnership with Visit Bath
2019 Winner (Creative): Mytton Williams
2018 Winner (Arts): Kilter Theatre
2018 Winner (Creative): De Fossard
2017 Winner (Arts): 44AD
2017 Winner (Creative): Bath Cake Company
Bar & Pub
From the Big Night Out to a drink after work, bars are an important part of this city. We welcome nominations for this category from cocktail bars, wine bars, craft beer venues and pubs.
Share with the judges what has made the past year successful for your venue and what new initiatives have worked well.
Sponsored by:
Previous Winners
2024 Winner: Ludo Sports Bar & Kitchen
2023 Winner: Sub 13
2022 Winner: The Curfew
2021 Winner: Flow Bar Frome
2020 Winner: The Grapes
2019 Winner: Circo Bar
2018 Winner: The Hideout
2017 Winner: Sub 13
Business Services
The Business Services category is for all companies with a specific B2B offering, selling your goods or services to other businesses. This could be technical support, people-based, catering, a particular item or product-based service.(Please note: there is a separate category for Legal and Financial companies.)
Judges will be looking for demonstrations of the efficiency and effectiveness, repeat business and recommendations, growth and/or positive results in the past year and what makes your service a cut above the rest.
Sponsored by:
Previous Winners
2024 Winner: Bind Media
2023 Winner: Naturally Social
2022 Winner: Clearly PR
2021 Winner: Bind Media
2020 Winner: OJO Solutions
2019 Winner: Taste of Bath
2018 Winner: SoVision IT
2017 Winner: SearchStar
Café
We want to hear all about the finest cafés, coffee shops, tea shops and delis. Whether great for coffee, cake, brunch, lunch or simply hanging out, what makes your place special?
Share with the judges what has made the past year successful for your venue, what new initiatives have worked well, how you attract repeat custom from locals, and give a memorable experience to visitors.
Sponsored by:
Charity
The Charity category is open to all local independent registered charities. Nominate your organisation to showcase your cause and the great contribution it makes locally.
The Judges will not be judging based on the value or personal attachment to a particular cause, but how well the charity serves it. Share fundraising success, what this has meant to your charity and how you have delivered this in the past year.
Sponsored by:
Previous Winners
2024 Winner: We Get It
2023 Winner: Bath Welcomes Refugees
2022 Winner: Mentoring Plus
2021 Winner: Bath Mind
2020 Winner: We Hear You
2019 Winner: Bath City Farm/Southside Family Project
2018 Winner: Mentoring Plus
2017 Winner: Jamie’s Farm
Civic & Community
The Civic Award highlights the contribution of an organisation or company which has improved Bath this year. Some new initiative which makes our city better or commitment to helping develop others, or notable charitable work. This is open to ANY company in Bath.
Sponsored by:
Previous Winners
2024 Winner: The Bath Safe Bus by The Bath BID
2023 Winner: Bath & West Community Energy
2022 Winner: Bath Foodbank
2021 Winner: 3SG
2020 Winner: Bath City FC
2019 Winner: Eddies Street Cuts
Education
The Education category is for any teaching establishments (schools, classes, colleges and universities) or education-focused organisations (edtech, coaching, courses).
The Judges will be looking for ways you have achieved success with your students in the past year. Have you taught in an innovative way? Any practises that have been particularly effective? Any ways you have used your educated community to impact Bath in a bigger way?
Think you could come top of your class? Imagine winning!
Sponsored by:
Previous Winners
2023 Winner: Bath & West Community Energy
2022 Winner: Bath Foodbank
2021 Winner: 3SG
2020 Winner: Bath City FC
2019 Winner: Eddies Street Cuts
Employer
This Award recognises the best employers in the city – tell us about your staff retention, incentives, development and anything else that makes your company the best in Bath when it comes to employment.
Sponsored by:
Previous Winners
2024 Winner: Abney & Baker Home Care and Support
Event
From festivals, to community, to sporting, to corporate and all in between, events make a huge impact on the culture of a city – share your event successes and you could win this category. This can be an individual event or a series and the judges are looking for overall impact on attendees, success of the past event and measure of this as well as how well executed it was.
Sponsored by:
Previous Winners
2024 Winner: Modern Pentathlon Association of Great Britain
2023 Winner: Bath Carnival
2022 Winner: Bath Contemporary Artists’ Fair
2021 Winner: Bath Festivals
2020 Winner: Bath Carnival
2019 Winner: Bath Festivals
2018 Winner: Bath Carnival
2017 Winner: Bath Christmas Market
Financial
We’re looking for all accountants, banks, financial advisors, insurance experts and more. This category is open to all financial companies in the area, supplying services to a broad client base; where that’s businesses or consumers.
Sponsored by:
Previous Winners
2024 Winners: Hartsfield Financial Services
2023 Winners: Unividual
2022 Winners: Unividual
2021 Winner: Seccl
2020 Winner: Stone King
2019 Winner: Royds Withy King
2018 Winner: Novia
2017 Winner: Epoch Wealth Management
Hair & Beauty
The Hair & Beauty category is open to all beauty and hair salons in the area. Tell us about your great successes and client feedback, and you could be an Award winner! For your entry share how your business has thrived in the past year, how you have attracted new clients and retained existing ones – what makes them come back? What makes your offering stand out and why has it worked?
Sponsored by:
Previous Winners
2024 Winner: No 45 Hairdressing
2023 Winner: David Maxwell Hairdressing
2022 Winner: 12 Trim Street
2021 Winner: DermaGuru
2020 Winner: Number Three
2019 Winner: Broad Street Studio
2018 Winner: David Maxwell
2017 Winner: Zara Perry
Health & Wellbeing
This category is for any organisation which helps the community improve its health and wellbeing. This could be anything from nutrition, fitness classes or groups, healthcare, dentists, opticians, doctors, surgeries, health clubs and more! Share your results and successes by nominating in this category.
Sponsored by:
Previous Winners
2024 Winner: CaliUnity
2023 Winner: Peggy Dodd Centre
2022 Winner: Precision Pilates Studio
2021 Winner: Community Wellbeing Hub
2020 Winner: TONIQ
2019 Winner: Team Bath
2018 Winner: Bath Rugby Foundation
2017 Winner: Yogadoo
Homes & Interiors
The Home & Interiors category is for any business that designs, decorates, furnishes or refurbishes a commercial or private property. Stand-out year, with significant, successful projects..? You could soon be furnished with one of our splendid Awards!
Sponsored by:
Previous Winners
2024 Winners: Woodhouse and Law
2023 Winners: The Table Creative
2022 Winners: Woodhouse & Law
2021 Winner: Woodhouse & Law
2020 Winner: Bath Bespoke
2019 Winner: Sims Hilditch
2018 Winner: Forest to Home
2017 Winner: Hawker Joinery
Legal
Calling all solicitors, lawyers, legal experts, law firms and more. This category is open to all legal or companies in the city, whether it’s supplying services to businesses or consumers.
Sponsored by:
Previous Winners
2024 Winners: GA Energy
2023 Winners: Thrings
2022 Winners: Unividual
2021 Winner: Seccl
2020 Winner: Stone King
2019 Winner: Royds Withy King
2018 Winner: Novia
2017 Winner: Epoch Wealth Management
Legends
New and exclusive for 2025! For the 20th Bath Life Awards, this special recognition category is for all Bath-based businesses and organisations operating for 20 years or more.
Sponsored by:
Leisure & Tourism
This category is all about enjoyment in the city: venues, accommodation, activities or visitor attractions, whether for tourists, residents or both. The Judges will discuss: How does your offering make Bath better? How have your visitor statistics improved in the past year? Did visitors have a great time and can you share their feedback?
Sponsored by:
Previous Winners
2024 Winner: Komedia Bath
2023 Joint Winners: Bath Forum and Sweet Little Things
2022 Winner: Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein
2021 Winner: Homewood Hotel & Spa
2020 Winner: American Museum & Gardens
2019 Winner: Avon Valley Adventure & Wildlife Park
2018 Winner: The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa
2017 Winner: Kaleidoscope Collection
New Business
The New Business category is for absolutely any business which has started in the city after 1 July 2022. Nominate your new business, celebrate your success, raise your profile – and you could win an Award!
The Judges are looking for a business that’s a potential star of tomorrow, what gap in the market does it fill? How have customers responded? What positive indicators have there been in the past 12 months?
Sponsored by:
Previous Winners
2024 Winner: Daisy & Bean
2023 Winner: Roots Allotments
2022 Winner: Somerset Chilli Co
2021 Winner: The Happy Donut Bakery
2020 Winner: The Oyster Shell
2019 Winner: MH Tyre Services
2018 Winner: Apex City of Bath Hotel
2017 Winner: Electric Bear Brewing
People Services
Are people your specialism? Whether recruitment, human resources, developing talent or coaching, if you know what makes people tick and know how to help companies get the very best out of their most important assets, then this is the category for you.
Sponsored by:
Previous Winners
2024 Winner: White Horse Employment Network
2023 Winner: Catering Services International
2022 Winner: The School of Dialogue
2021 Winner: The University of Bath Students’ Union
Property
If you’re making a big difference to the property sector locally, this one’s for you. From estate agents and letting agents to developers, architects, construction/building companies and surveyors, tell our judges about your success in shaping Baths thriving built environment and how we use it.
Sponsored by:
Previous Winners
2024 Winner: SBS Design & Build
2023 Winner: Bath Office Company
2022 Winner: Aspire to Move
2021 Winner: Aspire to Move
2020 Winner: The Chocolate Quarter
2019 Winner: Aaron Evans Architects
2018 Winner: Mulberry Park
2017 Winner: Kersfield
Restaurant
With so many excellent local eateries to choose from, what makes your restaurant stand out from the crowd? This award is for establishments from casual eateries to fine dining restaurants and anything in between.
Sponsored by:
Previous Winners
2024 Winner: Bandook
2023 Winner: Yak Yeti Yak
2022 Winner: Noya’s Kitchen
2021 Winner: The Mint Room
2020 Winner: Eight Stony Street
2019 Winner: The Scallop Shell
2018 Winner: Menu Gordon Jones
2017 Winner: Corkage
Retail
This Award is for both offline and online retailers that are based in the city, If your store has had a great year of trading and customer satisfaction, nominate it for a Bath Life Award which you could soon have to display in your shop window…
Please note: to qualify as Best Retailer, nominees need to have a physical shop presence in the area, though clearly can cite online sales too.
Sponsored by:
Previous Winners
2024 Winner: Wadswick Country Store
2023 Winner: Genesis Trust Furniture Shop
2022 Winner: Suave Owl
2021 Winner: Larkhall Butchers
2020 Winner: Portman
2019 Winner: The Italian Food Hall
2018 Winner: Moss of Bath
2017 Winner: Graham and Green
Small Business
The all-new Small Business category: for companies in any sector, open to those with up to six employees.
Sponsored by:
Sustainability
The Sustainability Award is open to any Bath company or organisation which has been demonstrably thoughtful in the year about its approach to sustainability – supply chain, transport, products/services, energy: anything. Do you have a new or enhanced initiative? Which practices make your organisation stand out? How have you been changing your business or organisation?
Sponsored by:
Previous Winners
2024 Winner: Share and Repair
2023 Winner: Bath & West Community Energy
2022 Winner: Simple Cow
2021 Winner: Share and Repair
2020 Winner: Pure Planet
2019 Winner: Freshford Church School
2018 Winner: Cumberwell Park
Technology
This Award is open to all companies centred on technology: developers, fintech, biotech, healthtech, app builders, product development, online platforms, designers, tech retailers. Digital focus? Nominate!
Sponsored by:
Previous Winners
2024 Winner: Rocketmakers
2023 Winner: Truespeed
2022 Winner: Digital Wonderlab
2021 Winner: Pure Planet
2020 Winner: TrueSpeed
2019 Winner: TrueSpeed
2018 Winner: Rocketmakers
2017 Winner: Doodlemaths