Awards
The Heritage Crafts awards
AWARDS ARE CURRENTLY CLOSED FOR NOMINATIONS. WE WILL REOPEN ON 2 MARCH WITH A DEADLINE IN MID AUGUST 2026.
Heritage Crafts set up the prestigious Heritage Crafts Awards in 2012. We are indebted to our partner organisations for providing funding to allow us to present a unique suite of awards and bursaries specifically for traditional crafts. We are so grateful for this generous support.
The Heritage Crafts Awards celebrate and highlight the traditional living crafts made in the UK that contribute to our national heritage, such as silversmithing, leatherworking, dressmaking and tailoring, upholstery, weaving, embroidery and similar other crafts where there is a significant degree of hand skill at the point of manufacture.
- Patron’s Award for Endangered Crafts
- Maker of the Year (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and UK)
- Precious Metalworker of the Year
- Fashion Textile Maker of the Year
- Emerging Leatherworker of the Year
- Emerging Weaver of the Year
- Emerging Upholsterer of the Year
- Emerging Embroiderer of the Year
- Emerging Metalworker of the Year
- Trainer of the Year
- Trainee of the Year
- Community Catalyst of the Year
- Lifetime Achievement Award
- Environmental Sustainability Award
There 2026 Awards categories are yet to be announced.
Before applying, we encourage you to take time to read the full FAQs:
- Awards FAQ
- Application questions for reference – coming soon
- Join our Live Q&A Session on grants, awards and bursaries on Tuesday 20 January
Nominate yourself or someone else
Patron’s Award for Endangered Crafts
Lifetime Achievement Award
Community Catalyst of the Year Award
Trainee of the Year Award
Scotland Maker of the Year Award
Northern Ireland Maker of the Year Award
England Maker of the Year Award
Wales Maker of the Year Award
Trainer of the Year Award
Maker of the Year Award
Environmental Sustainability Award
Precious Metalworker of the Year Award
Fashion and Textile Maker of the Year Award
Emerging Metalworker of the Year Award
Emerging Leatherworker of the Year Award
Emerging Upholsterer of the Year Award
Emerging Weaver of the Year Award
Emerging Embroiderer of the Year Award
Message from HM The King
“As President of the Heritage Crafts Association, I am delighted to endorse this new awards scheme which supports and rewards excellence in the heritage craft sector.
Crafts are such a vital part of our British heritage and I have always been passionately concerned to promote the best aspects of our country’s traditions ― and, equally importantly, to enable these highly specialised skills to be transferred from one generation to the next.
These new awards for heritage craft celebrate excellence across the sector in a variety of ways. They reward those who give so much by volunteering to support the many different crafts, those who pass on their skills, those who wish to improve their craft skills and those who continue to produce great British craft.”
Previous award winners
Owen Bushell, Millwright
Lorna Singleton – Oak swill basket maker
Nikki Laird, Kilt Maker
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Heritage Crafts and @citbni1 have launched new training bursaries for new or early-career practitioners in building crafts in Northern Ireland. The successful applicants will benefit from up to £4,000 in funding, as well as one-to-one support from the staff at Heritage Crafts.
The bursaries are provided to help cover or subsidise the cost of training for a Northern Ireland based new entrant or early-career practitioner who would otherwise be prevented from pursuing this career path as a result of the cost.
Building crafts in this context are crafts that relate to the built environment (including interiors). Visit our website for a non-exclusive list of examples.
The building craft bursaries sit alongside others in fashion textiles and costume (supported by the Costume Society), leatherworking (supported by the Leathersellers’ Foundation), saddlery (supported by the Sadder’s Company), shoe and boot making (supported by the Cordwainers’ Company), stained glass (supported by the British Society of Master Glass Painters), and maritime rope and twine crafts (supported by the International guild of Knot Tyers). Additional bursaries for other crafts will open in April.
To find out more including how to apply (deadline 20 March) follow the linktr.ee in our bio.
Over 36 posts we are profiling the recipients of our recent round of training bursaries.
Harry Walkeden, from North Yorkshire, served for nine years as a Guardsman/Drummer in the Coldstream Guards, including a deployment to Afghanistan. Since leaving the Army, he has been working as an apprentice stonemason for the @nationaltrust. His bursary will fund a series of specialist courses to help him to establish a successful business.
Harry’s bursary is supported by the @armybenevolentfund.
Harry said: “This funding allows me to complete training that I otherwise wouldn’t be able to, gaining broader craft skills at an important early stage of my career so that I can continue to improve and develop in my chosen profession of heritage masonry.”
#matchMAKER opportunity!
Trainee Memorial Mason
Location: Stockton-On-Tees
Stockton Memorials is seeking a trainee memorial mason to join their skilled and compassionate team. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who is looking to learn a traditional craft and build a meaningful career in memorial masonry. You will be trained in all aspects of memorial masonry including stone cutting, lettering, engraving, and installation of headstones and monuments.
Responsibilities:
-Assist in the preparation, carving, and finishing of memorials.
-Learn to use hand tools and machinery for stonework.
-Help with installations at cemeteries and other memorial sites.
-Maintain a clean and safe working environment.
-Handle materials and equipment responsibly and respectfully.
-Liaise respectfully with clients during sensitive times.
-Follow company procedures and health & safety regulations
Find out how to apply at https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/matchmaker
#matchMAKER is the online platform for work-based training and entry-level employment opportunities hosted by @heritagecrafts and supported by @soanebritain.
Heritage Crafts and the @worshipfulcordwainers have launched new training bursaries for new or early-career practitioners in shoe and boot making. The successful applicants will benefit from up to £4,000 in funding, as well as one-to-one support from the staff at Heritage Crafts.
The bursaries are provided to help cover or subsidise the cost of training for a new entrant or early-career practitioner who would otherwise be prevented from pursuing this career path as a result of the cost.
Applications for this bursary can include hand-stitched shoe and/or boot making.
The shoe and boot making bursaries sit alongside others in fashion textiles and costume (supported by the Costume Society), leatherworking (supported by the Leathersellers’ Foundation), saddlery (supported by the Sadder’s Company), stained glass (supported by the British Society of Master Glass Painters), maritime rope and twine crafts (supported by the International guild of Knot Tyers) and building crafts in Northern Ireland (supported by CITBNI). Additional bursaries for other crafts will open in April.
To find out more including how to apply (deadline 20 March) follow the linktr.ee in our bio.
📷 2025 bursary recipient Eleni Kai.
This week’s #mondaymaker is Aaron Mighty @aaron.mighty.design – a material researcher and furniture maker.
Based in South East London, Aaron’s practice explores how traditional values can be expressed through heritage-driven design, creating bespoke furniture from British wood, bridging sculpture and function. Aaron selects materials carefully to support the conservation efforts of a local nature reserve, using their variety of available wood species.
View Aaron’s full profile on our maker’s directory: https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/maker/aaron-mighty/
#heritagecrafts #mondaymaker #furnituremaking #woodworking
Heritage Crafts and the @saddlerscompany.saddlershall have launched new training bursaries for new or early-career practitioners in saddlery. The successful applicants will benefit from up to £4,000 in funding, as well as one-to-one support from the staff at Heritage Crafts.
The bursaries are provided to help cover or subsidise the cost of training for a new entrant or early-career practitioner who would otherwise be prevented from pursuing this career path as a result of the cost.
Applications for this bursary can include saddle making, side saddle making, bridle making, harness making and collar making.
The saddlery bursaries sit alongside others in fashion textiles and costume (supported by the Costume Society), leatherworking (supported by the Leathersellers’ Foundation), shoe making (supported by the Cordwainers’ Company), stained glass (supported by the British Society of Master Glass Painters), maritime rope and twine crafts (supported by the International guild of Knot Tyers) and building crafts in Northern Ireland (supported by CITBNI). Additional bursaries for other crafts will open in April.
To find out more including how to apply (deadline 20 March) follow the linktr.ee in our bio.
📷 2016 QEST / Heritage Crafts bursary recipient Coralie Chung.
Heritage Crafts and the British Society of Master Glass Painters @bsmgp have launched a new training bursary for a new or early-career practitioner in stained glass. The successful applicants will benefit from up to £4,000 in funding, as well as one-to-one support from the staff at Heritage Crafts.
The bursaries are provided to help cover or subsidise the cost of training for a new entrant or early-career practitioner who would otherwise be prevented from pursuing this career path as a result of the cost.
Stained glass crafts include stained glass window making, glass painting within a stained glass context, and/or stained glass conservation.
The stained glass bursaries sit alongside others in fashion textiles and costume (supported by the Costume Society), leatherworking (supported by the Leathersellers’ Foundation), saddlery (supported by the Saddlers’ Company), shoe making (supported by the Cordwainers’ Company), maritime rope and twine crafts (supported by the International guild of Knot Tyers) and building crafts in Northern Ireland (supported by CITBNI). Additional bursaries for other crafts will open in April.
To find out more including how to apply (deadline 20 March) follow the linktr.ee in our bio.
📷 2025 recipient @kerriehanna by @katedonaldsonphotography
Heritage Crafts and the @theleathersellers have launched new training bursaries for new or early-career practitioners in leatherworking. The successful applicants will benefit from up to £4,000 in funding, as well as one-to-one support from the staff at Heritage Crafts.
The bursaries are provided to help cover or subsidise the cost of training for a new entrant or early-career practitioner who would otherwise be prevented from pursuing this career path as a result of the cost.
Leatherworking crafts are those which feature leather as a primary material. They can include but are not limited to saddlery, shoemaking, harness making, tanning, fashion, accessory making, and so on.
The leatherworking bursaries sit alongside others in fashion textiles and costume (supported by the Costume Society), saddlery (supported by the Saddlers’ Company), shoe making (supported by the Cordwainers’ Company), stained glass (supported by the British Society of Master Glass Painters), maritime rope and twine crafts (supported by the International guild of Knot Tyers) and building crafts in Northern Ireland (supported by CITBNI). Additional bursaries for other crafts will open in April.
To find out more including how to apply (deadline 20 March) follow the linktr.ee in our bio.
📷 2025 recipient @amarpatelstudios
