The Farmers Weekly Awards

The Farmers Weekly Farmer of the Year is the winner of winners - the most prestigious accolade in the Farmers Weekly Awards. Chosen from the winners of all of the individual categories, the Farmer of the Year award is given to the farmer who, out of all these winners, has impressed the Farmers Weekly judging panel the most - a role model for British farmers.

This award is open to everyone studying an agricultural-related degree, NVQ or BTEC course at a British university or college. The individual can be in any year of their course, but must be in full-time or part-time college/university education on 30 April 2026. The judges will be looking for individuals who are bursting with talent, achieving great results, showing leadership and having a positive influence on their college, community or home farm if appropriate. Entries can come directly from individuals or from colleges/universities nominating students.

Judges

Anne Dune
Farmers Weekly reporter

George Elliott
Ag Student of the Year 2025

Ally Hunter-Blair
Independent judge and farmer

The winner will be a dynamic, successful adviser providing their farming clients with invaluable advice. This category is open to any farming adviser – from business consultant to arable adviser. You will be carving out a profitable future for your clients and your expertise could be in all fields affecting farmers, including business, marketing, new technologies, product recommendations, government policy and legal issues.

Judges

Phil Case
Farmers Weekly chief reporter

John Sarup
Arable Adviser of the Year 2025

Edward Vipond
Independent judge and farm manager

The awarded arable business is likely to be flexible, collaborative and innovative to increase productivity and profits, despite unpredictable, weather, regulation and market volatility. This will be someone who is harnessing and protecting the land’s natural resources to create a truly sustainable arable business in the face of ever-increasing market and environmental challenges.

Judges

Richard Allison
Farmers Weekly arable editor

Richard Anthony
Arable Farmer of the Year 2025

Jonathan James
Independent judge, CCC Agronomy and AICC agronomist

The winner will be a successful beef farmer with a clear vision for the future, joining the growing band of Farmers Weekly Award winners championing the British farming industry. The winner of this category will be producing high-quality cattle to meet the ever-increasing consumer and environmental demands.

Judges

Rhian Price
Farmers Weekly reporter

Jonathan Chapman
Beef Farmer of the Year 2025

Gavin Hill
Independent judge and senior beef specialist, SAC Consulting

The winning contractor will be someone who is regarded as an essential part of their farming customers’ businesses. They will be market-focused, providing a reliable, efficient, punctual and, above all, cost-effective service to farmers either nationally or regionally.

Judges

Oliver Mark
Farmers Weekly machinery editor

Richard Anthony
Arable Farmer of the Year 2025

Jill Hewitt
Independent judge and NAAC chief executive

Innovative technical skills, cost management and seeking value where possible will be at the heart of this dairy business. The winner will exemplify all the skills needed to deliver a profitable and sustainable dairy business in the face of challenging market conditions. Entrants must be hands-on farmers involved with all aspects of the farm business.

Judges

Shirley Macmillan
Farmers Weekly deputy livestock editor

John and Nicola Young
Arable Farmer of the Year 2025

Sean Chubb
Independent judge and business development consultant at LIC

This category is open to those who are adding value to the core farm business. This could be through a non-food business (such as caravan parks, turf and wildflowers) or food business (such as farm shops, cheese-making and food box schemes). The key criterion is showing how the diversification is helping to support and deliver a sustainable farm business.

Judges

Charlie Reeve
Farmers Weekly markets editor

The Marshall family
Diversification Farmer of the Year 2025

CHANGEME
CHANGEME

Farming is more than just a business. Farmers are the custodians of the land and always aim to leave it in a better state than they found it. The winner of this award, chosen from amongst the finalists of the other award categories, is the farmer judged to have made the most positive impact on the wider environment and the sustainability of their farming activities. That could involve improving soil quality, reducing the negative effects of pesticides, increasing biodiversity, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving water management or any other environmental improvements.

The winning farm manager will be running a successful livestock, arable or mixed farming business. This will be someone who, as principal decision-maker, can demonstrate a significant impact on the business – for example through efficiency improvements, restructuring, collaboration or adding value. The judges will be looking for evidence of strong business acumen, excellent staff management and outstanding leadership.

Judges

Suzie Horne
Farmers Weekly business editor

Ryan McCormack
Farm Manager of the Year 2025

Al Brooks
Independent judge and estate director, Faccombe Estates

The winner will be a dynamic, successful adviser providing their livestock farming clients with invaluable advice. This category is open to any farming adviser – from business consultant to livestock specialist or vet – who advises livestock farmers. The judges are looking for an adviser who makes a demonstrable difference to their customers’ operations. Your expertise could be in all fields affecting livestock farmers including animal health and husbandry, business, marketing, new technologies, product recommendations, government policy and legal issues.

Judges

David Jones
Farmers Weekly reporter

Peter O'Malley
Livestock Adviser of the Year 2025

Amy Mepham
Independent judge and dairy policy adviser at the NFU

This category is for farmers and farming businesses who are running a mixed range of complimentary enterprises such as beef, arable and sheep or dairy and arable. No single farm sector will be dominant, but there might be two or three that are equally weighted. The judges will be looking for achievements and success in quality, productivity and profitability in each of the farming sectors - and how they work together to create one sustainable farming business.

Judges

Emma Gillbard
Farmers Weekly deputy arable editor

Ashley Jones
Mixed Farmer of the Year 2025

Andrew Robinson
Independent judge and farms director at Heathcote Farms

Recognising the innovation and commitment of pig producers is more important than ever in the current financial climate. The winner of this award will be a pig producer who can demonstrate real change in the business in recent years. The judges will be looking for imaginative approaches to developing the enterprise in terms of production standards, profitability and sustainability.

Judges

Hayley Chapman
Farmers Weekly reporter

Mike Durrant
Pig Farmer of the Year 2025

Katie Jarvis
Independent judge, chief policy adviser at the NPA

Are you a successful egg, turkey, goose, duck or chicken meat producer demonstrating excellence in production, marketing and welfare? Then you could join the growing band of finalists and winners - men and women championing best practice and flying the flag for the British farming industry. If you have won this category in the past, you can't enter this category again, but you can enter a different category.

Judges

Philip Clarke
Farmers Weekly news editor

Hugh Carter
Poultry Farmer of the Year 2025

Gary Ford
Independent judge, head of strategy and producer engagement at the British Free Range Egg Producers Association (BFREPA)

The winner will be a successful sheep producer demonstrating excellence in production, stockmanship and management. They will need to demonstrate their achievements in the past few years to deliver a business that is profitable and sustainable.

Judges

Tom Bird
Sheep Farmer of the Year 2025

Moira Gallagher
Independent judge and SAC Consulting business consultant

Thirty years or under and making a success of managing a distinct area of the family farming business - or even running your own business? The winner of this category will be making a big impact on the farming business they are involved in and demonstrating qualities that mark them out as a future leader and innovator.

Judges

Albie Matthews
Farmers Weekly news reporter

Matt Hancocks
Young Farmer of the Year 2025

Charles Mayson
Independent judge and chairman of agricultural advisers CXCS

The Lifetime Achievement Award is given to a person who has made a unique and special contribution over a prolonged period to farming. Previous winners of the award include: Caroline Drummond, Chief executive of Linking Environment and Farming (LEAF), David Richardson, farmer and journalist; and Professor John Nix, author of the Farm Management Pocketbook. We welcome nominations from Farmers Weekly readers.

Farmers Weekly is looking for individuals who have been selfless in their efforts to strengthen British farming in the last 12 months. This could be someone who has campaigned for justice for British farmers, promoted the value of farming to the public or developed business models that have a benefit to British farmers rather than simply to his or her own farm.