The John Connell Awards 2026 will take place on October 21st 2026.
The Awards are open to government, local government, industry, organisations and individuals throughout the UK, and internationally when there is also a benefit to the UK. The awards recognise innovative and/or novel services, campaigns, products and programmes that are shining examples of community co-operation, co-production, diversity and inclusivity, education and outreach, and creative solutions to cut noise and deliver sustainable soundscapes, aural diversity and healthier liveable and listenable places.
The call for entries is now open.
The deadline for entries is Friday, 25th of September 2026 at 23:59.
For more information, or to enter, please email: johnconnellawards@noise-abatementsociety.org
John Connell Awards 2026 are kindly sponsored by:
The Local Authority Award recognises Local Authority Environment and Planning teams dealing with the challenges of neighbourhood noise, aural diversity and promoting sustainable placemaking. It commends innovative services, campaigns and initiatives that show strong community engagement and creative approaches to reducing excessive noise and shaping healthier sounding environments.
The Institute of Acoustics (IOA) is inviting young people (13 – 25) to dive into the fascinating world of acoustics in this years competition which focuses on ‘Sound Unleashed.’ For more information about the IOA Young Persons Award please see: https://www.ioa.org.uk/student-training-career/ioa-student-competitions/ioa-young-persons-competition-2026
The Quiet Mark Young Engineers Award recognises early-career engineers who are developing innovative, practical solutions to reduce noise pollution and improve sound design. Celebrating creativity, technical skill, and real-world impact, the award highlights tangible outputs such as prototypes or products that advance quiet engineering in everyday environments.
Innovation is the key to solving noise and improving the sound environment for the benefit of all. This award, kindly sponsored by the Institute of Acoustics, recognises original thinking, products and solutions when faced with particularly challenging acoustic issues.
The John Connell Sustainable Development Award, kindly sponsored by the Association of Noise Consultants (ANC) and ANV Measurement Systems (ANV), recognises innovative and/or novel products, services, and solutions that reduce noise and/or enhance sound quality. This award recognises advancements that benefit society, the environment and the economy and highlights impactful approaches leading to quieter, health promoting, and sustainable placemaking.
The Quiet Mark Built Environment Award, kindly sponsored by ROCKWOOL, recognises shining examples of acoustic design and construction excellence incorporating high performance acoustic materials within the built environment.
The John Connell Soundscape Award, kindly sponsored by Anderson Acoustics, recognises and encourages the development and advancement of soundscape projects demonstrating practical ‘real world’ applications to improve/support health, mental health, wellbeing, aural diversity, green infrastructure, nature-based solutions, and sustainability in indoor and outdoor spaces.
The Quiet Mark Logistics Award, kindly sponsored Rolltek International Ltd, recognises advances in low noise technology in the logistics industry to facilitate quieter delivery and servicing especially in urban areas and near sensitive receptors (e.g., schools and hospitals).
The Quiet Mark Commercial Award recognises companies which have been highly inventive in the marketing of their Quiet Mark product to support health, mental health and wellbeing.
For more information about the John Connell Awards: johnconnellawards@noise-abatementsociety.org
Projects
Our programmes help teach about managing noise footprints, improve awareness on the impacts of noise pollution and educate about career opportunities in acoustics.
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