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: Checks Direct
2023 Winner: Forage Farm Shop & Kitchen
2022 Winner: Menter Caerdydd
2021 Winner: Techniquest
2020 Winner: The Goodwash Company / Cwmni Molchi Da
2019 Winner: Hijinx
2018 Winner: Wales Millennium Centre
2017 Winner: City of the Unexpected
Arts & Creative
From PR agencies and designers, to galleries and festivals, this category seeks to recognise what makes Cardiff unique, benefitting residents and attracting visitors. Tell us what makes your organisation stand out, showcase and share the creativity of the city.
Previous Winners
2024 Winner: Mercury Theatre Wales
2023 Winner: E&W Couture
2022 Winner (Arts): Katherine Jones Artist
2022 Winner (Creative): Artist Nathan Wyburn
2021 Winner (Arts): Theatr Iolo
2021 Winner (Creative): Jammy Custard Animation
2020 Winner (Arts): Sherman Theatre
2020 Winner (Creative): Beth Morris Workshops
2019 Winner (Arts): Hijinx
2019 Winner (Creative): Cardiff Pottery Workshops Foundation
2018 Winner (Arts): Chapter Arts
2018 Winner (Creative): 4Wood TV & Film
2017 Winner (Arts): Sinfonia Cymru
2017 Winner (Creative): Jessica Draws Media
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, what new initiatives have worked well, how you attract repeat custom from locals and give a memorable experience to visitors.
Previous Winners
2024 Winner: The Gwaelod y Garth Inn
2023 Winner: Craft Republic
2022 Winner: Lab 22
2021 Winner: Craft Republic
2020 Winner: St Canna’s Ale House
2019 Winner: Lab22
2018 Winner: The Dead Canary
2017 Winner: The Dead Canary
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.
Previous Winners
2024 Winner: Ogi
2023 Winner: Orchard
2022 Winner: Absolute Performance
2021 Winner: A&R Services
2020 Winner: Visionary Food Solutions
2019 Winner: Illustrate Digital
2018 Winner: New Directions
2017 Winner: DevOpsGroup
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.
Previous Winners
2024 Joint Winners: 2wish & Cardiff Women’s Aid
2023 Joint Winners: bigmoose & Tŷ Hafan
2022 Winner: City Hospice
2021 Winner: Tŷ Hafan
2020 Winner: Welsh Hearts
2019 Winner: City Hospice
2018 Winner: Dreams & Wishes
2017 Winner: BulliesOut
Civic & Community
The Civic Award highlights the contribution of an organisation or company which has improved Cardiff 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 Cardiff.
Sponsored by:
Previous Winners
2024 Winner: Media Academy Cymru
2023 Winner: Media Academy Cymru
2022 Winner: FOR Cardiff
2021 Winner: Horn Development Association CIC
2020 Winner: FOR Cardiff
2019 Winner: Creative Cardiff
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 Cardiff in a bigger way?
Think you could come top of your class? Imagine winning!
Sponsored by:
Previous Winners
2024 Winner: Cardiff & Vale Tutors
2023 Winner: Nestlings Nursery
2022 Joint Winners: Cardiff Metropolitan University & Little Learning Bears
2021 Winner: Techniquest
2020 Winner: Proactive First Aid Solutions
2019 Winner: Media Academy Cardiff
2018 Winner: Media Academy Cardiff
2017 Winner: Cardiff and Vale College
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 Cardiff when it comes to employment.
Sponsored by:
Previous Winners
2024 Winner: New Directions
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.
Previous Winners
2024 Winner: Tafwyl
2023 Winner: City of Arcades Week by FOR Cardiff
2022 Winner: Dragged to Church
2021 Winner: Menter Caerdydd
2020 Winner: Tafwyl
2019 Winner: RoathRocks
2018 Winner: Cardiff Open Air Theatre Festival
2017 Winner: City of the Unexpected
Financial
This category is looking for all accountants, banks, financial advisors, insurance experts and more. This category is open to all financial companies in the area, supplying financial services to a broad client base of both businesses or consumers.
Previous Winners (formerly Legal & Financial)
2024 Winner: RWB Wealth
2023 Winner: Penguin
2022 Winner: Sanctuary Financial Planning
2021 Winner: Hek Jones Solicitors
2020 Winner: Martyn Prowel
2019 Winner: CJCH Solicitors
2018 Winner: Blake Morgan
2017 Winner: Greenaway Scott
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?
Previous Winners
2024 Winner: Simon Constantinou at O.Constantinou & Sons
2023 Winner: Keep the Faith Social Club
2022 Winner: Simon Constantinou
2021 Winner: Create Salon
2020 Winner: Goji Hair
2019 Winner: Simon Constaninou
2018 Winner: Jones The Barber
2017 Winner: Madame Wax
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: Sarah Alex Carter Wellbeing Coach
2023 Winner: Oasis Cardiff
2022 Winner: The Happy Hive
2021 Winner: Cardiff and Vale Arts for Health and Wellbeing
2020 Winner: Mumma Physio
2019 Winner: Friends of Pedal Power Project
2018 Winner: Ace Feet in Motion
2017 Winner: OlsenFitness
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.
Previous Winners (formerly Legal & Financial)
2024 Winner: AltraLaw
2023 Winner: Alun Jones Family Law
2022 Winner: Sanctuary Financial Planning
2021 Winner: Hek Jones Solicitors
2020 Winner: Martyn Prowel
2019 Winner: CJCH Solicitors
2018 Winner: Blake Morgan
2017 Winner: Greenaway Scott
Legends
New and exclusive for 2025! For the 10th Cardiff Life Awards, this special recognition category is for all Cardiff-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 Cardiff 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: The Royal Mint Experience
2023 Winner: The Parkgate Hotel
2022 Winner: Hensol Castle Distillery
2021 Winner: Clayton Hotel Cardiff
2020 Winner: Cardiff Castle
2019 Winner: Bay Island Voyages
2018 Winner: Wales Millennium Centre
2017 Winner: Cardiff Story Museum
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?
Previous Winners
2024 Winner: Weboss
2023 Winner: Cora
2022 Winner: Bloomfull
2021 Winner: iungo Solutions
2020 Winner: Wild Thing Café
2019 Winner: Credas
2018 Winner: Amdani Fitertainment Park
2017 Winner: Cheese Pantry
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.
Previous Winners
2024 Winner: Cleverchefs
2023 Winner: Hoop Recruitment
2022 Winner: Revised Recruitment
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 Cardiffs thriving built environment and how we use it.
Previous Winners
2024 Winner: PLATFORM_
2023 Winner: Design Management Partnership
2022 Winner: Trojan Group
2021 Joint Winners: Meanwhile House & Cardiff Containers and MWH Heating & Plumbing
2020 Winner: Vale Consultancy
2019 Winner: Charles James Development & Interiors
2018 Winner: Design Management Partnership
2017 Winner: Howells Solicitors
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.
Previous Winners
2024 Winners: Home, Penarth
2023 Winners: Matsudai Ramen
2022 Winners: The Dough Thrower
2021 Winners: The Gwaelod y Garth Inn
2020 Joint Winners: Chapel 1877 & La Cuina
2019 Winner: Milkwood
2018 Winner: Asador 44
2017 Winner: The Classroom Y Dosbarth
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 Cardiff 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.
Previous Winners
2024 Winner: Jokeshop.com
2023 Winner: Cardiff Farmers Market
2022 Winner: The Goodwash Company
2021 Winner: Cardiff Distillery
2020 Winner: Ecoslurps
2019 Winner: Pugh’s Garden Village
2018 Winner: Paperclip
2017 Winner: Leekes
Sustainability
The Sustainability Award is open to any Cardiff 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: Cardiff Cycle Workshop
2023 Winner: Forage Farm Shop & Kitchen
2022 Winner: Kindle Cardiff
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!
Previous Winners (formerly Technology & Innovation)
2024 Winner: Checks Direct
2023 Winner: Wales Interactive
2022 Winner: Stratigens from Talent Intuition
2021 Winner: Box UK
2020 Winner: AMPLYFI
Welsh Language
This Award is for any company or organisation which has had a significant new Welsh language initiative. This could be specific to a company (from menus to websites to funding team training: anything) or an organisation (such as a campaign or educational initiative). Anyone who has played a part in promoting the use of the Welsh language in Cardiff.
Previous Winners
2024 Winner: Menter Caerdydd
2023 Winner: Tafwyl
2022 Winner: Menter Caerdydd
2021 Winner: Mwnci
2020 Winner: The Goodwash Company/Cwmni Molchi Da