Frequently asked questions

What are the Scope Awards? 

The Scope Awards celebrate the people and organisations who are working to end disability inequality.  

We want to hear from individuals, groups and organisations. Anyone who is working to create an equal future for disabled people. We want to share your stories. To amplify disabled voices and build a movement of change. 

When and where will be awards ceremony take place? 

The Scope Awards 2026 ceremony will be held on 30 April 2026 at the Kia Oval in London. The event will also be livestreamed here from 3pm to 5pm on the day.

Who is on the shortlist for the Scope Awards 2026?

You can view the full list of shortlisted nominees on the 2026 shortlist page.

When will the Scope Awards 2027 open for nominations?

Nominations for the 2027 Awards will open later in 2026. If you'd like to be notified of when nominations open, let us know by emailing awards@scope.org.uk.

How are you making sure the Awards are inclusive?

We are committed to prioritising and championing the diversity of the disabled community.

Some steps we have taken are:

• Including diversity and inclusion as one of our core shortlisting and judging criteria.
• Prioritising the diversity of our shortlisting panels and judging panels.
• Being clear about our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion in the guidance we give to the panel and judges.
• Supporting more people to make nominations. This includes publishing the judging criteria, providing examples and guidance and offering email and telephone support.
• Ensuring our judges are offered payment for their work.

How are you making sure the Awards ceremony is accessible?

The Scope Awards were launched in 2022 and co-designed with disabled people. This group advised us on accessibility. 

The insight from the pilot event helped to inform this year’s plans. And ensure that the venue and livestream are as accessible as possible. 

Invited guests will be asked for their specific accessibility requirements and we will ensure that we provide these. 

There will be live captioning and a BSL interpreter throughout the awards ceremony. The livestream video content will be audio described. 

How are the winners chosen? 

Each category is shortlisted by an internal panel.

The winners are chosen from the shortlist by an independent judging panel with a range of expertise in different areas. 

The shortlisting and judging panels both review the nominations against the judging criteria outlined in the nomination form. For more information about criteria, please visit the categories and criteria page.

Who is on the judging panel? 

We have an independent panel of disabled judges from a range of industries and with varied experiences. 

You can view our 2026 judging panel here.

Who designed the trophy?

The Scope Awards trophy was designed by Den Salazar, a graphic designer whose approach is informed by his limb difference. He developed the design from a brief co-produced with disabled people.

Who created the music played during the ceremony?

The ceremony music was composed by musician and producer Alex Marchisone, who has epilepsy.