The BBC has announced the eight winners of the 2026 Make a Difference Awards in Wales, selected from a pool of nearly 500 nominations. The ceremony took place at BBC Hoddinott Hall in Cardiff, where Lucy Owen of BBC Radio Wales and Caryl Parry Jones of BBC Radio Cymru presented the trophies. A judging panel comprising Rakie Ayola, Owain Wyn Evans, Joe Wilkins, Lauren Price, Robin Morgan, Bablu Shikdar, Anna Ryder Richardson, and Bronwen Lewis reviewed 32 finalists to determine the recipients.
The Environmental Award went to Ted Williams, who converted neglected tennis courts and adjacent land at Parc y Betws in Carmarthenshire into a functional wildlife and community garden. Noa-Rose Alderman, aged seven, received the Young Hero Award for converting her survival of meningitis into a fundraising campaign that has raised thousands of pounds for charity. Emma Parry from Swansea was named the recipient of the Active Award for establishing the Calon ADHD Project, an initiative she launched following the death of her daughter to secure funding for community activities.
Category judge Joe Wilkins noted that the Environmental Award winner demonstrated the utility of nature for wellbeing by sharing their experience with the local community. Judge Bronwen Lewis commented on the difficulty of selecting one winner from the Young Hero category due to the high volume of fundraising and resilience displayed by all nominees. Garmon Rhys, Interim Director of BBC Cymru Wales, stated that the high number of nominations reflects the scale of community contribution within the region.
The full list of eight winners was finalized after the panel assessed the 32 shortlisted candidates against specific criteria for community impact. The awards recognize individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to their local areas through acts of kindness and support. BBC Hoddinott Hall served as the venue for the presentation of all eight category prizes.