Finally, we can reveal the successful contenders who have made The Long List for the 2016 Good Funeral Awards
This year we have received more nominations than ever before, and with 24 categories, there are over 170 individuals or companies who will be considered for a chance to win one of the most covetable accolades in Funeralworld.
We don’t envy the judges their task this time around; the standard of entries is extraordinarily high, and the supporting testimonials that have been pouring in are heartfelt and often deeply grateful – many hundreds of people have taken the time to write in to tell us about the kindness, the skill or the care they received from their nominee when they were bereaved, and how much this meant to them.
Every letter or e-mail received in support of those named on the Long List will be handed over next week for the final decision making by the Good Funeral Awards judges, those eminences whose identities remain a closely guarded secret.
Their final choices of the winning entrants will be revealed at the glittering lunchtime Awards Ceremony on September 8th, which is being hosted by comedian and author Shappi Khorsandi at London’s grand Porchester Hall – an event made possible by the generosity of our main sponsor Funeralbooker, a donation from our good friends at Greenfield Creations and the support of our individual category sponsors (shown below).
Everyone is welcome to come along, whether or not you were nominated, or are on the 2016 Long List. The Good Funeral Awards are a day to celebrate the changing world of funerals and the wonderful people that inhabit it. And this year it’s going to be a very stylish occasion. Wear your best frocks. There will be cameras and journalists a-plenty; a London awards ceremony for the funeral industry is intriguing the media!
If you haven’t already booked your place at the best party in town, click here to order your ticket for the Awards Lunch, or e-mail us for an invoice.
And if you have made it to the 2016 Good Funeral Awards Long List, congratulations. Really, really well done. You should be immensely proud to see your name below.
The 2016 Good Funeral Awards Long List
1. Minister of the Year
Revd. Canon Gill Behenna (Chaplain among Deaf people in the Diocese of Bristol)
Revd. Kate Bottley (Vicar of the churches of Blyth, Scrooby and Ranskill and Chaplain to North Notts College)
Revd. Richard Mitchell (formerly of the Parish Church of St. Paul, Shurdington, now Canon Precentor at Gloucester Cathedral)
Revd. Melanie Toogood (Former Vicar of St. George & All Saints, Tufnell Park)
2. Celebrant of the Year (sponsored by Civil Ceremonies Ltd.)
John Banks
Diana Gould
Angela (Basira) Ward
3. Embalmer of the Year
Andy Holder
4. Coffin Supplier of the Year (sponsored by ECoffins)
5. Florist of the Year
6. Gravedigger of the Year
Ivor Davies (Caerphilly County Borough Council)
Martin House (Eden Valley Woodland Burial Ground)
Will Pearce
D. T. H. Burial & Churchyard Service
7. Cemetery of the Year
Eden Valley Woodland Burial Ground
Greenacres Woodland Burials Chiltern
Gardens of Peace Muslim Cemetery
8. Crematorium of the Year (sponsored by Scattering Ashes)
Thornhill Crematorium, Cardiff
9. Best Internet Bereavement Resource
10. Best Funeral Caterer
Tamworth Co-operative Funeral Service
11. Best Alternative to a Hearse
Harrison Funeral Home Electric Vehicle
12. Best Green Funeral Product
13. Most Significant Contribution to the Understanding of Death (sponsored by Final Fling)
Tamworth Co-operative Funeral Service
The Natural Death Centre Charity
14. Best Maker of Hand Carved Memorials in an Indigenous Material
The Cardozo Kindersley Workshop
15. Low Cost Funeral Provider of the Year
Express-Burials & Express Cremations
Wallace Stuart Funeral Directors
16. Green Funeral Director of the Year (sponsored by The Association of Green Funeral Directors)
17. Funeral Arranger of the Year
Angela Bailey at Harrison Funeral Home
Emma Fisher at Colin Fisher Funeral Directors
Sarah Lee of Holmes & Family Funeral Directors
Sarah Wolsey at Daniel Ross Funerals Ltd.
18. Most Promising New Funeral Director (sponsored by The Church of England)
Chloe Middleton (Rosedale Funeral Home)
C. S. Boswell Independent Family Funeral Services
Final Journey Funeral Directors
Youngs Independent Funeral Services
19. Modern Funeral Director of the Year (sponsored by The Natural Death Centre Charity)
Respect Direct Funeral Services
Tamworth Co-operative Funeral Service
The Individual Funeral Company
Town & Country Funeral Directors
Wallace Stuart Funeral Directors
20. Traditional Funeral Director of the Year (sponsored by A. R. Adams Funeral Directors)
David Crayton of John Lucas Funerals
Suzan Davies of Abbey Funeral Services
Oliver Holmes of Holmes & Family Funeral Directors
Tamworth Co-operative Funeral Service
The Individual Funeral Company
Wallace Stuart Funeral Directors
21. Most Innovative Death Public Engagement Event
22. Mortuary Assistant or Team of the Year (including Anatomical Pathology Technicians)
Wayne Day at T. E. W. Hickson Ltd.
Lara-Rose Iredale at Guys & St. Thomas NHS Foundation Trust
Louise Milligan at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust
Hannah Nutbeem at Heart & Soul Funeral Directors
The team at The John Radcliffe Hospital
23. Crematorium Assistant of the Year
Steve Biggs at Mortlake Crematorium
Roy Paget at Solihull Bereavement Services
Gary Paterson at Breakspear Crematorium
Paul Rayner at Solihull Bereavement Services
Carolyne Reeve at Teesside Crematorium
The entire team at Golders Green Crematorium
The entire team at Redditch Crematorium
24. Lifetime Achievement Award
Nicholas Albery (posthumously)
Congratulations to all the nominees. It’s so great to see so many people / companies from the natural death movement taking funerals forward.
What an amazing long list! Really proud and honoured to be among such amazing companies and people.
Look forward to the awards lunch so see you all.
Wow!! Feeling honoured and excited to be nominated this year and especially proud to see so many members of our Home Funeral Network on this long list. Congratulations and good luck to all X
Congratulations to everyone nominated! Can’t wait to celebrate with you all on 8th September.
Very proud to have been nominated – thank you.
Cant wait to see everyone at this amazing event.
Really hope your recognised for your kind understanding of what people go through at the end of there journey,woodland wishes is a amazing place x
Deeply privileged and so proud to be still serving amazing families. Helping to a difderence for the last 46 years and counting. Being part of the formidable Natural Death Centre Team, being my abiding sheer joy and inspiration.
Thank you. Josefine, Susan, Rosie, Tracy, Lara and Ru. Bless you Charles Cowling and Fran. Honoured to be on this incredible list – made it!!
…even if you have gone over to The Dark Side!
Exciting to see so many people swimming in the pool. Should be a great event on the 8th.
Honoured to be long list nominated for Most Significant Contribution to the Understanding of Death.
We are presently immersed in the making of our next film : a feature documentary working title The Good Grief Project to be completed later this year. Wish us luck. We need it!
So happy to be on the very long list of funeral celebrants nominees….congratulations to everyone on the list, and well deserved everyone…
Congratulations to everyone nominated, I am feeling very proud to be included and looking forward to a great event. Good luck everyone.
Congratulations to everyone who has been nominated and long listed. I feel really honoured to be on the long list for a life time achievement award, but also nice to be associated with such top notch memorial masons, florists, funeral directors and celebrants. I’m really looking forward to the award ceremony, I’ve been to events that Fran has organised before so I know we’ll be in for a treat. Well done everyone and well done to all the judges too, it must have been mighty hard work!
As a small independent local Co-operative Society (Tamworth) we are proud and pleased to have been nominated. look forward to meeting like minded people and companies. Good Luck to everyone.
Wow, Nominated for Grave Digger of the year!! what an honour that would be to be awarded such a well respected title. Fingers crossed!!
I pride myself on doing a good job for those I serve as my work is an extension of the funeral directors services. If my grave s were not perfect, then this would reflect on the funeral firm who has engaged me.
Wow!
There are a great number of amazing people up for Lifetime Achievements Awards. I feel honoured and much humbled to be listed with you! What fun!
Well done to everyone on the list, can’t wait til September Love Lel and Sarah x
Just reading through the long list of nominations. Congratulations to everyone who made the shortlist.
As an independent co-operative I am pleased to see that Tamworth Co-operative has been nominated, congratulations Amanda.
24 celebrants but only 4 ministers? Surprised that not more ministers have been nominated (or at least reached the shortlist) and perhaps more diversity as the few that have made the list look to be all Church of England.
I look forward to reading about the Awards Ceremony
Honoured to be considered for the Celebrant of the Year title.
Good luck to all nominees in all categories!