Entries have officially opened for Bodyshop Magazine’s two high-profile independent awards initiatives which will recognise and celebrate the accident repair industry’s highest achievers and rising stars for 2025.
We have once again teamed up with 3M to deliver Bodyshop Magazine’s increasingly popular 30 Under 30: Rising Stars programme, and we will be making further announcements in the new year regarding other key partnerships for the Bodyshop Awards 2025.
Bodyshop editor Simon Wait said: “We’ll have some some exciting news to report about the industry’s oldest and most coveted Awards programme, including a change to some of the categories, some additions, and the date and venue for next autumn’s showcase event.
“I recommend everyone in our industry starts thinking about who among their team-mates, clients, or suppliers deserves to be recognised by the magazine and their peers, and then head over to our website to nominate the best of the best.
“Our 30 Under 30 initiative is one of the industry’s favourite competitions, alongside the apprentice, technician and repairer awards that we run, and it continues to illustrate that the future of our industry is in good hands. 3M’s dedication to developing and nurturing new and existing talent blends perfectly with our own vision. And teaming up once more with other forward-thinking organisations such as Axalta, Repairify, the IAEA and Thatcham Research, to name just a few, will advance the UK body repair industry’s oldest and most prestigious independent awards competition to yet another exciting level.”
Next year, Bodyshop Magazine will celebrate its 38th birthday and the Awards will turn 29. It will also see the ninth edition of the 30 Under 30 initiative which was established in 2017 to mark the 30th anniversary of the magazine.
To qualify for 30 Under 30, nominees must be 30 years of age or under on 30 September 2025 and work within the UK collision repair industry and its supply chain. They can hold any job role, with past winners coming from apprentices and technicians, recruiters and front-of-house staff, VDAs, bodyshop managers and business owners, paint and consumables suppliers, marketers and distributors, insurers, vehicle manufacturers, and more.
Those who fit the criteria can nominate themselves or be entered by their peers, bosses and colleagues via our streamlined 30 Under 30 online nomination form. The final line-up of 30 winners, as chosen by an independent panel of industry experts and Bodyshop Magazine, will be celebrated live on stage during the Bodyshop Awards 2025 event next autumn.
Entries for both the 30 Under 30: Rising Stars and Bodyshop Awards 2024 opened on 1 December 2024 and nominations will remain open for four months until 31 March 2025. Click the following links to enter either the Bodyshop Awards 2025 or 30 Under 30, or both:
The line-up of major awards categories established in 1997 will continue once again next year and includes Technical Training Provider, Supplier, and VDA of the Year. Bodyshop categories for 2025 will include the ever-popular Bodyshop Manager of the Year, best Bodyshop Group for multi-site operators, and Small, Medium and Large Bodyshop of the Year.
The Technician and Apprentice Awards for skilled panel and paint technicians are all about promoting and recognising body repair and refinish excellence and inspiring the next generation of paint sprayers and panel techs to pursue a career in our industry.
The Advanced Technologies Technician of the Year category, which was introduced in 2022, is open to the very best MET and multi-skilled technicians who must hold a current qualification or accreditation at Level 3 or above in both EV and ADAS.
2025 will also see the return of the Apprentice MET category for first and second year apprentices specialising in Mechanical, Electrical and Trim, or pursuing a multi-skilled qualification.
The independent assessment processes for apprentices and technicians will take place online and in-person over the next seven months to ensure these Bodyshop Magazine categories remain challenging and unique within the crash repair industry. They are specifically designed for bodyshop employees working on the front line of repairs, some of whom will be experienced professionals while others will be working towards their apprenticeship qualifications.
With the race to find our 2025 Awards finalists now under way, please look out for future issues of Bodyshop Magazine, visit www.bodyshopmag.com to submit your nominations, and come back regularly to stay up to date, to meet our independent expert jury, and to feel the Bodyshop Awards buzz as it builds throughout the year.
