The ‘Golden Ticket’ event which sold out seven months in advance

Daniel Bevan - Editor

Image Credit: Gareth Danks/Child of Wales Awards

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Blanche Sainsbury, co-founder of the Child of Wales Awards, says this year’s ceremony is shaping up to be the biggest yet, with tickets and sponsorship already sold out months in advance and high-profile supporters returning.

Now in its fifth year, the awards have become a fixture in the Welsh events calendar, celebrating young people who have overcome adversity or made a positive impact in their communities while raising funds for children’s charities.

Sainsbury said: “It’s a wonderful evening which is full of joy. You hear the stories of the children, their families and the charities that support them. I think it’s an evening full of hope.”

She added: “When you’re having a bad day and you see some of the things that these children go through and how they come out the other end or what they do for the community, it’s a really inspirational evening that the whole community comes together to support.”

Sainsbury and her husband, Mark, launched the awards after long careers in media, motivated by a desire to spotlight positive youth stories.

The 2025 ceremony will once again take place at the Swansea Arena, with more than double the number of guests than attended the first, set to turn out.

She said: “We have 700 guests for dinner this year and we’re sold out. The event isn’t until October. We have no tickets, no sponsorship left. I think that just shows the power of the night.”

“You can’t hear a pin drop when you’re listening to those stories on video. It’s so respectful for the children. It’s so respectful of the things that they’ve achieved.”

This year’s ceremony will also feature a performance from The Brand New Heavies, one of the UK’s most successful soul and acid jazz bands.

“We are absolutely over the moon about that,” she said, describing securing the band as “a real coup”.

Sponsors, including returning partner Route Media, are central to the event’s success. “They are everything. Mark and I always said we wouldn’t put on an event unless it were an event that sponsors wanted to come back to.”

“And of course, we’ve raised over £300,000 for children’s charities.”

“They’re golden tickets to be able to get to the event… that shows that it’s the quality of the event and the effort that goes into making it a special night.”

Headline sponsor Ascona Group returns for 2026, alongside a strong line-up of corporate partners including Azets, BDP Wales, Blue Tiger, Bluestone Wales, Browne Jacobson, Cariad Occasions, Castell Howell, CJCH Solicitors, Gower College, Green Hat Consulting, JCP Solicitors, LBS Building Merchants, Lunar 3D, Owens Group, Route Media, Simply Elegant, Sinclair Group, Swansea Building Society, Swansea City FC, Team Wales, Thomas Carroll, Trade Centre Wales, Ultra Evo Group and Westacres. The awards choir will once again be led by Mark Jermin.

Nominations for the 2026 awards opened in January and organisers say they have already received powerful and inspiring stories from across Wales.

The nominations window remains open until 30 June, and members of the public are encouraged to put forward someone they believe deserves recognition.