Annual Awards Ceremony 2026
The Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine UK brought together Fellows, Members, Diplomate Members, award winners, guests and friends, to the Royal College of Physicians in London, on Tuesday 29 September, for the 2026 Annual Awards Ceremony.
The ceremony is one of the highlights of the Faculty calendar, recognising professional achievements across Sport, Exercise, and Musculoskeletal Medicine, while welcoming the newest members of the FSEM community.
This year’s event also carries particular significance as the Faculty marks its 20th anniversary. Since being established in 2006, FSEM has grown to more than 1,100 members and expanded its work across education, examinations, professional standards, workforce development, and the promotion of physical activity.
The proceedings opened with a Presidential Address from FSEM President Dr Natasha Jones, who handed over to the College of Sport, Exercise and Musculoskeletal Medicine President-Elect, Dr Julia Newton, before the presentation of this year’s Honorary Fellowships.
Honorary Fellowships
Honorary Fellowship recognises individuals whose work has made an exceptional contribution to Sport and Exercise Medicine and its wider professional community.
Two Honorary Fellowships were conferred in 2026, recognising distinguished careers that have shaped athlete care, medical education, and the development of the speciality.
Dr Andrew Smith
Dr Andrew Smith received an Honorary Fellowship in recognition of his exceptional contribution to Sport and Exercise Medicine, player welfare, pre-hospital emergency care in sport and medical education at both national and international level.
Across more than three decades in rugby medicine, Dr Smith has supported athletes and teams from club and county level through to Premiership Rugby and World Rugby. His career has included work at Rugby World Cups, the London 2012 Olympic Games, Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and Paris 2024 Olympic Games, as well as medical involvement in more than 500 international rugby matches.
His influence extends far beyond the touchline. Dr Smith designed and leads the England Rugby Pre-Hospital Immediate Care in Sport Course, which helped establish a new benchmark for pitch-side medical training and later provided the foundation for World Rugby’s Immediate Care in Rugby programmes. Alongside his First Aid in Rugby programme, this work has reached more than 120,000 learners worldwide.
Professor Nick Webborn CBE
Professor Nick Webborn CBE was recognised for his outstanding contribution to Sport and Exercise Medicine and his pioneering role in developing Paralympic sports medicine as a distinct area of practice.
Professor Webborn has been involved in 15 Paralympic Games across clinical and leadership roles and served as Chief Medical Officer for ParalympicsGB at London 2012. He also contributed to the medical planning behind London’s successful Games bid and went on to serve as Chief Medical Officer for the inaugural Invictus Games in 2014.
His impact has also been felt through research, education and governance. With more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and over 20 textbook chapters, his work has contributed to advances in athlete welfare, injury surveillance, anti-doping and participation for athletes with disabilities. He served as Chair of the British Paralympic Association from 2017 to 2025 and subsequently became Chair of UK Sport.
Welcoming FSEM’s New Members
A central part of the annual ceremony is welcoming those who have reached the next stage of their professional journey with the Faculty.
The 2026 ceremony celebrated a new group of Fellows who have progressed through Specialty Examination and Higher Specialty Training in Sport and Exercise Medicine, or through the Portfolio Pathway, and have gained admittance to the Specialist Register in SEM. FSEM Awards Ceremony Booklet 20…
The Faculty also welcomed its newest Members, who have successfully completed all three FSEM Diploma examinations in Musculoskeletal Medicine, Exercise Medicine and Team Care. FSEM Awards Ceremony Booklet 20…
They were joined by a further cohort of Diplomate Members who have successfully completed one or more of the Faculty’s Diploma examinations, reflecting the breadth of professionals now engaging with FSEM’s education and assessment pathways. FSEM Awards Ceremony Booklet 20…
As the Faculty celebrates its 20th year, welcoming another generation of professionals is a timely reflection of how the SEM community continues to develop and grow.
Award Winners
Alongside welcoming new Fellows and Members, the ceremony recognised outstanding achievement across the Faculty’s examinations and wider academic community.
Macleod Medal Winner 2026
Named in honour of the late Professor Donald Macleod, the Macleod Medal recognises the candidate who achieves the highest mark across both parts of the Specialty Examination during the calendar year. Professor Macleod played an important role in the development of Sport and Exercise Medicine in the UK and in the foundations of what would later become FSEM.
The 2026 Macleod Medal was awarded to Dr Faiz Juneja of the University of London.
Vitruvuan Medal Award
The Vitruvian Medal Award, supported by the Society of Apothecaries, recognises the candidate who achieves the highest mark in the Diploma in Musculoskeletal Medicine examination.
This year’s award was presented to Dr Russell Hardman of the University of Leicester.
USEMS Essay Competition Winner
The annual Undergraduate Sports and Exercise Medicine Society Essay Competition gives students with an interest in SEM the opportunity to explore a topical issue and demonstrate their knowledge of the specialty.
This year, entrants were asked to consider: “AI in Sport and Exercise Medicine: A Powerful Ally or a Potential Risk?”
The 2026 Competition was won by Mr John Croasdale of the University of Sheffield.
Closing Remarks
The 2026 Annual Awards Ceremony provided an opportunity not only to celebrate individual achievement, but also to reflect on the continuing development of Sport and Exercise Medicine and the community behind it.
Twenty years on from the establishment of FSEM, the Faculty now has more than 1,100 members and a broader remit spanning examinations, education, professional standards, workforce development and physical activity promotion.
This anniversary year has also seen the introduction of new minimum standards for doctors working in sport, the launch of GP with Extended Role accreditation in Musculoskeletal Medicine and the development of Moving Medicine for Everybody.
As the Faculty looks towards its next chapter and the development of the College of Sport, Exercise and Musculoskeletal Medicine, the achievements celebrated at this year’s ceremony demonstrate the continued growth, breadth and ambition of the profession.
Congratulations to all of our 2026 Fellows, Members, Diplomate Members and award winners.
“Today is, of course, about celebrating achievement. To all our new members and fellows — congratulations. Every person being recognised today has done something worth celebrating. These achievements do not happen by accident. They’re built on years of curiosity, hard work, and genuine care for your patients, your teams, your colleagues. So please, take the moment. You’ve earned it.
This is genuinely a moment where individual voices can shape something lasting, and that is a rare and exciting opportunity. Thank you for the work, the dedication and the care that got you here. And thank you, in advance, for being part of building what comes next.”
Dr Julia Newton, CSEM President-Elect
Ceremony Photos
A full selection of photographs from the 2026 Annual Awards Ceremony will be available to view here soon.