Newsweek and BrandSpark International Celebrate the UK's 2026 Most Trusted Brands at London Event
2026 BrandSpark Most Trusted® Awards recognise winners across 166 categories, based on a national survey of over 20,000 UK shoppers
LONDON, March 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Newsweek and BrandSpark International hosted the 2026 Newsweek / BrandSpark Most Trusted® UK Brands Awards celebration at Canada House in London on Thursday March 12th, 2026, bringing together some of the UK's most recognised consumer brands for an evening of recognition, insight, and industry networking.
The BrandSpark Most Trusted Awards, now in their fourth year in the United Kingdom and their thirteenth year in the United States and Canada, honour brands that have earned the genuine trust of British consumers. This year's Programme is the most comprehensive to date, based on a national consumer survey of 20,041 UK shoppers and encompassing 104,017 brand evaluations across 166 categories, including 55 brand new categories and 111 returning categories from previous editions.
"Trust is one of the most powerful and durable assets a brand can have," says Robert Levy, President of BrandSpark International. "These Awards exist to celebrate the brands that have earned it honestly — through consistency, quality, and a genuine commitment to their consumers. We are proud to recognise this year's winners and to continue growing the Most Trusted Awards programme in the UK." Amit Shah, Executive Vice President, Newsweek says, "At Newsweek, trust sits at the heart of our journalism and our mission, and so we're proud to partner with BrandSpark on the Most Trusted Awards programme that is grounded in rigorous research and reflects our commitment to helping consumers navigate an increasingly complex marketplace."
Robert Levy shared insights from the BrandSpark UK Trust Study including:
- In this year's 166 UK categories, the average number one trust share sits at 39% with a range stretching from 11% all the way to 83%, showing that while in some categories trust is fiercely contested and in others one brand has near total ownership, both situations present strategic opportunities for brands; and
- 50 of the 166 trust leaders show significantly different performance with younger consumers: 30 brands over index with the 18–34-year-olds and 20 brands under index. The top 5 brands among the 18–34-year-olds are Heinz Ketchup, Fairy, Heinz Baked Beans, Durex and Always, which highlights that these brands have built something rare: near universal trust with the next generation of shoppers.
BrandSpark also shared that in a recent UK consumer survey 66% of consumers said that seeing the BrandSpark Most Trusted Awards seal would positively influence their consideration of a brand and associate the award with satisfaction trustworthiness, value and consistency.
A case study was also presented highlighting BrandSpark's leading edge application of AI to its wealth of proprietary trust data and showed how the BrandSpark Intelligence platform can now help guide brands about where to go next.
An Evening of Celebration at Canada House
The event was held at Canada House, the historic home of the High Commission of Canada, situated in the heart of London's Trafalgar Square. The evening was co-hosted in partnership with the Ontario Trade and Investment Office, represented by Latham French, Counsellor Commercial, who welcomed guests and highlighted Ontario's position as a global hub for advertising, creative, and consumer goods industries, as represented by BrandSpark and its international consumer awards programmes, and called the event "a special opportunity for us to shine a light on the extraordinary talent and business strength growing out of Ontario, Canada."
Guests were welcomed at a reception before gathering for a celebration of the winners which included an overview of the Most Trusted Awards methodology, trust insights from BrandSpark International, and a conversation on the evolving landscape of consumer trust that featured Anika Devaney, Head of Marketing & External Communications at Slimming World in conversation with Robert Levy. The discussion touched on how brands navigate shifting consumer expectations, category disruption, and the role of credible, research-backed recognition in building long-term loyalty.
The brands in attendance were some of the most recognisable names in British households — including Durex, Clearblue, LEGO, Calpol, Vanish, Dulux, Tropicana, Norton, Phonak, Piri, Zovirax, Dreams and Persil as well as some newly emerging brands like Klarna— reflecting the breadth of categories covered by this year's programme, from everyday essentials and family staples to personal care, home products retail and services.
About the BrandSpark Most Trusted® Awards
The BrandSpark Most Trusted Awards programme was designed with two goals: to help consumers make better purchasing decisions by identifying the brands they can rely on, and to give brand marketers a credible, consumer-voted credential that communicates trust at every touchpoint. Winners have the right to license the use of the Most Trusted® logo in their marketing and advertising — a mark that carries genuine weight with shoppers.
This year's 2026 UK winners span a broad range of everyday consumer categories, from baby & kids, healthcare and household essentials to food, technology, personal care, retail and services. Many leading brands have already seen the benefit from leveraging their Most Trusted award win in their marketing activities including VAX. Gillette, Regaine, Emma Sleep, Russell Hobbs, Meaco, Clearblue and more. A full list of category winners is available at https://www.BrandSparkMostTrusted.com/
About BrandSpark International and Best New Product Awards Inc.
Founded in 2001, BrandSpark International is a research and consulting firm dedicated to providing brands with highly credible and actionable insights necessary to refine strategic brand positioning, build consumer trust, and enhance the success of new product launches. Best New Product Awards Inc. runs leading credential programs BrandSpark Most Trusted Awards in the UK, Canada, and the U.S., Best New Product Awards in Canada and the U.S., and the newly launched BrandSpark Worth it! Awards in the U.S.
About Newsweek
Newsweek is the global digital news organization built around the iconic 93-year-old American magazine. Newsweek reaches millions of people monthly with its thought-provoking news, opinion, rankings, graphics, and video delivered across a dozen print and digital platforms. Headquartered in New York City, Newsweek also publishes international editions in EMEA and Asia.
Permission from Best New Product Awards Inc. is required to use the BrandSpark Most Trusted Awards logos and claims.
Media Contact
For information or licensing please contact:
Megan Rybko
Senior Director, BrandSpark Most Trusted Awards
MRybko@BrandSpark.com
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