Sabine Braun receives the Threlford Award from Baroness Jean Coussins

The CIOL Awards 2026 took place on 10 June 2026 at King’s College London, bringing together award winners, CIOL Council, Awards and Educational Trust Board members, partners and stakeholders to celebrate achievement, leadership and impact for linguists and languages. 

Celebrating the value of languages and of linguists

CIOL’s annual awards recognise outstanding contributions in the field of languages, alongside exceptional achievement in CIOLQ's professional qualifications in translation and interpreting.

In her opening remarks, Baroness Coussins, Honorary President of CIOL, welcomed guests and highlighted the importance of recognising both individual excellence and wider contribution. She noted that:

"There are few things better in life than the simple joy of celebrating the value of languages and of linguists."

She also shared that CIOL’s Royal Patron, HRH Prince Michael of Kent, had asked for his “very best wishes” to be passed on, along with his congratulations to this year’s winners. 

Recognising achievement in CIOL Qualifications

The event began with the presentation of CIOL Qualifications Awards, celebrating the highest-performing candidates in the Diploma in Translation (DipTrans), Certificate in Translation (CertTrans) and Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (DPSI). These awards recognise outstanding professional language ability at degree and master’s level. 

This year’s best candidates are:  

• Joana Cavaleiro from Portugal who achieved a Distinction in both CertTrans papers translating from English to Portuguese, 
• Duygu Türer from Turkey who achieved three Distinctions in the notoriously challenging DipTrans translating from English to Turkish.
• Aneta Flaza who is based in Scotland and achieved four Distinctions and a Merit in the DPSI Health in Polish.

All of the winners, live a long way from London, and as a result not all were able to attend. However, Duygu Türer along with her husband Kerem travelled from Turkey to attend. Duygu was the overall best DipTrans candidate across all languages, translating specifically from English into Turkish and scoring three consecutive Distinctions in her three DipTrans units – in effect nine hours of outstanding translation, with no outside assistance or help from AI, machine translation, or any digital tools.

Duygu Türer receives her award from Baroness Jean Coussins

Thanking the CIOL Qualifications Team and Educational Trust Board, Baroness Coussins emphasised that these awards reflect not only individual success, but also the strength and value of CIOL’s qualifications, which serve hundreds of candidates worldwide, in dozens of languages,  every year. 

Leadership and wider contribution

The David Crystal Award, recognising outstanding personal contributions to languages, was presented jointly this year.

The first award went to Mike Orlov. Sadly, Mike wasn't able to attend, but his citation read:

Having retired in April 2026 after seven years in post, Mike was a tireless campaigner for the rights of the public and of public service interpreters (PSIs) and for the importance of standards and regulation. As Chief Executive and Registrar of the National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI), the UK’s independent, voluntary register of professional interpreters working in the public sector, Mike has been both an enabler and an advocate for the greater recognition and regulation of public service interpreting in the UK.

John Worne reads Mike Orlov's citation

The second award went to Charles Forsdick, Drapers Professor of French at the University of Cambridge and Lead Fellow for Languages at the British Academy. His work with the British Academy team has brought together partners across the languages sector and supported initiatives that expand access to language learning and international opportunity - most notably the UK's return to Erasmus+. His citation read: 

Since taking over as lead for languages at the British Academy (BA), Charles has convened, influenced and enthused a wide group of partners and stakeholders, assembling a rich coalition of support for languages via the ‘convening power’ of the BA. Among the achievements has been the UK’s re-entry into the Erasmus+ programme, which was fully supported by the British Academy's languages programme and championed more broadly by the BA, and will make a transformational difference to the experience of a wide range of learners of languages - both those pursuing formal language study and those who take the opportunity to study and work in other countries via Erasmus+.

Charles Forsdick receives the David Crystal Award from Baroness Jean Coussins
 

In presenting both awards, Baroness Coussins highlighted the value of leadership that “convenes, influences and enthuses” in strengthening collaboration and impact for linguists and languages.

Long-term impact and innovation

The Threlford Cup, has been presented since 1935, recognising significant contributions to languages. This year it was awarded to the University of Surrey’s Centre for Translation Studies. 

The Centre is recognised for excellence in teaching and research, as well as for its role in bridging academia, public policy and professional practice. Its work includes leading research into the practical uses and limitations of AI in languages.

Professor Sabine Braun accepted the award on behalf of the whole Surrey team many of whom were there to receive Baroness Coussin's thanks and appreciation in person. Surrey CTS' citation read: 

Celebrating 40 years of their Masters in Translation, as well as their leading-edge research on the practical uses and limitations of AI for languages and linguists, Surrey CTS has established itself as a leading institution in the field of translation and interpreting studies. It is known for its high-quality educational programs, including their MA degrees in Translation, Audiovisual Translation, and Interpreting. The Centre attracts students from around the world. Its faculty has consistently demonstrated research excellence, contributing significantly to the academic discourse and performing well in research assessments – but also significantly influencing policy and practice in the real world. The Centre as a bridge between academia, public policy and the professional world of translation and localisation. Through interdisciplinary collaborations, public engagement initiatives, and a strong publication record, the Centre has not only advanced the academic field but also promoted broader understanding of translation and interpreting in society.

Baroness Coussins noted how important collaboration and public policy engagement are in promoting broader understanding of translation and interpreting, in this age of AI. 

Baroness Coussins with the Surrey University Centre for Translation Studies team
 

Baroness Coussins with Charles Forsdick, colleagues and family
 

Celebrating the value of languages

Closing the ceremony, Baroness Coussins reflected on the breadth of achievement represented across the awards.

She noted that the event recognised: 

“The highest levels of personal linguistic achievement, leadership for languages and a university centre’s long-term commitment to excellent teaching, research and wider impact."

She added that the awards highlight the difference languages can make: “in our own lives and in the lives of others”, when supported and promoted effectively.

The event concluded with congratulations to all winners for their “skills, service and contributions to languages”, and an opportunity for winners and guests to connect and celebrate together.