Meet the winners of BMI Apprentice of the Year 2026

Meet the Apprentices of BMI's 9th Apprentice of the Year Competition!
Apprentice of the Year
AOTY 2026 Finalists

On July 22nd and 23rd, 2026, twenty fresh faced and eager roofing apprentices put through their paces at this year’s BMI's Apprentice of the Year (AOTY) at the Academy in South Cerney.

Having been split equally between Flat and Pitched roofings specialisms, the groups had to complete a number of challenges, from spotting defects on a rig and sharing back with the judges, through to a personal presentation; some of which pushed the apprentices out of their comfort zone, whilst ultimately offering them growth opportunities and acumen for the future.

The event also included a panel discussion with three AOTY alumni, who in turn shared their experiences of completing the tasks, how they dealt with the pressure of the event and what they’ve gone on to do in their careers.

The two day event came to a climax with a lavish dinner and award ceremony, where the apprentices were joined by their tutors, employers and judges. The awards for both AOTY and Highly Commended in each category were then announced by BMI UK&I’s MD, Fraser Biles.

And for the winners? They walked away with the prestigious title of BMI Apprentice of the Year, a £1,000 cash prize and an incredible three years of complimentary access to advanced training courses through the BMI Academy.

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The inside view of Apprentice of the Year 2026

The inside view of Apprentice of the Year 2026

Fraser, BMI UK&I's Managing Director commented: “With the current recruitment pressures of our industry, encouraging, challenging and developing our apprentices is crucial, which is why our Apprentice of the Year programme is so important. 

“Congratulations to the winners and highly commended. I was so impressed by the calibre of all the apprentices and I wish them all every success in their future career in roofing.”

Fraser B AOTY 2026 Headshot

Meet the Winners


George Mcilhiney AOTY 2026 Flat Winner
George Mcilhiney

Winner of the Flat Category

ALfie Hurst AOTY 2026 Highly Commended
Alfie Hurst

Highly commended in the Flat category

Alexander Dempsey AOTY 2026 Winner
Alexander Dempsey

Winner of the Pitched roof category

Niall Dean AOTY 2026 Pitched Highly Commended
Niall Dean

Highly commended in Pitched roofing

Finalists in the Pitched Roof Category

Finalists in the Pitched Roof Category

🏠 Pitched Finalists:

🔨Jamie Carling - From Optimum Skills Limited & Alexander Sinclairs
🔨Luke Lewis - From Leeds College of Building & Dalton Roofing
🔨Nicholas Tarr - From Eastern Region Roof Training Group Ltd & Steadfast Roofing Ltd
🔨Jordan High - From Eastern Region Roof Training Group Ltd & Vertice Roofing & General Contractors, LLC
🔨Millie Sanders - From Langley & Leicester City Council
🔨Niall Dean - From Bolton College & Alpha Roofing (nw) Ltd
🔨Darren Haig - From Bolton College & Together Housing Group
🔨Tyler Gillbe - From Newcastle College & mj holliday roofing
🔨Antony Coghlan - From Greenlight Safety & Training & Ashcroft Services Ltd
🔨Alexander Dempsey - From Redcar & Cleveland College & Samuel Moore Roofing

Finalists in the Pitched Roof Category

Finalists in the Flat Roof Category

Finalists in the Flat Roof Category

📐 Flat Finalists:

🔨Keyan Miller - From Langley & Ashe Group
🔨Nicholas Hurdman - From Juniper Training Ltd & Absolute Roofing Solutions Ltd
🔨Fraser Jones - From Juniper Training Ltd & Rio Group
🔨Chris Lloyd - From SIMIAN & Sussex Asphalte Ltd
🔨Daniel Alan Morton - From Optimum Skills Limited & M & C Roofing Contractors Ltd
🔨Joel Nottage - From Langley & All Aspect Roofing & Solar Solutions
🔨Danny Bell - From Optimum Skills LimitedM&C Roofing Contractors Ltd
🔨George Mcilhiney - From Langley & E.g Swingler and Sons
🔨Libby Johnson - From SIMIAN & Complete Roofing Systems
🔨Alfie Hirst - From SIMIAN & KARL AUSTERFIELD ROOFING LIMITED

AOTY flat 2026

And a big thank you to our Judges!

And a big thank you to our Judges!

Our Flat judges -

Sarah Spink, CEO Liquid Roofing & Waterproofing Association (LRWA)

Duncan Murdock, Director NRA

Anthony Hogan, Technical Manager Single Ply Roofing Association (SPRA)

Our Pitched judges -

Oscar Darby, Founder Chess Roofing LTD

Edward Kelly, Editor Professional Housebuilder & Property Developer

Ben Rowlands, Technical Manager - Pitched roofing and solar integration NFRC

AOTY 2026 Tutors