Breaking barriers and building futures: Inside E.ON UK’s first playmaker awards

E.ON UK has brought together colleagues from across Britain for the inaugural Playmaker Awards – a day charged not with kilowatts but with pride, possibility and people power.

More than 700 nominations were submitted.

Over 200 colleagues were shortlisted.

And, in the end, only seven winners were chosen.

But the true spirit of the awards wasn’t about trophies or spotlights – it was about recognising those who make others better, those who dismantle barriers, those who carry an idea through brambles and hedges and never stop until the game has changed.

As one attendee at the awards, held at the end of September, put it: “A playmaker isn’t just someone who leaves everything on the field – they go through the hedge, they don’t think about barriers, and they give it their all.”

Why Playmakers Matter

Energy is, at its heart, a collective enterprise.

To make sustainable energy work for everyone, you need the trailblazers, the collaborators, the champions of inclusion and the quiet leaders who ensure every voice is heard.

The Playmaker Awards exist to celebrate exactly that: the people who don’t just hit their targets but redefine what’s possible – whether it’s harnessing AI for customers, expanding renewable projects, or, in the case of this year’s winners, lifting up entire communities within E.ON UK.

The awards were as much about connection as recognition.

Colleagues – captured on video sharing their feelings about the day here – described the event as “engaging, inspiring and inclusive”.

For many, it was a chance to put names to faces, to celebrate achievements that often go unnoticed and to see what happens when personal stories spark lasting change.

Organisers were delighted to welcome Chelsea Pitman, Head Coach of Nottingham Forest Netball – and the team’s new mascot Marian the Doe – to the awards.

The celebration also featured winners receiving prizes from E.ON UK’s partners – including signed shirts and exclusive experiences from The Football Association and Nottingham Forest Netball.

England footballing icon Eni Aluko MBE also delivered an inspirational keynote speech and joined E.ON UK’s CEO Chris Norbury to present the prestigious Playmaker of the Year Award.

Spotlight: Jo Hammond, Inclusion Champion of 2025

Among the standout winners was Jo Hammond recipient of the Inclusion Champion Award.

Jo, pictured above with her award and interviewed here, has become a driving force for disability inclusion across E.ON – not from the sidelines, but by bravely leading from the front.

As she lives with multiple sclerosis, Jo has been able to use her experience to dismantle stigma and open conversations that too often remain closed.

She is a leading voice in adaptABILITY, E.ON UK’s disability inclusion network, and the creator of The OffCentre initiative – an immersive, sensory-rich experience that allows colleagues to step into the daily realities of living and working with disability.

The impact has been extraordinary.

Since its launch in April, more than 500 colleagues have walked through The OffCentre, leaving with a new empathy for invisible conditions such as fatigue, chronic pain and anxiety.

The results speak louder than any speech:

• 94% feel more confident talking about disability
• 93% feel more confident requesting adjustments
• 87% feel more confident supporting a colleague
• 53% have since shared their own disability

For Jo, the award was more than personal recognition.

She said: “It’s massive and a huge, huge win for adaptABILITY as a network. 

“Being a Playmaker means driving meaningful change that makes a massive impact, creates opportunity and pushes the organisation forward for everyone who works here.”

Her advice to future playmakers? 

“Never give up the dream on a brilliant idea… Don’t give up and keep on pushing.”

Julian Lennertz, CCO of E.ON Next, pictured below presenting Jo with her award, recalled the moment she shared her personal story on stage.

He said: “Her courage, creativity and relentless advocacy have created lasting change — making E.ON a more inclusive and understanding place for all.”

The other big six

While Jo’s Inclusion Champion Award captured hearts, the Playmaker Awards also shone a light on colleagues driving impact across every corner of the business.

The first recognition of the day went to Joshua Shahani, below, who was crowned Customer Champion of the Year.

Joshua was celebrated for his dedication to understanding the individual needs of customers and shaping solutions that truly put them at the centre.

In an industry where trust is built one conversation at a time, his work stood out as a model for customer care done right.

The Trailblazer Award was awarded to the Eco2Solar Acquisition Team, below, whose vision and bold innovation are helping accelerate the clean energy transition.

Their project was recognised not only for commercial success, but for its role in redefining what the future of energy could look like.

Digital innovation also took centre stage, with the AI Self-Service Squad, below, securing the title of Digital Changemaker. Their pioneering use of generative AI is transforming the way E.ON UK supports customers, showing how technology, when used creatively, can make life simpler and more empowering for millions.

Leadership, too, was given its moment of recognition. Jackie Brown received the Outstanding Leadership Award, seen being handed out below.

It was a testament to her commitment to people development and her belief that every voice deserves to be heard. Though unable to attend in person, her impact was warmly acknowledged, with colleagues crediting her for creating a culture where people feel valued, listened to and encouraged to thrive.

The spirit of collaboration was celebrated through the Fast Forward Women’s Network, below, winners of the Collaboration Champion Award.

Their work has amplified women’s voices in leadership and created space for stronger, more diverse teams across E.ON UK.

It was a powerful reminder that progress is never made alone – it is achieved when people come together with a shared purpose.

Finally, the evening’s most prestigious title, Playmaker of the Year, was awarded to Adam Curran, below. His groundbreaking solution to tackle energy affordability for fuel-poor households struck at the very heart of E.ON’s mission: ensuring no-one is left behind in the energy transition.

Adam’s work showed how ingenuity, empathy and determination can converge to make an immediate and tangible difference in people’s lives.

Taken together, these winners painted a picture of what it means to be a Playmaker at E.ON: innovators, collaborators, leaders and advocates – each one shaping a company where progress is measured not just in megawatts, but in the lives made better along the way.

Beyond the Winners

From the AI Self-Service Squad redefining digital service with generative AI, to the Fast Forward Women’s Networkpowering collaboration and leadership, to Adam Curran’s groundbreaking work tackling energy affordability, every winner demonstrated that being a Playmaker is not a role – it’s a responsibility.

And every nominee and winner proved something vital: playmakers aren’t rare – they’re everywhere.

In every team, in every role, in every corner of the business.

As the lights dimmed and colleagues drifted out, one message lingered: this was not just about awards.

It was about a movement – a community of people who believe that energy, like opportunity, should work for everyone.

And the awards proved that when one playmaker shines, we all do.