Public voting has officially begun for the 2026 Smiley Charity Film Awards, the world’s leading initiative celebrating films that promote charitable work and social impact. With more than 500 entries, the contest continues to be recognised as the “Oscars of the charity world”.
This year’s line-up features a wide range of charities, from smaller community organisations such as Bristol Animal Rescue Centre to major national organisations including Dementia UK. Each charity is now encouraging the public to back their film through an online vote.
Organisers have noted that voting takes less than two minutes, calling it “quicker than eating a mince pie”, and emphasised that this small gesture may be the deciding factor between a shortlisted finalist and a film that “fades into the background”. The awards ceremony will take place in March 2026.
Since launching eight years ago, the initiative has supported more than 5,000 charities, engaged nearly 1 million voters and delivered over 350 million viewing impressions. Last year’s digital awards ceremony drew 181,000 viewers, reflecting the continued growth of the campaign.
The films entered this year highlight a broad scope of social and humanitarian themes, including disability rights, mental health, youth support, homelessness response, international development, and animal welfare. Categories are determined by annual charity income, ranging from under £100,000 to over £50 million, maintaining a balanced and competitive process.
Public voting results will determine the shortlist, due to be announced in February 2026. A professional judging panel will later decide the winners.
Past judges and supporters have included representatives from the BBC, BFI National Archive, Meta, LinkedIn, HSBC and Airbnb, alongside celebrity presenters such as Tamzin Outhwaite, Scarlette Douglas, Patrick Grant, Jeff Brazier, Patsy Palmer, Una Healy and Patsy Kensit.
Speaking about the launch of public voting, Nicolas Loufrani, Founder of the Smiley Movement (the CIC powering the Awards), said: “The Charity Film Awards show what happens when creativity meets compassion. These films don’t just tell stories they change lives by sparking awareness, funding, and action. Every vote helps amplify a cause that might otherwise go unheard. With over 500 powerful films this year, the public has a real opportunity to shape which stories get national attention.”
Members of the public can watch and vote for charity films online by:
- Searching by charity name
- Browsing by UN Sustainable Development Goal
- Filtering by charity size or category
- Or exploring all films
Voters can support as many films as they wish (one vote per film).
Voting closes: 31 January 2026.
