The Inaugural Invictus Spirit Awards 2026 Presented by ATCO Celebrate Individuals Across the International Invictus Community
The Invictus Spirit Awards 2026 presented by ATCO brings together the global Invictus Community for a new awards and gala fundraising event, raising vital funds for the Invictus Games Foundation’s year-round programmes.
The Duke of Sussex, Founding Patron of the Invictus Games Foundation, is attending the event, which will recognise fourteen inspirational nominees from around the world, across six award categories. The awards celebrate individuals whose stories embody the Invictus Spirit and the people who have supported them on their journeys.
Nominees include Hari Budha Maghar, the first double above-the-knee amputee to summit Mount Everest, and Jonny Huntington, the first disabled person to ski solo and unsupported to the South Pole. Also among them are fundraisers Doug Griffiths, who has raised over AUD $21,900 for Invictus Australia while undergoing treatment for terminal cancer, and Scotty Darroch, who raised £12,000 walking 96 miles of Scotland's West Highland Way to raise awareness of veteran mental health.
The evening, opened by James Corden, will feature a headline performance from Jess Glynne, before celebrations continue with a set from DJ Sonique later in the evening.
At the heart of the event will be the nominees themselves, whose stories demonstrate the extraordinary impact of recovery through sport, service, determination and community. The awards will recognise different aspects of the Invictus Spirit and celebrate not only individual achievement, but the families, friends, supporters and wider community who make those journeys possible.
While the Invictus Games provide a powerful global moment for the community, the Foundation’s work extends far beyond the Games themselves. Funds raised will help create more life-changing opportunities through sport and adventurous challenge beyond the Games and allow the Foundation to further develop recovery programmes in countries where access to adaptive sport remains limited.
Guests on the night will have the opportunity to bid on an exceptional collection of auction prizes and memorabilia donated in support of the Foundation. Highlights include a signed helmet from Lewis Hamilton; guitars from Coldplay; and jackets from Jon Bon Jovi, alongside further unique experiences and items to be revealed on the night.
Rob Owen OBE, CEO of the Invictus Games Foundation, said:
“The Invictus Spirit Awards give us an opportunity to celebrate some truly remarkable people while also shining a light on what Invictus does every day of the year.
Our award nominees represent the courage, determination, friendship and service that define this community. We are enormously grateful to everyone who nominated them and helped us uncover these extraordinary stories.
This evening is also about what comes next. Every pound raised will help us create more opportunities for wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans to experience the transformative power of sport, challenge and community.”
Nancy Southern, Chair & CEO ATCO, said,
“Our support for the Invictus Movement reflects our deep respect for those who have served in defence of democracy and peace. Today’s honourees embody the resilience, determination and service that define the Invictus Spirit.”
The inaugural Invictus Spirit Awards come at an important moment for the Invictus Community, ahead of the Invictus Games Birmingham 2027, when the Games will return to the country where the Invictus story began.
Also taking place today is the sixteenth Armed Forces Community Awards at Soldiering On, representing over 1000 people in one evening across London celebrating great work across the military community. The Duke of Sussex provided a video message honouring the broader Armed Forces family played during the event in Westminster.
About the Invictus Games Foundation
The Invictus Games Foundation is an international charity supporting wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans through sport. The Foundation delivers year-round opportunities for recovery and rehabilitation across its international community, with the Invictus Games forming one part of its wider work to support recovery, connection and continued participation in sport.
About ATCO
As a global enterprise, ATCO Ltd. and its subsidiary and affiliate companies have approximately 20,000 employees and assets of $28 billion. ATCO is focused on delivering essential solutions across the housing, energy and defence sectors, helping build, power and protect a future everyone can count on. ATCO Structures delivers innovative modular solutions that help communities address growing housing demand while supporting industry and economic growth. Canadian Utilities, an ATCO subsidiary, delivers safe and reliable energy services through its utilities, midstream and generation businesses. Together, these operations provide essential electricity and natural gas infrastructure, generation and storage solutions that support customers, communities and industry. ATCO Frontec provides construction and operational support services for defence and security operations. ATCO also has investments in energy retail services through ATCO Energy, as well as ports and transportation logistics, the processing and marketing of ash, retail food services and commercial real estate. More information can be found at www.ATCO.com.