KCLSU’s highly-anticipated awards night returns for 2025 on Tuesday, 27 May.
The jam-packed celebration will be held at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms, as per tradition. The sold-out event is black-tie, allowing 610 guests to get dressed up for one final time before the summer.
Alongside your finest threads, remember to bring your student ID. Guests attending who do not have a student ID should be under the name of those who purchased the ticket.
Attendees can expect a full evening of recognising students’ incredible achievements and dedication across the academic year. The award sections include: group awards, project awards and individual awards, with a huge increase in nominations for this year.
What can you expect from the event?
The evening will begin with a red carpet arrival, where Roar reporters will be on hand with microphones, ready to ask guests about the event. Photographers will be roaming throughout the event to capture award-winning moments and joyful celebrations.
Guests may arrive between 5:30-6:30pm if holding a dinner ticket, ready for a 7:30pm sit-down 3-course meal. Award-only ticket holders are to arrive between 8:00-8:45pm.
There will be an opportunity for students to connect with drinks before the award ceremony starts at 9pm. Student groups will be performing throughout the award ceremony, which will be hosted by actor and comedian Tom Rosenthal, best known for his role in Channel 4’s Friday Night Dinner.
Following the awards, an afterparty will give students the chance to celebrate in style, with a DJ, a 360° video booth, dancing and drinks, before the venue closes at 1am. The ceremony promises to be a memorable night, marking the end of the exam season and a year of hard work.
What are the awards about?
This year’s nominations significantly exceeded last year’s 1305 nominations, with 1679 nominations submitted. The awards will recognise achievements across group, individual and project categories.
Group awards include Group of the Year, Sports Club of the Year, Most Improved Group, New Group of the Year and Committee of the Year. Last year saw KCL St John Ambulance win Group of the Year, while KCL Tennis picked up Sports Group of the Year. Most Improved Group, Group of the Year and Sports Club of the Year are the third to fifth most competitive categories.
The individual awards include Honorary Life Membership, Laurel (an award for a graduating student who made an outstanding commitment to the student union), Volunteer of the Year, Sportsperson of the Year, Advocate of the Year and President of the Year. Other awards are also handed out to student volunteers. President of the Year is the most competitive category at the 2025 award ceremony, with 85% more nominations than last year.
The project awards include: Community Impact Project of the Year, Change Makers of the Year, Student Media Project of the Year and Event of the Year. Event of the Year is the second most competitive category, with nominations rising by 250% compared to last year.
The least competitive category this year is Change Makers of the Year, which saw nearly 50% fewer nominations than last year. If your society is planning its priorities for the year ahead, this could be an opportunity to consider!
For any students unable to make the night, keep an eye out on Roar’s Instagram and our website for live coverage of the event!
Grace Holloway is Roar's editor-in-chief managing the editorial side of our operation. She has gained valuable experience from Bloomberg as well as writing for Breaking Media, the Non-League Paper and Politics UK.
