Awards Presenter
Jason Manford
Salford born Jason Manford is one of the UK’s leading performers. He is a multi-talented, award-winning comedian, presenter, actor and singer of stage and screen.
Jason has presented numerous shows for the BBC and ITV including ITV’s New Year’s Eve Show, Unbeatable, Sunday Night at The Palladium and The Royal Variety Performance. He has also hosted BBC One's primetime show Big Night of Musicals for the third time and has had several of his own comedy specials air on BBC1 too. He joins the cast of Waterloo Road as a new head teacher on BBC1 this Autumn.
Jason has starred in numerous stage musicals in the West End and across the UK, including Sweeney Todd, The Producers, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Guys and Dolls, and Curtains. Last summer he starred as the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz at The London Palladium.
He will be on a national stand-up tour from August 2024 with A Manford All Seasons.
Past presenters and VIP Guests
A Who's who of our awards
- Rory Bremner - Impressionist Rory Bremner stepped in to present the 2014 Awards, after the late Sir John Hurt was diagnosed with cancer just weeks before our event. Rory has been the master of ceremonies at both the 2014 and 2015 Awards.
- Sir John Hurt - The Oscar nominated actor was due to present our first awards in 2014 but had to withdraw due to ill health. He sent a video message to our attendees though and followed up in 2015 with another heart felt message for the industry. Sir John is sadly missed, and was a keen supporter of Energy Efficiency and tackling fuel poverty.
- Brian Blessed - in 2014 Rory was joined by the great Brian Blessed, CBE, newly back from Russia where he had been doing full cosmonaut training in a bid to go into space.
- Sir Ranulph Fiennes - Rory returned in 2015 along with explorer, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, a man who knows a thing or two about living in the cold.
- Dame Joanna Lumley -the fabulous, Joanna Lumley, presented the 2016 Awards, and regaled the audience with her own experience of poor damp housing in the 1960s as a young struggling actress.
- Sir Lenny Henry - Comedian, Sir Lenny Henry, announced the winners in 2017 and 2018.
- James Nesbitt, OBE - Actor, James Nesbitt, announced the winners at the 2019 National Energy Efficiency Awards, and even treated us to his fabulous voice singing Sinatra songs with our live band.
- Tom Allen - Comedian, Tom Allen, joined us in 2021 to present the first awards after the COVID lockdown cancelled the 2020 awards.
- Hugh Dennis - Actor, comedian, and impressionist Hugh Dennis presented the awards in 2022.
- Dick Van Dyke - Vetran actor, Dick Van Dyke, sent a video message to the industry in 2015 thanking them for all their fine work and appologising for his cockney accent in Mary Poppins.
- Dara O'Brien - Irish comedian, Dara O'Brien, joined us in 2017 to tell a few jokes and entertain the audience.
- Toyah Willcox- The iconic punk singer, Toyah, joined us in 2022 to sing a few songs and
perform with the RPJ Band - Tony Hadley MBE - the Spandau Ballet singer also joined the band to sing a few songs after presenting the 2023 Awards.