Last year’s awards underscored the depth and energy of our community. We saw a record 50,000 votes cast across the categories, demonstrating how invested shooters, retailers, keepers and enthusiasts are in celebrating excellence. These awards are not decided by a small committee behind closed doors, they are shaped by the people who live and breathe this world and use these products every day. That authenticity is what makes the Great British Shooting Awards the most respected and influential accolades in the sector.
A CELEBRATION POWERED BY THE UK’S LARGEST SHOOTING MEDIA NETWORK
The thing that truly sets these awards apart is the media engine behind them. Time Well Spent now operates the largest combined shooting and firearms media estate in the UK and Europe. Across print, digital, video and social, our brands reach a scale no other organisation in the sector can match.
Across titles such as The Shooting Times, Airgun World, Sporting Gun, Rifle Shooter, Fieldsports Journal, Gundog Journal, Gun Trade Insider, Gun Trade World and more, our annual print run exceeds two million copies, placing high-quality journalism and product coverage directly into the hands of highly engaged hunting and shooting enthusiasts.
Digitally, our combined brand websites generate more than 5.7 million annual views and upwards of 31 million events, with more than 4.1 million active users across our platforms.
Our social channels collectively reach over 915,000 followers, and across the group we deliver 25 million video views and a staggering 185 million impressions annually.
Simply put; when the Great British Shooting Awards campaign goes live, it reaches the entire shooting ecosystem, from casual airgunners right through to industry leaders and highly specialised professionals.
This unparalleled reach is the reason the awards are so trusted. Manufacturers, distributors, clothing and accessory brands, shooting grounds, keepers, cartridge manufacturers, rifle builders, optics companies and content creators all recognise the visibility and credibility that a shortlisting or a win brings.
WHY WE CONTINUE TO INVEST IN THESE AWARDS
As a group, Time Well Spent exists to champion the very best of shooting and firearms culture, fieldcraft, conservation and outdoor sporting life. The awards are a natural extension of that mission.
We are all aware our industry is worth over £2 billion annually and includes 1.6 million active participants, 548,000 shotgun certificate holders, 156,000 FAC holders, and millions of legally owned firearms. This is a community that contributes enormously to the economy, to rural employment, and crucially to conservation, with shooters collectively delivering 3.9 million workdays of habitat and wildlife management each year.
Recognising excellence matters. It drives standards higher, encourages innovation, maintains the integrity of the sport, and shines a light on individuals and organisations who dedicate their lives to improving it.
For us at TWS, hosting these awards is part of our responsibility as the leading media voice in the field. It’s our way of offering a platform that celebrates achievements that may otherwise go unrecognised in the wider sector.
WHY SPONSORING A CATEGORY IS SO POWERFUL
One of the questions I’m often asked by brands is: “What does sponsoring a category actually do for us?” The simple answer is it delivers extraordinary visibility and alignment with excellence. A category sponsorship is amplified across the full five-month integrated campaign that runs from November to March. That includes:
• Branding across print announcements and voting pages
• Digital promotion across all TWS websites Amplification across our social channels (totalling nearly 1 million followers)
• Inclusion in newsletters that reach more than 135,000 subscribers across the group
• Presence in YouTube content viewed over 9 million times annually
• Targeted promotion encouraging audiences to vote
Category sponsors also receive advertorial opportunities, prime magazine placements, multiple newsletter MPUs and social push-outs.
For many brands, this is the single most effective marketing activity of their year. It connects them directly to the most engaged portion of the market during the most commercially significant period. Most importantly, sponsoring a category demonstrates a commitment to advancing the industry. It signals that your business values excellence, innovation and integrity.
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2026
As we head into the 2026 cycle, our goal remains simple: to celebrate the best of British shooting and to spotlight the remarkable people and products shaping its future.
I am incredibly proud of our team and of the industry we support. To all past and future nominees and sponsors, thank you. By taking part, you help us elevate the sport and industry we all care about.
The Great British Shooting Awards are not simply awards. They are a statement of who we are as an industry and what we value. If your brand wants to invest in the sector, support excellence, and be seen by the largest and most engaged shooting audience in the UK, there is no better platform.
We look forward to celebrating with you all.
Simon K. Barr CEO, Time Well Spent Group
For sponsorship opportunities contact: Karen.Biggs@twsgroup.com