Our students achieve incredible things – whether it’s sporting success, amazing events, or incredible commitment to important causes, Queen’s students really are exceptional!
We had an amazing night at the SU Awards 2026, which included a glitzy reception with drinks, nibbles and lots of photo opps, like a Magazine Booth, 360 Video Orb and more.
The Awards event saw incredible performances from the Dance Club.
As well as a stunning set from the Queen’s University Symphony Orchestra.
We’re delighted to now be able to share our very worthy winners…
Small Sporting Club of the Year – Dance Club
The Dance Club have once again shown that a Sporting Club can be both technically excellent and absolutely committed to inclusivity at the same time.
The Club’s competitive success at the national level this year is testament to their ambition and dedication, winning the Dance in Education award at the Golden Dance Awards and taking home a whopping 11 intervarsity medals, including two golds in Liverpool.
Somehow, they also found the time to support a huge number of important campaigns and charitable causes this year, including raising much-needed funds for TAMHI NI through their annual ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ extravaganza.
Best New Club or Society – Diversity in Law Society
The Diversity in Law Society has had an exceptional inaugural year.
Founded to address inequality and access within the legal profession, this Society has quickly made its mark through initiatives such as their Pathways into Law panel, the Diversity Mentorship Programme, and a really impressive roster of professional contacts and partnerships already in place.
Small Society of the Year – African & Caribbean Society
The African & Caribbean Society has shown great focus and determination this year, setting their sights on creating an empowering and welcoming space that celebrates African-Caribbean culture, heritage, and identity.
Their event management, in particular, has really stood out this year – whether it’s events here on campus or enriching nightlife right across Belfast with their brilliant ‘No Pop Allowed’ club nights.
Medium Sporting Club of the Year – Snooker & Pool Club
The Snooker and Pool Club continued their partnership with the World Snooker Tour, hosted thriving biweekly pool tournaments all year, and achieved landmark competitive success.
The Club sent two teams to the Irish Intervarsity Pool Championships, taking home two bronzes. They also fielded that first‑ever competitive women’s team at the BUCS Pool Championships, and secured silver and bronze medals at the Irish Intervarsity Women’s Individual Pool Championships.
Medium Society of the Year – Aerospace Society
The Aerospace Society combines three key strands – rocketry, robotics, and propulsion – giving students real-world opportunities to explore industry, compete, and – quite literally – take off from planet Earth.
This year, they became the first student rocketry team from the island of Ireland to fire a liquid rocket engine.
Large Sporting Club of the Year – Surf Club
This year, the Club secured its first ever competitive medal at the Intervarsity level, taking home silver in the Women’s Longboard.
This is a milestone moment for the Club, alongside a raft of other achievements this year, including significant membership growth, international surfing trips, and a massively popular surfing beginners’ program.
Large Society of the Year – Dragonslayers
This Society is a staple of Queen’s student life, regularly filling the SU building to capacity for their Tuesday and Saturday sessions.
This year, the Dragonslayers have run all kinds of gaming tournaments, cosplay competitions, and of course, their enormous and nationally renowned summer convention, Q-Con.
Best Student-Led Activity – Belfast International Games (Indonesian Society)
This year, the Society has delivered outstanding impact through beautifully organised celebrations, social gatherings and large‑scale events.
The Belfast International Games, by the Indonesian Society was a 4-day multi-sport tournament which brought more than 300 students from more than 20 countries together in sport!
Individual Achievement Award Recipients
These awards recognise the amazing accomplishments right across our student community.
Aariz Ahmed, Abigail Dalglish, Daniel Devenney, Emily Elizabeth Ross, Eva Livadaris, Luke Arouza-Pai, and Usman Aslam all championed their respective Societies this year – founding new committees, revitalising existing ones, and using their roles as Society leaders to help all Queen’s students feel safe, welcome, and truly part of a community. The work involved in helping to run a Society is substantial, all alongside your studies, jobs, and personal lives. Societies are at the core of the student experience and it’s students like you who make it happen – thank you and well done!
Amalia Louis Emieux, Ellie McToal, Emma Edgar, Erin Barnes, Muhammad Abdul Rehman, Shazeya Ahamed, and Sreekutty Satheesan each worked to represent their fellow students this year, at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. As Academic Reps, Student Councillors, and Association Chairs, these students made their voices heard inside the lecture theatre and in the wider world. By finding their voice at University committees, SU Council, and as part of Student Associations, these students have gone the extra mile to advocate for their peers, and to make Queen’s a better place to be, for all students.
Connor Henry, Vedant Seth, and Yogiraj Deepak Jakkal, have all developed new brands and products this year. Katherine Boyle and Cara Maria Pirie have both worked to support victims of domestic abuse and to end violence against women and girls.
Within Clubs & Societies, Danni Chambers, Eoghan Fitzgerald, Finn Holden Gray, Mark Lyttle and Wincent have all gone the extra mile to support their fellow members and hit new levels of competitive success in Archery, Sailing, Snowsports, and Pool.
Daniel Rankin has overseen The Gown’s wonderful return to form this year, and Rukshana Alikhan has developed and delivered tailored cyber security for total beginners. And as if that wasn’t all impressive enough, we also have our very student investment fund CEO here tonight, Michael Elizabeth Gasior.
Aisling Cannon, Cara Kerlin, Holly Dougan, and Sarah Murray have all championed women and girls this year, whether through their roles within Societies, the Women Students’ Association, and, in Sarah’s case, as an Assistant County Commissioner for Girlguiding.
Bláithín Drain, Jessi Flora Sivaraj, and Yara Albacha have all volunteered a tremendous number of hours over the last 12 months, supporting projects on community dialogue, trauma informed training, Homework Clubs, and with Oxfam. Luke Tinsley and Megha Elsa Thomas have similarly volunteered their time, energy, and listening ears to helping our student branch of Nightline to thrive here at Queen’s.
Kamal Mallah, Sarah Daly, Shuen Minn Cha and Whitney Vale-Hagan have all been voices for equality and inclusion this year. As Course Reps, accessibility advocates, EDI Disability champions, and Student Voice committee members, these students have all fought to create more accessible and equitable opportunities for our students in the last 12 months. This includes standing up for PGR and PhD students, as Niharika Salar has also done, making sure that this sometimes-overlooked student demographic also has its voice heard.
Huge congratulations to all our very worthy Award Winners!
Until next year!
