Congratulations to the 2026 GSL Awards winners. 16 October 2026 The winners of the 2026 GSL Awards were revealed on Wednesday evening at a spectacular ceremony at Horizon 22 in London, bringing together universities, private operators and leaders from across the global student living sector to celebrate excellence in the student accommodation experience. This year marked an important milestone for the GSL Awards, with winners recognised across four regions for the first time: the UK & Ireland, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Americas. The GSL Awards are unlike traditional industry awards. There are no written nominations and no judging panel. Instead, the Awards are based 100% on the experiences of the people who matter most - residents themselves. This year's ceremony embraced a vibrant Latin Night theme, bringing plenty of colour and energy to an evening of celebration against the spectacular London skyline from Horizon 22. Major highlights. * Hub on Campus made a clean sweep in the new Americas region, winning all three categories: Best Student Housing, Best Customer Service and Best Value for Money. * Stanza Living won Best Student Housing and Best Customer Service in the new Asia Pacific region, with Cove taking Best Value for Money. * University of Derby won Best University Housing (UK & Ireland) for the fifth consecutive year. * Edge Hill University won Best Moving In Experience (UK & Ireland) for the fourth consecutive year. * Prime Student Living won two UK & Ireland awards: Best Environmental Management and Best Small Operator. * Nurtur Student Living (Best Value for Money) and Fresh (Best Learning Environment, Gulston Gardens, Coventry) have each now won a UK & Ireland award every year since 2022. * Yugo won two European awards: Best Customer Service (second consecutive year) and Best Student Community. * Collegiate Europe (Best Private Housing and Best Moving In Experience) and Lumya Living (Best Value for Money and Best Student Broadband) also won two European awards each. 2026 GSL Awards winners - UK & Ireland. | Award | Winner | | Accommodation Hero | Dr Sharon Bolton, Dean of Student Life, International Students House | | Best Booking Experience | Leeds Trinity University | | Best Customer Service | Student Castle | | Best Environmental Management | Prime Student Living | | Best Individual Property | Prestige Student Living (Onyx, Birmingham) | | Best Learning Environment | Fresh, (Gulston Gardens, Coventry) | | Best Moving In Experience | Edge Hill University | | Best Private Housing | EVO Student | | Best Small Operator | Prime Student Living | | Best Specialist Housing | Goodenough College, London | | Best Student Broadband | SPACE | | Best Student Community | mys | | Best Student Wellbeing | Kaplan Living | | Best University Housing | University of Derby | | Best Value for Money | Nurtur Student Living | | Inclusivity Impact Award | PfP Students | 2026 GSL Awards winners - Europe. | Award | Winner | | Best Booking Experience | Amro Students | | Best Customer Service | Yugo | | Best Environmental Management | Student Experience | | Best Individual Property | UXCO Group (Fokus) | | Best Learning Environment | THE FIZZ Leiden | | Best Moving In Experience | Collegiate Europe | | Best Private Housing | Collegiate Europe | | Best Student Broadband | Lumya Living | | Best Student Community | Yugo | | Best Student Wellbeing | Livensa Living | | Best Value for Money | Lumya Living | 2026 GSL Awards winners - Asia Pacific. | Award | Winner | | Best Student Housing | Stanza Living | | Best Customer Service | Stanza Living | | Best Value for Money | Cove | 2026 GSL Awards winners - The Americas. | Award | Winner | | Best Student Housing | Hub on Campus | | Best Customer Service | Hub on Campus | | Best Value for Money | Hub on Campus | Congratulations to all of the 2026 GSL Awards winners, and to everyone across the global student living sector whose work continues to improve the experience of students and residents. Thank you to everyone who joined Global Student Living Ltd at Horizon 22 to celebrate - and to its sponsors for helping to make the 2026 GSL Awards possible.

Princess Ogunbanwo named THINKHOUSE, TU Dublin and Yugo's 2026 Breakthrough Scholar. The Breakthrough Scholarship from THINKHOUSE, TU Dublin & Yugo enters its sixth year, continuing to open doors for the next generation of creative talent Editorial Series The latest jury news, winners, conference lineups and industry happenings. Advertising and Marketing Communications graduate Princess Ogunbanwo has been selected as the 2026 Breakthrough Scholar, as Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) Enterprise Academy, Yugo and THINKHOUSE continue their trailblazing collaboration to create greater access to careers in Ireland's marketing, advertising and creative industries. Now in its sixth year, the Breakthrough Scholarship provides a talented student who has faced barriers to opportunity with a fully funded postgraduate degree at TU Dublin, accommodation for the academic year with Yugo, the global student housing brand and operator, and paid industry experience with THINKHOUSE, one of Ireland's leading independent creative agencies and a certified B Corp. Since launching in 2021, the scholarship has invested more than €125,000 in supporting talented students from underrepresented backgrounds to access postgraduate education and careers in Ireland's creative industries. All five previous Breakthrough Scholars have gone on to build careers within the industry, demonstrating the lasting impact of the programme and its role in creating a more diverse and representative talent pipeline. Meet the 2026 Breakthrough Scholar. Princess Ogunbanwo, a graduate of TU Dublin's BA (Hons) Advertising and Marketing Communications, has been selected as the sixth Breakthrough Scholar. With a passion for advertising, creativity and communications, Princess will now take the next step in her career through the scholarship, combining postgraduate study with hands-on experience at THINKHOUSE and student accommodation with Yugo. As part of the scholarship, Princess will undertake the MSc digital and content marketing at TU Dublin, while gaining practical experience working alongside the THINKHOUSE team. The opportunity will provide Princess with: * A fully funded Master's degree at TU Dublin, funded by the Enterprise Academy * Paid industry experience with THINKHOUSE, one of Ireland's leading independent creative agencies and a certified B Corp * Free purpose-built student accommodation with Yugo for the academic year Speaking about being selected as the 2026 Breakthrough Scholar, Princess Ogunbanwo said, "I really wanted to further my education with a master's, and without this opportunity I'm not sure that would have been possible. I'm so excited to continue my education at TU Dublin, and to get work experience in an agency like THINKHOUSE is amazing. It's the kind of agency I want to develop my career at. Getting accommodation at Yugo will make my day-to-day so much easier, being close to college, not to mention enhancing my student experience. This is an opportunity I would never have otherwise and I'm so grateful." The sixth Breakthrough Scholarship comes at a time of continued growth for Ireland's creative industries. According to the Creative & Communications Association (formerly IAPI) Census 2025, more than 3,000 people now work across the Creative & Communications Association member agencies, representing 11% year-on-year growth and 35% growth since 2021. The Census also found that 59% of Irish agencies now export their services internationally, highlighting the growing global demand for Irish creative talent. However, ensuring that these opportunities are accessible to people from all backgrounds remains a challenge. The Creative & Communications Association Census 2024 found that 68% of agency employees come from affluent backgrounds, while just 10% come from underprivileged communities. The Breakthrough Scholarship was created to help address these barriers by supporting talented people who may otherwise struggle to access postgraduate education and careers in the creative industries, whether because of economic disadvantage, social or geographic circumstances, disability or neurodivergence. Donna Parsons, PR director at THINKHOUSE, said, "When we launched the Breakthrough Scholarship six years ago, we wanted to support talent that lacked opportunity. Six years on, all five of our previous scholars are now working in the marketing industry, building careers in THINKHOUSE and beyond, bringing new perspectives into the creative world. We're absolutely thrilled to welcome Princess as our sixth Breakthrough Scholar. We're excited to see where this next chapter takes her. Giving talented people access to education, experience and opportunity is how we build a creative industry that better reflects the people and communities it serves." Alex Gibson, head of digital marketing, TU Dublin, said, "We're delighted to welcome Princess as the sixth Breakthrough Scholar and to continue our partnership with THINKHOUSE and Yugo in creating opportunities for talented students. As a TU Dublin graduate of our BA (Hons) Advertising and Marketing Communications programme, Princess is a brilliant example of how education can provide the foundation for a career in the creative industries. The Breakthrough Scholarship takes that a step further, combining postgraduate education with meaningful industry experience and support that enables talented people to fulfil their ambitions. We're incredibly proud to play a part in Princess's next chapter and look forward to seeing her thrive." Ronen Journo, CEO Europe, Yugo said, "At Yugo, we believe that where a student lives plays an important role in their university experience. A welcoming home and a sense of belonging can help students build connections, grow in confidence and pursue their ambitions. We're proud to provide Princess with a home within the Yugo community alongside the education and industry experience provided through the scholarship. Through our Live Your Best Life programme, we look forward to helping her connect with the Yugo community and make the most of an exciting and transformative year." The Breakthrough Scholarship has now supported six talented individuals on their journey into Ireland's creative industries. The programme continues to demonstrate the value of bringing education, industry and access together to create meaningful opportunities for emerging talent.