Trumpet Creative named as regional finalist in the UK StartUp Awards 2026
Trumpet Creative has been named as a regional finalist in the UK StartUp Awards 2026. The creative services business, which specialises in brand identity for founders, has been shortlisted in the Creative StartUp of the Year category for the North West region.
The UK StartUp Awards was launched to recognise the booming startup scene across the UK, which has accelerated significantly in recent years with around 832,000 new businesses registered in the UK in 2025. Over 900 businesses have been shortlisted for this year's UK StartUp Awards across ten nations and regions. The contribution of these firms, all of which were started in the last three years, is significant, having created nearly 5,000 new jobs since they were established and generating annual sales of over £150 million.
Based in the North West, Trumpet Creative helps home and lifestyle brands uncover exactly what makes them distinct. The studio works closely with founders to sharpen their story and craft a visual identity that is unmistakable. For the team at Trumpet Creative, design is viewed not as decoration, but as the essential link between a brand's core values and how a customer feels. The studio was founded by Mel Yates to move away from traditional agency models and work more collaboratively with clients, turning their business worries into creative work that resonates deeply with their audience.
"We are beyond thrilled to have been recognised at the UK StartUp Awards this year," said Mel Yates, founder of Trumpet Creative. "Since our studio conception in January we’ve been working hard to build a strong female led business which champions creative thinking and brand work which feels unique to each client we work with. This is testament to the hard work we’ve put in over the last year and we can’t wait to find out the results." Regional winners will be announced later this year and will go on to compete at the national final held at Ideas Fest in September 2026.
The studio has already seen significant momentum, working as a lean team of two to deliver high impact branding. A major milestone for the business was supporting the successful launch of Adora, a home cleaning brand focusing on modern scents. Through Trumpet Creative’s strategic design and identity work, Adora (https://adora.co.uk/) has successfully launched in over 17,000 homes to date.
Professor Dylan Jones-Evans OBE, co-founder of the UK StartUp Awards (https://startupawards.uk/), said:
"New businesses are the driving force behind any thriving economy, generating employment, pioneering innovation, and contributing to prosperity right across the UK. This year's finalists represent the very best of British entrepreneurial talent, spotting opportunities and, through dedication, skill, and resilience, building ventures that are making a real difference in their industries and communities. The standard of entries in 2026 has been exceptional, and every finalist should be enormously proud of what they have achieved. Regional winners will go on to represent their region at the national final at Ideas Fest in September, and that is a stage worthy of everything they have built."
The UK StartUp Awards (https://startupawards.uk/), founded by Frankie James and Professor Dylan Jones-Evans as part of Ideas Community, is the UK's largest independent startup awards programme. Now in its fifth year, the awards received over 2,000 entries in 2026. Regional winners go on to compete at the national final, held at Ideas Fest (https://ideasfest.uk/), aka the Glastonbury of Business, on 9th-10th September 2026 at Champneys, Tring, Hertfordshire. For more information visit startupawards.uk
This year's regional UK StartUp Awards finalists can be found online at https://startupawards.uk/
