Recognising Professionalism Globally

The 8th UK National Massage Championship celebrates its biggest year to date at Professional Beauty London

The 8th UK National Massage Championship (The NMC) has concluded at Professional Beauty London, ExCeL London, following what organisers have described as the Championship’s biggest and most successful year to date.

Organised by Kate Tora, Founder and Director of CityLux Massage, with the continued support of Carl Newbury and Massage World Magazine, the 2026 Championship welcomed massage therapists from across the UK and internationally to compete, connect, learn and celebrate the profession.

Across two action-packed days, participants showcased an exceptional range of skills, techniques and treatment approaches across eight competition categories.

This year’s Championship continued to build on The NMC’s belief that massage competitions should offer therapists much more than the opportunity to win a trophy. Alongside the competition itself, the 2026 event placed an even greater emphasis on community, professional connection, learning and celebrating the people behind the profession.

A growing NMC community

One of this year’s new additions was The NMC Connect, led by Andreea Drumitescu, the 2025 NMC Overall Champion.

Taking place ahead of the Championship, NMC Connect gave participants the opportunity to meet one another in a relaxed environment before stepping onto the competition floor, helping to create connections and a sense of community from the very beginning of the weekend.

Andreea also joined the NMC team throughout the Championship, capturing interviews, conversations and behind-the-scenes moments with participants and members of the massage community.

Another new addition was the NMC Community Board, inviting therapists and visitors to share what massage means to them and adding the voices and personal stories of the profession to the Championship.

Participants were also encouraged to get involved in the NMC Connect Challenge, further encouraging interaction, conversation and connection throughout the event.

Together, these additions helped create an atmosphere that extended far beyond the competition floor, with participants supporting one another, sharing experiences and celebrating each other’s achievements throughout the weekend.

Celebrating the 2026 champions

Following two days of competition, winners were announced across all eight NMC categories.

“The NMC is a lot more than just a competition”

Reflecting on the 2026 Championship, organiser Kate Tora said: “What an incredible two days. I genuinely believe this has been our best NMC to date. The energy across the Championship was phenomenal, and seeing so many therapists from the UK and around the world come together, support each other and be proud of what they do was very special.

“For me, The NMC has always been a lot more than just a competition. Of course, we love seeing our winners standing on that stage with their trophies, but some of my favourite moments happen away from the awards, watching therapists exchange ideas, make new friendships, encourage someone before their round or leave the floor with more confidence than they arrived with.

“This year we wanted to build even more of that community element into the Championship, and seeing NMC Connect, our community activities and all the conversations happening throughout the event come to life was wonderful.

“A huge thank you must go to every participant who had the courage to step onto our competition floor, our incredible judges who give their expertise and time so generously, our floor team and organisers who work tirelessly behind the scenes, Professional Beauty for once again giving our industry this platform, and every spectator who stopped to watch and support our therapists.

“I also want to thank Carl Newbury and Massage World Magazine for continued support, and every brand, partner and individual who contributed products, prizes, goody bags and support to this year’s Championship. Events like this simply don’t happen because of one person, there are so many people behind them.

“And finally, thank you to our massage community. Eight editions later, I am incredibly proud of what The NMC has become, and after this year’s Championship I am more excited than ever about where we take it next.”

The National Massage Championship will return in 2027, continuing its mission to recognise professional excellence while providing massage therapists with a platform to challenge themselves, learn, connect and be celebrated within their industry.