GMA ANNOUNCE PANEL

The GMA has unveiled the judging panel for its 2025 Industry Awards, which will celebrate excellence and dedication across the groundscare sector. 

The ceremony will take place on Thursday 13 March 2025 at Anfield Stadium, home of Liverpool Football Club - and will kick off the GMA’s annual awareness campaign, #GroundsWeek, which will take place between 17-23 March 2025. 

This year’s panel consists of ten leading turf professionals tasked with selecting seventeen award winners across a variety of categories. The panel brings together a wealth of expertise, with many judges boasting distinguished careers in the industry. 

The 2025 GMA Industry Awards Judging Panel includes: 

• Adrian Kay - Head groundsman, York Racecourse
• Andy Jackson - Grounds manager, Stoke City FC
• Anthony Facey - Area sales manager, Tuckwells
• Derek Walder - Operations director, SALTEX
• James Wright - Senior maintenance manager, University of Leeds 
• Lee Metcalfe - Former head groundsperson, Manchester City FC
• Meg Lay - Groundsperson, Lord's Cricket Ground
• Nasa Hussain – Facilities manager & head groundsman, Yorkshire CCC
• Neil Stubley - Head of courts & horticulture, AELTC
• Stuart Kerrison – Head groundsman, Essex CCC 

Geoff Webb, GMA CEO, said, “We’re really excited to have such a fantastic group of industry professionals on board this year. They all bring a huge amount of knowledge and experience from different areas of the sector, which is exactly what we need to make sure we’re shining a light on the very best. 

“Having a mix of returning judges and new faces makes it all the more special - it shows just how much passion there is for the industry and how much people want to be involved in celebrating its successes. We’re looking forward to what’s sure to be an incredible night at Anfield in March, where we can all come together and celebrate everything that makes this industry so great.”