The UK electronic information Group (UKeiG) is pleased to announce that the winner of its prestigious international Jason Farradane Award for 2025 is Phil Bradley.

The Jason Farradane Award is presented in recognition of an outstanding, creative and inspiring contribution to the library, information and knowledge profession. The judging panel was unanimous in its praise of Phil’s forty-year career dedicated to promoting the effective utilisation of digital resources, alongside his unwavering commitment to excellence in information retrieval education and training. Over four decades Phil has proactively and energetically embraced and demystified every form of disruptive technology from CD-ROM, through the web, HTML coding and design, social media and artificial intelligence. He has made significant contributions to the corpus of library and information knowledge with an impressive and prolific CV of books, journal articles, columns, conference presentations and media appearances.

Phil has raised the profile of the information community with active involvement with professional organisations, including the Institute of Information Scientists,  CILIP and UKeiG. CILIP recently awarded Phil a 2025 Presidential Citation. For four years he was a member of the CILIP presidential team, including two years as President.

Editor, events designer and administrator Val Skelton submitted the nomination in recognition of Phil’s ‘contribution to the creation, promotion and exploitation of digital resources; for excellence in library and information science education and teaching, and for his service in raising awareness of the value and impact of library and information services. Phil has been a trailblazer, shaping generations of professionals through his writing, training, and thought leadership. He has been at the forefront of interpreting new developments and translating them into accessible, practical and affordable CPD opportunities for information professionals. Phil has empowered us not just respond to change, but actively to shape it.’

Proof positive of Phil’s impact on the library and information profession lies with the signatories and peers who supported this award nomination.

• Karen Blakeman, RBA Information Services
• Hazel Hall, Emeritus Professor at Edinburgh Napier University
• Marydee Ojala, Online Searcher, and Editor, ILI360 eNews
• Martin White, Consultant and former Managing Director of Intranet Focus Ltd
• Sheila Webber, Senior Lecturer, School of Information, Journalism & Communication, Sheffield University.

Sheila comments: ‘As an information scientist since the 1980s, and educator in Information Science since 1992, I have found Phil’s work both practical and inspirational. Particularly valuable has been his sharp, critical perspective on the information world and the successive waves of tools that have emerged to engage with that world.’

The UKeiG judging panel would like to congratulate Phil on his significant contribution to the profession. An engraved glass trophy will shortly be dispatched to Phil to celebrate his achievements. He recently announced his retirement at a time when artificial intelligence is redefining the information landscape. It’s ironic that Phil spent a considerable proportion of the 1990s offering search, critical thinking and evaluation advice on a plethora of emerging web search tools only to have dedicated the last few years doing the same with AI applications.

He was delighted to receive the news, announced informally at his final AI pre-retirement seminar. ‘I’m deeply honoured to receive the Jason Farradane Award, especially when I look at the calibre of those who’ve received it before me - people whose work has inspired and shaped our profession. To be counted among them is both humbling and immensely rewarding. It's been an absolute joy to spend my career travelling the world teaching librarians, writing for them and in some small way helping to empower them with my talks. I firmly believe there is no greater profession on the planet and no greater group of dedicated, curious, and generous people. This award feels like a tribute to everyone who believes in the power of information and learning to connect people and change lives. It's been a privilege, thank you.’