Four Star Pizza is calling on the Northern Ireland public to nominate members of the emergency services that they feel have gone above and beyond the call of duty in their job.
The ‘call to action’ comes on the back of the popular Irish-owned pizza chain’s sponsorship of the prestigious 999 Hero award at this year’s Spirit of Northern Ireland Awards, an annual awards ceremony that honours inspirational people from across Northern Ireland.
Previous winners of the 999 Hero award include Rodney Connor (Air Ambulance), K9 Search and Rescue NI, Belfast firefighter Noel McKee, The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), Foyle Search & Rescue, and last year’s winner, road safety crusader Stephen Dickson who turned personal tragedy into a mission to save lives.
Four Star Pizza
Now Four Star Pizza CEO Colin Hughes is looking forward to crowning a new 999 Hero in 2026.
“We’re delighted to continue our support for the 999 Hero award and we would encourage people across Northern Ireland to help us recognise the incredible dedication of our emergency services by putting forward nominations for those who consistently go above and beyond in their roles,” said Hughes.
“While there can only be one winner of this very special award, we at Four Star Pizza see it as a tribute to the countless individuals and teams who on a daily basis – and often in the face of tremendous adversity – demonstrate exceptional courage and commitment to selflessly serve our communities and help save lives. Their actions set a powerful example, and their stories continue to inspire us all to aim higher and do better.
“As a business with franchises in communities throughout Northern Ireland and the Republic, we extend our sincere thanks—on behalf of our customers and franchise partners—to all of our heroes in the emergency services for their remarkable bravery and tireless efforts,” he added.
Other award categories at the Spirit of Northern Ireland Awards, in partnership with Ulster Bank, include Unsung Hero, Charity Champion, Caring Spirit, Community Hero, Environmental Hero, Young Carer, Overcoming Adversity, Spirit of Health, Spirit of Education, Spirit of Youth and Spirit of Sport.
A star-studded line-up is expected to attend the ceremony at the Culloden Estate and Spa in Cultra on Friday, September 18.
Well-known personalities who have supported the awards include actors from TV shows Blue Lights, Derry Girls, Coronation Street and Emmerdale, as well as musicians such as Snow Patrol and Ash, Girls Aloud singer Nadine Coyle, boxers Carl Frampton and Ryan Burnett, rugby stars Rory Best and Jacob Stockdale, and actors such as Gavin and Stacey’s Mathew Horne, Ian McElhinney, James Nesbitt and Ciaran Hinds.
Anyone wishing to nominate a member of the emergency services for the 999 Hero Award, sponsored by Four Star Pizza, should send an email to [email protected], providing some information on the person(s) or group they are nominating and why they deserve to win.
The closing date for nominations is Sunday June 28, 2026.
Four Star Pizza opened its first Irish store in Dublin in 1986 and its first Northern Ireland store in Belfast in 1999. Now the group consists of more than 50 stores with over 30 franchisees serving the needs of their local communites across the island of Ireland – including recent store openings in Maynooth, Clonmel and Dundalk.
