IR Magazine
IR Magazine Awards – Europe

IR Magazine Awards ‒ Europe
Celebrating IR excellence

Thursday, June 26, 2025

The Peninsula London

About the awards

The IR Magazine Awards – Europe 2025 will take place on Thursday, June 26 at The Peninsula London. This very special event honors excellence in the investor relations profession across Europe and we are excited to welcome everyone for an evening of fine food and lots of celebrating!

Since the annual event first launched in 1990, tens of thousands of analysts and investors have voted in the surveys behind the awards. The result: vital benchmarking information on which companies do the best IR. In recent years, the awards program has expanded to recognize more aspects of an IRO’s role as we add new categories to the list and give IR teams the opportunity to nominate themselves.

By popular demand, we present two types of award categories – researched and nominated – both celebrating the success of those individuals and companies that are leading the way in IR across Europe.

For our researched categories, companies do not submit nominations. Instead, hundreds of analysts and investors cast their votes and give their opinions on which companies provide the best IR service. In our nominated categories, companies submit written entries to articulate their success and achievements from the past year, giving any publicly listed company the opportunity to be considered for an award.

 

Nominated categories      Researched categories

Awards by nomination

For our awards-by-nomination categories, individuals and companies are given the opportunity to submit written entries, free of charge, to be put forward to a panel of expert judges made up of investment professionals and IR Magazine editorial team members.

The 2025 nomination form will launch in December. To be informed when the form is live please register your interest here. You can also view the category criteria by clicking on the boxes below.

View the full list of 2024 nominees and winners by clicking here.

If you have any questions, please contact [email protected] or call +44 20 8004 4989.

Best annual report

Best annual report

Are shareholders and analysts raving about the quality of your annual print or online report? Give us your vision of good reporting practice. Judges will be looking for a well-articulated equity story, ease of flow or navigation, state-of-the-art design and consistency/complementary between different reports. Market cap breakdown: Micro cap = below €300 mn / Small cap = between €300 mn and €1 bn / Mid-cap = between €1 bn - €7.5 bn / Large cap = €7.5 bn and over

Best buy-side management *NEW FOR 2025*

Best buy-side management *NEW FOR 2025*

Finding new ways to collaborate with investors and other buy-side participants is a core part of every IR program. In this category, we're looking for examples of how teams have found new routes to reach and work alongside the buy side, whether that's through providing an innovative corporate access opportunity, creating new communications materials or introducing a new event format.

Best ESG reporting

Best ESG reporting

Companies face growing demands to inform investors about the risk and opportunities - they face from a range of ESG issues. Describe how your company was able to meet the demands of shareholders looking for substance in ESG reporting? Market cap breakdown: Micro cap = below €300 mn / Small cap = between €300 mn – €1 bn / Mid-cap = between €1 bn - €7.5 bn / Large cap = €7.5 bn and over.

Best innovation in shareholder communications

Best innovation in shareholder communications

Judges are looking for IR teams who have had to think out of the box in the past 12-18 months to update their shareholder communications campaign and keep up with the evolving needs and wants of the investor community. We’re looking for that tiny little spark of innovation that sets your company apart!

Best investor event

Best investor event

Did you hold a capital markets day, site visit or other investor event that made your company stand out from the crowd? Tell us how you came up with an original initiative, the way you managed its organization, and how your audience’s expectations were met; audience feedback is also welcome. Both virtual and in-person events can be considered for this award. Market cap breakdown: Micro cap = below €300 mn / Small cap = between €300 mn – €1 bn / Mid-cap = between €1 bn - €7.5 bn / Large cap = €7.5 bn and over.

Best investor targeting strategy

Best investor targeting strategy

Have you gone above and beyond to reach new investors and tell your company story? Have you recently changed your targeting strategy to reach new prospects, adapt to adversarial circumstances, or get a better return from your investor engagements? We want to hear from you. Our judges will look for innovative use of data and analysis to optimize your marketing schedule and provide better returns on your IR department and management's time on the road and at conferences.

Best IR during a corporate transaction

Best IR during a corporate transaction

How did your IR team go above and beyond to support a recent corporate transaction? Let us know the details. We’ll be looking at the IR team’s involvement in crafting/releasing the messaging for the financial markets and how it organized outreach and dialogue to gain approval from key shareholders.

Best IR website

Best IR website

The IR website is the first point of contact for an IRO’s audience. We want to hear from companies that have developed a best-in-class website displaying top-notch customer experience, engaging content that meets analysts’ and investors’ needs, and multiplatform access. Market cap breakdown: Small cap = below €1 bn / Mid-cap = between €1 bn - €7.5 bn / Large cap = €7.5 bn and over

Best retail IR strategy

Best retail IR strategy

IR teams have recently started to pay attention to and service the traditional blind spot in their shareholder base – the retail investor block. In this category, we’re looking for IR campaigns that include a retail shareholder communication strategy, how it differed from the usual program and the results of these efforts.

Best sell-side management *NEW FOR 2025*

Best sell-side management *NEW FOR 2025*

Working closely with analysts is a core part of many IR programs, but it can pose a challenge when thinking about how to prioritize your time and focus on your company's sell-side followers. In this category we are looking for teams that have implemented new strategies for keeping up with the sell side, working with analysts and deriving the most from their relationships to best serve their corporate strategies.

Best use of social media and video

Best use of social media and video

Have your IR teams increased visibility and engagement digitally through the use of different communication channels? Describe the innovative ways you have incorporated video, audio, infographics or webcasts into your IR program. Judges will be looking for evidence of the quality of output, use of creativity and heightened investor and analyst engagement via these channels.

Best use of technology including AI

Best use of technology including AI

Have you harnessed cutting-edge technology like AI to enhance your IR efforts? In this new category, we want to hear about how you have used tools to overcome IR challenges, create efficiencies, enhance intelligence or improve the quality of your IR activities. Judges want to hear about the tools you have used in your IR efforts, how you used them and the measures implemented to ensure safe and responsible use of technology.

Rising star

Rising star

This award seeks to honor individuals who bring fresh thinking and a unique approach to the profession. This category is open to anyone who has been working in IR for less than 10 years and has less than 15 years of professional experience.  

The awards-by-nomination categories differ from our traditional researched awards, as individuals and companies are given the opportunity to submit written entries, free of charge, to be put forward to a panel of expert judges made up of investment professionals and IR Magazine editorial team members.

The judging process consists of three simple phases:

Phase one: Once the entry deadline has passed, the IR Magazine editorial team reviews all submissions and produces the short list

Phase two: The short-listed entries are shared with an independent judging panel made up of industry experts. The judges review each short-listed entry and select their top two picks per category

Phase three: The judges come together to discuss, debate and select the final list of winners who will go on to win an award

The judges’ votes are not made public, but their comments may be published in articles or reports after the event. Judges are not required to make comments against every submission.

IR Magazine Awards Hall of Fame

Past winners of our coveted IR Magazine Awards are invited to be inducted into the IR Magazine Hall of Fame. This is an exclusive alum organization reserved only for individual winners of our awards including the categories – Best IR Professional across all cap sizes and Lifetime Achievement award winners.

We wanted to provide a platform that offers ongoing recognition for this monumental achievement and an opportunity for our award winners to help shape the future of excellence in the IR community.


View the full list of honorees here

Awards by Research

Our awards-by-research nominees are determined by the input of hundreds of analysts and portfolio managers, who give their opinions on which companies provide them with the best IR service in Europe. Every year we invite any publicly listed company to submit their list of buy and sell-side analysts and portfolio managers, so that they have the opportunity to vote via our survey.

View the full list of 2024 nominees and winners clicking here.

If you have any questions about this process or wish to access our data sharing agreement, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page. For any further queries about the research process, please contact [email protected].

Best overall investor relations (large cap)

Best overall investor relations (large cap)

This category covers companies that have most impressed the investment community with their overall IR program. Market cap breakdown: Small cap = below €1 bn / Mid-cap = between €1 bn - €7.5 bn / Large cap = €7.5 bn and over

Best overall investor relations (mid-cap)

Best overall investor relations (mid-cap)

This category covers companies that have most impressed the investment community with their overall IR program. Market cap breakdown: Small cap = below €1 bn / Mid-cap = between €1 bn - €7.5 bn / Large cap = €7.5 bn and over

Best overall investor relations (small cap)

Best overall investor relations (small cap)

This category covers companies that have most impressed the investment community with their overall IR program. Market cap breakdown: Small cap = below €1 bn / Mid-cap = between €1 bn - €7.5 bn / Large cap = €7.5 bn and over

Best investor relations officer (large cap)

Best investor relations officer (large cap)

This category is for individual IROs whose knowledge of their company and sector and whose ability to build relationships with members of the investment community and to be transparent, accessible and responsive, sets them apart. Market cap breakdown: Small cap = below €1 bn / Mid-cap = between €1 bn - €7.5 bn / Large cap = €7.5 bn and over

Best investor relations officer (mid-cap)

Best investor relations officer (mid-cap)

This category is for individual IROs whose knowledge of their company and sector and whose ability to build relationships with members of the investment community and to be transparent, accessible and responsive, sets them apart. Market cap breakdown: Small cap = below €1 bn / Mid-cap = between €1 bn - €7.5 bn / Large cap = €7.5 bn and over

Best investor relations officer (small cap)

Best investor relations officer (small cap)

This category is for individual IROs whose knowledge of their company and sector and whose ability to build relationships with members of the investment community and to be transparent, accessible and responsive, sets them apart. Market cap breakdown: Small cap = below €1 bn / Mid-cap = between €1 bn - €7.5 bn / Large cap = €7.5 bn and over

The first thing to explain is that our awards are different from most others: for our awards by research, companies do not submit nominations. The winners are identified by in-depth research and any publicly traded company is eligible to be considered. This survey is the only one of its kind to go directly to the investment community, via a combination of an electronic survey and one-to-one telephone interviews, canvassing the opinions of the people who matter to you most.

November – December 2024: Sample selection

IR Magazine has been building investment community databases for more than 30 years. As part of the updating process, listed companies are contacted every year for details of the professionals who currently cover their stock.

January – February 2025: Electronic survey

IR Magazine then conducts an electronic survey of buy-side and sell-side analysts and portfolio managers. The electronic survey typically receives 300 individual responses from the investment community. These responses then go to Mary Maude Research for initial analysis. The research firm determines what will constitute a representative sample, weighted for Europe’s industry sectors and geographical regions.

December 2024 – February 2025: Telephone survey

The telephone survey then gets under way. The researchers conduct in-depth interviews with 300 portfolio managers and analysts across Europe. Many of them participate in the study year after year, but there is always a healthy proportion of new respondents each year as well. As the research progresses, the sample is adjusted to ensure appropriate weightings are maintained.

Results analysis

Once the survey stage of the research is completed, the final analysis is undertaken. The companies with the highest scores make the short lists for the awards categories, and the points are further analyzed to identify the best exponents of IR by sector. The independence of our research is crucial to the integrity of the whole awards program, so IR Magazine sees the results only once the research is complete. This ensures a transparent, independent set of results that IROs can trust as a valuable bench-marking tool.

April 2025: Short list compiled

IR Magazine receives the results and contacts the short-listed companies to give them the good news. The short list is then published to the entire IR community the month before the event.

 June 26, 2025: Winners announced

And finally… the winners are announced at the awards ceremony on Thursday, June 26, 2025!

June 2024: Report published

Shortly after the awards, the IR Rankings 2025 report is published and made available to IR Magazine subscribers.

 

What our attendees say

"The MC was fabulous and made the evening more fun/entertaining. "

Sage Group

"The evening was taken care of down to the last detail. Beautiful location, music, well-calculated timing also to leave room for both networking moments"

Illimity Bank

"Well done to everyone at IR Magazine for another very well organised and enjoyable event. It was a real treat to be mingling and spending time again with so many industry experts and seeing many new and familiar faces! "

Bank of America

"The evening went very smoothly with the transition between dinner and awards, and the pacing of the awards was great so it didn't feel like it dragged at all. The venue was also lovely."

Ocado Group

"Well organised, good venue and separate areas for networking. Nice sponsor touches with balloons. Good food, good service. Nice intro from James (editor). Good to hear from winners briefly.
Good event despite challenges - well done!"

Gather London

"I liked meeting with other corporate attendees, networking and the venue. Organisation was good."

HUGO BOSS

"It was all very elegant and beautifully laid out. The stage was very nicely decorated and the award ceremony was not too long."

Nexxar

IR Rankings – Europe Top 100

The IR Rankings – Europe Top 100 report is the ultimate benchmarking resource for any IRO looking to improve their IR program. It provides detailed analysis and statistics on the working practices of the awards-by-research winners, selected through an independent survey of investors and analysts.

The report offers:

  • Detailed comments from investors and analysts: Get essential insights into what the buy-side explicitly looks for in an IR program
  • Winners and rankings by sector and country: Access never-before-seen rankings to benchmark your performance against peers in your specific industry and geographic region
  • Points Breakdown: Gain valuable insights into an IR team’s strengths and weaknesses, rated by investors and analysts across various aspects of IR functions, to identify areas for improvement within your IR program

This report will be released on June 27, 2025, after the awards ceremony. Please note, an IR Magazine subscription is required to access the report.

Who attends our events

Attendees at this event are leading IR practitioners from across Europe. Each participant is someone with an established track record and a strategic IR role within their company.

Below is a sample list of our past attendees:

Job title Company Job title Company
Business development director Volution Group Head of IR Marshall Group
CFO Volex Head of IR Mister Spex
CFO International Personal Finance Head of IR OMV
Deputy head of IR Capita Head of IR Siemens Healthineers
Director, head of IR, EMEA and Asia Burford Capital Head of IR Smiths Group
Director, IR Anora Group Head, corporate development and IR Kenmare Resources
Director, IR AstraZeneca Head, sustainability Barratt Developments
Director, IR flatexDEGIRO Interim VP, IR Burberry
Director, IR Rolls-Royce IR BP
Director, IR Schneider Electric IR Experian
Director, IR YouGov IR analyst Pirelli & C
Director, IR and communications Duni Group IR manager International Airlines Group
Finance risk and assurance director Unite Group IR senior associate Criteo
Head of investor relations Severn Trent Manager, IR BAT
Head of IR Britvic Manager, IR Lufthansa Group
Head of IR Carlsberg Manager, stakeholder communication and corporate access Swedish Orphan Biovitrum
Head of IR Frequentis Senior IR manager DHL Group
Head of IR Group BCPE SVP, head of IR GSK
Head of IR Imperial Brands VP, IR Sage
Head of IR Lloyds Banking Group VP, IR Valmet

 

Request full attendee list

Become a partner

Why partner with us?

Our awards provide a unique opportunity to get in front of some of the most influential people in the European IR community. As a partner, you will gain an extensive amount of exposure through a wide range of print and digital marketing materials, both pre and post-event, as well as on the day itself. Additionally, you can use the event to align yourself with IR excellence and network with key decision-makers from across the region – the ones pushing the profession forward through innovation.

Partnering with the event will provide:

  • A chance to network with qualified, senior decision-makers in the IR community
  • Increased awareness and credibility through association with the region’s leading awards
  • New business opportunities through higher-brand presence among current and potential clients
  • The chance to entertain clients at the most respected event of the year
  • Exposure as the market leader in your chosen area by sponsoring the awards category that best reflects your area of expertise

All our partnerships are created using a mix of branding, thought leadership, lead generation and meetings with your target audience. You tell us your objectives and we will work with you to create you a package that’s makes sense for your company and will help you achieve those objectives. To find out more get in touch with Henry Wright or call on +44 20 8004 5337.

Inquire about partnership

Partners

Timings

Timings shown are British Summer Time (BST)
Please note: timings are subject to change

Venue

We are pleased to hosting our awards at:

The Peninsula London
1 Grosvenor Place
London
SW1X 7HJ

For transport options and directions to the venue, please click here.

Accommodation:
IR Magazine has arranged preferential rates for attendees at nearby hotels. View the hotels and rates by clicking here.

Dress code
Black tie

Warning: Please note the event may contain flashing lights or sudden loud sound effects.

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Register your interest

Highlights

View the highlights from the 2024 awards ceremony

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IR Media Group Ltd, the owner of IR Magazine, Governance Intelligence and IR Community, respect the privacy of every person who visits, registers with or subscribes to our websites and online publications, and is committed to ensuring a safe online experience. This privacy statement applies to all IR Media Group’s websites as listed under the heading ‘Sites’ and outlines the information IR Media Group may collect and how we may use that information. It also explains what we do with information about you when you register to attend one of our events.
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