This category recognizes digital experiences that enhance advisor effectiveness and engagement.

Judged on:

• Usability and functionality
• Value to advisor workflows
• Evidence of adoption or engagement

This award recognizes effective and responsible use of artificial intelligence to enhance marketing, sales, product, or client outcomes.

Judged on:

• Clarity of AI use case and governance
• Tangible business or client-facing benefits
• Evidence of efficiency, insight, or scalability gains

This award recognizes initiatives that broaden access to alternative investments.

Judged on:

• Innovation in expanding access to alternatives
• Clarity around structure, liquidity, and risks
• Evidence of investor adoption or market impact

This category celebrates initiatives that clearly define or reposition a firm’s brand in a competitive investment landscape.

Judged on:

• Clarity and distinctiveness of brand positioning
• Alignment with firm strategy and target audiences
• Evidence of improved brand perception or relevance
  

This award recognizes firm-led community investment programmes that demonstrate a meaningful, sustained commitment to social impact through corporate social responsibility, philanthropy, or employee-led volunteer initiatives within the investment management industry.

Judged on:

• Clarity of purpose and alignment with the firm’s values
• Depth and authenticity of community engagement
• Evidence of measurable and lasting impact
• Employee involvement and organisational commitment

This award recognizes educational retirement planning content designed for the defined contribution (DC) market, supporting plan sponsors and participants.

Judged on:

• Relevance and usefulness for DC plan sponsors and participants
• Effectiveness in educating and engaging participants around long-term saving
• Alignment with applicable regulatory and governance considerations

This category recognises programmes that enhance distribution effectiveness through data, tools, or insights that improve salesforce productivity.

Judged on:

• Demonstrated improvement in Salesforce effectiveness
• Quality and application of data or intelligence
• Evidence of measurable productivity or performance gains

This award recognizes integrated marketing campaigns that effectively leverage multiple channels to deliver consistent, impactful messaging.

Judged on:

• Strength of campaign strategy and execution
• Effective use of channels and touchpoints
• Measurable impact on engagement, demand, or outcomes

This award recognizes high-quality education that improves understanding of investments or products by advisors across channels.

Judged on:

• Accuracy and clarity of educational content
• Balance between education and promotion
• Impact on understanding or adoption

This award celebrates digital tools that help investors engage more confidently with their finances.

Judged on:

• Accessibility and user experience
• Transparency and trust
• Measurable engagement or behavioural impact

This award recognizes strategic partnership programmes with key institutional or strategic clients.

Judged on:

• Strategic depth of key account relationships
• Level of customisation and collaboration
• Evidence of mutual business impact

This category recognizes mergers or acquisitions that are strategically significant and well-executed within the asset and investment management industry.

Judged on:

• Strategic rationale and market context of the transaction
• Clarity of value creation and long-term objectives
• Quality of execution and integration approach
• Impact on clients, capabilities, or competitive positioning

This category recognizes innovative marketing initiatives that demonstrate new ways of engaging audiences, strengthening positioning, or driving growth within asset management.

Judged on:

• Originality and creativity of the marketing approach
• Clear strategic or commercial objective
• Evidence of impact on awareness, engagement, or growth

This award recognizes strategic partnerships that bring together asset managers' complementary capabilities to deliver enhanced outcomes for investors, clients, or the broader market.

Judged on:

• Strategic rationale, alignment, and market-relevant innovation introduced by the partnership
• Evidence of execution, scale, or measurable impact
• Long-term relevance and sustainability of the partnership

This award celebrates innovation in alternative investment products.

Judged on:

• Innovation in strategy, structure, or access
• Clear articulation of risks and opportunities
• Evidence of market traction and adoption

This category recognizes innovation in long-only investment products designed to meet evolving investor needs.

Judged on:

• Clarity of product rationale and investor need
• Differentiation within the long-only landscape
• Evidence of client adoption or commercial traction

This award recognizes innovative products, including buffered and outcome-specific solutions, designed around clearly defined investor outcomes.

Judged on:

• Originality of product design or outcome focus
• Alignment with clearly defined investor objectives
• Evidence of demand or market traction

This category recognizes content and programmes supporting investors' investment and planning decisions at the point of retirement, rollover or decumulation.

Judged on:

• Insight into income options, rollover, sequencing, and longevity risks
• Practical relevance for retirees or those rolling over assets
• Evidence of client impact

This category celebrates thought leadership that brings clarity to alternative investments.

Judged on:

• Depth of expertise and insights offered
• Balanced discussion of risks and opportunities
• Relevance to portfolio construction

This award recognizes asset allocation thought leadership that delivers high-quality insights and clear, actionable frameworks to support advisers in portfolio construction, assessed on the effectiveness of the thinking and communication.

Judged on:

• Strength and credibility of the asset allocation framework and underlying insights
• Effective use of evidence, research, and forward-looking analysis
• Clarity, usefulness, and applicability in supporting adviser decision-making across market conditions

This category recognizes capital markets thought leadership that offers timely, original perspectives on macroeconomic and market developments, helping audiences navigate changing investment environments.

Judged on:

• Originality and depth of market insight
• Clarity and relevance of perspectives
• Practical implications for investment decision-making

This award recognises credible and impactful ESG and sustainable investing thought leadership.

Judged on:

• Transparency and data integrity
• Substance over marketing claims
• Relevance to investment outcomes and target buyer (retail investor v institutional)

This award recognises content that connects financial planning with health and healthcare expense planning, including topics such as  HSA accounts, navigating Medicare, long-term care options, etc. 

Judged on:

• Original insight into health and medical-related financial savings and planning options
• Relevance to real client or investor needs
• Practical, actionable guidance

This category recognizes thought leadership that helps advisors and families better understand and plan for education funding through 529 plans.

Judged on:

• Explanation of the 529 college savings plan landscape and benefits
• Clarity and accessibility of communication
• Practical value for long-term planning

This category celebrates thought leadership that brings clarity to complex legacy and estate planning considerations.

Judged on:

• Depth of technical and strategic insight
• Ability to simplify complex topics
• Long-term relevance across generations

This award recognizes retirement planning thought leadership focused on the savings and accumulation phase, supporting better outcomes for individuals preparing for retirement.

Judged on:

• Insight into retirement savings and accumulation
• Practical relevance to real-world retirement saving decisions
• Clarity and quality of communication

This award recognizes asset management firms creating value-add programmes that help financial advisors work more effectively with clients by strengthening their understanding of portfolio construction and asset allocation.

Judged on:

• Quality of the portfolio allocation approach
• How clearly the program explains asset allocation to financial advisors
• Clarity and usefulness of adviser-facing tools and materials

This category recognizes programs that deliver meaningful support to advisors growing and managing their businesses.

Judged on:

• Relevance to advisor challenges
• Tangible value delivered
• Quality of tools, resources, or frameworks

This award recognizes tax optimisation thought leadership and value-add programmes focused on direct indexing, assessed on the quality of insights, frameworks, and guidance.

Judged on:

• Effectiveness of guidance for tax optimisation approach
• Evidence of real-world impact
• Scalability and implementation quality

This award recognizes effective and responsible use of artificial intelligence to enhance marketing, sales, product, or client outcomes.

Judged on:

• Clarity of AI use case and governance
• Tangible business or client-facing benefits
• Evidence of efficiency, insight, or scalability gains

This award recognizes initiatives that broaden access to alternative investments.

Judged on:

• Innovation in expanding access to alternatives
• Clarity around structure, liquidity, and risks
• Evidence of investor adoption or market impact

This award recognizes firm-led community investment programmes that demonstrate a meaningful, sustained commitment to social impact through corporate social responsibility, philanthropy, or employee-led volunteer initiatives within the investment management industry.

Judged on:

• Clarity of purpose and alignment with the firm’s values
• Depth and authenticity of community engagement
• Evidence of measurable and lasting impact
• Employee involvement and organisational commitment

This category recognizes best-in-class engagement with investment consultants.

Judged on:

• Strength and professionalism of consultant engagement
• Quality and consistency of information provided
•  Evidence of improved visibility or influence

This award recognizes excellence in servicing institutional clients across reporting, communication, and ongoing support.

Judged on:

• Quality and consistency of service delivery
• Responsiveness to client needs
• Evidence of satisfaction, retention, or partnership depth

This award recognizes excellence in institutional reporting and transparency, including custom reporting, performance attribution, and holdings disclosure, to support informed decision-making by institutional investors.

Judged on:

• Depth and clarity of reporting, analytics, and customisation
• Transparency of performance, holdings, and attribution
• Usefulness and relevance for institutional decision-making
  

This category recognizes thought leadership, commentary, whitepapers and other materials that cater to institutional research teams and demonstrate depth, credibility, and influence.

Judged on:

• Intellectual rigor and analysis
• Credibility with institutional audiences
• Evidence of external citation and clarity                            

This category recognizes mergers or acquisitions that are strategically significant and well-executed within the asset and investment management industry.

Judged on:

• Strategic rationale and market context of the transaction
• Clarity of value creation and long-term objectives
• Quality of execution and integration approach
• Impact on clients, capabilities, or competitive positioning

This category recognizes innovative marketing initiatives that demonstrate new ways of engaging audiences, strengthening positioning, or driving growth within asset management.

Judged on:

• Originality and creativity of the marketing approach
• Clear strategic or commercial objective
• Evidence of impact on awareness, engagement, or growth

This award recognizes strategic partnerships that bring together asset managers' complementary capabilities to deliver enhanced outcomes for investors, clients, or the broader market.

Judged on:

• Strategic rationale, alignment, and market-relevant innovation introduced by the partnership
• Evidence of execution, scale, or measurable impact
• Long-term relevance and sustainability of the partnership

This award celebrates innovation in alternative investment products.

Judged on:

• Innovation in strategy, structure, or access
• Clear articulation of risks and opportunities
• Evidence of market traction and adoption

This category recognizes innovation in long-only investment products designed to meet evolving investor needs.

Judged on:

• Clarity of product rationale and investor need
• Differentiation within the long-only landscape
• Evidence of client adoption or commercial traction

This award recognizes innovative products, including buffered and outcome-specific solutions, designed around clearly defined investor outcomes.

Judged on:

• Originality of product design or outcome focus
• Alignment with clearly defined investor objectives
• Evidence of demand or market traction

This award celebrates excellence in responding to institutional RFPs and due diligence processes.

Judged on:

• Clarity, relevance, and quality of responses
• Effectiveness in articulating value proposition
• Evidence of improved outcomes or feedback

This category celebrates thought leadership that brings clarity to alternative investments.

Judged on:

• Depth of expertise and insights offered
• Balanced discussion of risks and opportunities
• Relevance to portfolio construction

This award recognizes asset allocation thought leadership that delivers high-quality insights and clear, actionable frameworks to support advisers in portfolio construction, assessed on the effectiveness of the thinking and communication.

Judged on:

• Strength and credibility of the asset allocation framework and underlying insights
• Effective use of evidence, research, and forward-looking analysis
• Clarity, usefulness, and applicability in supporting adviser decision-making across market conditions

This award recognises credible and impactful ESG and sustainable investing thought leadership.

Judged on:

• Transparency and data integrity
• Substance over marketing claims
• Relevance to investment outcomes and target buyer (retail investor v institutional)

This award recognises thought leadership that explores and explains complex institutional investment needs and approaches, assessed on the quality and effectiveness of the insights and communication.

Judged on:

• Depth and sophistication of institutional investment insights
•  Alignment with institutional objectives
• Evidence of real-world application

This award recognizes tax optimisation thought leadership and value-add programmes focused on direct indexing, assessed on the quality of insights, frameworks, and guidance.

Judged on:

• Effectiveness of guidance for tax optimisation approach
• Evidence of real-world impact
• Scalability and implementation quality

This award recognizes firm-led community investment programmes that demonstrate a meaningful, sustained commitment to social impact through corporate social responsibility, philanthropy, or employee-led volunteer initiatives within the investment management industry.

Judged on:

• Clarity of purpose and alignment with the firm’s values
• Depth and authenticity of community engagement
• Evidence of measurable and lasting impact
• Employee involvement and organisational commitment

This award celebrates digital tools that help investors engage more confidently with their finances.

Judged on:

• Accessibility and user experience
• Transparency and trust
• Measurable engagement or behavioural impact

This category recognizes mergers or acquisitions that are strategically significant and well-executed within the asset and investment management industry.

Judged on:

• Strategic rationale and market context of the transaction
• Clarity of value creation and long-term objectives
• Quality of execution and integration approach
• Impact on clients, capabilities, or competitive positioning

This award recognizes strategic partnerships that bring together asset managers' complementary capabilities to deliver enhanced outcomes for investors, clients, or the broader market.

Judged on:

• Strategic rationale, alignment, and market-relevant innovation introduced by the partnership
• Evidence of execution, scale, or measurable impact
• Long-term relevance and sustainability of the partnership

This category recognizes outsourced service providers that play a critical role in supporting asset managers on achievemet operational objectives including solutions for trading, middle office and back office.

Judged on:

• Strategic value delivered to clients
• Quality, consistency, and professionalism of service
• Evidence of measurable outcomes or long-term partnerships
• Ability to adapt to evolving client and market needs

  
  

This award recognizes technology providers delivering outstanding solutions that enhance distribution, marketing effectiveness, or client engagement for asset and fund managers.

Judged on:

• Innovation and functionality of the technology solution
• Demonstrable impact on distribution or marketing outcomes
• Ease of integration and scalability

• Strength of client results or adoption
  

This category recognizes thought leadership that helps advisors and families better understand and plan for education funding through 529 plans.

Judged on:

• Explanation of the 529 college savings plan landscape and benefits
• Clarity and accessibility of communication
• Practical value for long-term planning

This award recognizes an outstanding Chief Marketing Officer who has demonstrated strategic leadership, innovation,

and measurable impact in advancing the firm’s brand, marketing effectiveness, and commercial outcomes

within the investment management industry.

Judged on:

• Strategic vision and leadership of the marketing function
• Demonstrated impact on brand, engagement, or growth
• Innovation in marketing, distribution, or client communication
• Influence across the organisation and industry

This award recognizes a Chief Executive Officer who has shown exceptional leadership in steering a firm through growth, change, or transformation, while maintaining a clear focus on clients, culture, and long-term value creation.

Judged on:

• Clarity of strategic direction and execution
• Leadership through market, organisational, or industry change
• Impact on firm performance, culture, and client outcomes
• Credibility and influence within the broader investment community

  
  

This award recognizes an outstanding Chief Investment Officer operating in the asset management space who has demonstrated leadership, innovation, and excellence in investment decision-making.

Judged on:

• Clarity and strength of investment philosophy and decision-making approach
• Leadership, influence, and strategic direction across the organisation
• Demonstrated innovation in investment thinking, process, or portfolio construction, and its impact on outcomes
• Ability to build, lead, and inspire high-performing investment teams and culture, with clear organisational impact

This award recognizes an outstanding marketing team in the asset management space that has demonstrated strategic thinking, creativity, and measurable impact.

Judged on:

• Clarity and effectiveness of marketing strategy and execution
• Creativity and innovation across campaigns, content, or channels
• Demonstrated impact on brand, engagement, and commercial outcomes
• Strength of collaboration, team culture, and delivery

This award recognizes an outstanding sales enablement team in the asset management space that has strengthened sales effectiveness through insight, tools, and collaboration.

Judged on:

• Quality and relevance of enablement strategy, content, and tools
• Effectiveness in supporting lead capture, nurturing, and conversion
• Innovation in enablement approaches, training, or use of data and technology
• Demonstrated impact on sales effectiveness, engagement, or commercial outcome