Black Sun’s clients walked away from the 2007 IR Best Practice Awards on Thursday night with the two most coveted awards of the evening:

• Imperial Tobacco won the FTSE 100 Best Annual Report: Most Effective Communication
  
  
• The Carphone Warehouse won the FTSE 250 Best Annual Report: Most Effective Communication

Black Sun work was nominated a total of seven times in three different categories.
In the Best Annual Report: Most Effective Communication FTSE 250 category, George Wimpey Plc and Tomkins plc were also nominated, meaning that three quarters of the category was taken up with Black Sun work.

Black Sun work also dominated the Annual Report: Best Corporate Governance/ Combined Code Award category, with Imperial Tobacco Group PLC, Tomkins plc and United Utilities PLC representing three out the five nominated companies.

The IR Best Practice awards recognise those companies that lead the way in best practice investor communication by providing investor audiences with clear, timely and transparent information. The winners and other short listed companies provide a benchmark against which other companies can measure their own IR communication.

The panel looked for annual reports that gave shareholders a clear understanding of the business, its performance in the year and its future strategy, in order to make an informed decision to buy, sell or hold. They looked for design that makes it easy for the reader to find the information they need and supports the company's key messages in a clear and compelling way.

David Christopherson, Managing Director of Black Sun Plc commented: “We are delighted for our clients that this work has been recognised. Collectively we work very hard in the development of their narrative content and presentation to ensure the report communicates effectively with their stakeholders. We believe that those companies that aspire to best practice will gain real competitive advantage and deliver genuine business benefit".