The IR Society has launched a new look IR Best Practice Awards. The evolution of new media and stakeholder demands for transparency and comprehensive disclosure of information has fundamentally altered both the communications and investor relations landscapes. The new direction of the Best Practice Awards, now in its fourteenth year, aligns more closely with these changes in the investor relations world; methods of communicating are now sharper and more dynamic.

The criteria and categories have been updated to better reflect and accommodate these changes.

The self-entry Awards have been redefined and split into five award categories including ‘Best Annual Report’, ‘Most effective sustainability communications for investors and shareholders’, ‘Best digital reporting’, ‘Best use of digital communications’, ‘Most effective communications of overall IR proposition’. The self-entry forms give companies the opportunity to express exactly why they deserve to be recognised by the well-recognised and prestigious Awards.

The Voted Awards now include Best newcomer to IR (individual), Best investor relations officer (individual), Best overall company IR (company).

Entries are now divided into categories including FTSE100, FTSE250, Small Cap & AIM and International in a bid to be more inclusive of smaller companies and those outside the UK in recognition of the diverse companies looking to the UK for best practice.

Sallie Pilot, Director of Research and Strategy at Black Sun and Chair of the Best Practice Committee of the IR Society adds  “The objective of the new look is to make the Awards even more meaningful in the current IR and communications environment. The IR Society Best Practice Committee is dedicated to driving forward the IR profession and this is well reflected in the awards. I strongly encourage companies to enter, seek recognition for their performances and help set the best practice standard in the UK and abroad.”

The Awards are open for entry and the ceremony will take place in November.