Professional Pensions has officially launched the UK Pensions Awards 2027.
2027 will mark the 30th anniversary of the UK Pensions Awards, which have celebtated excellence within the pensions industry since they were first launched in 1998.
Next year's awards event will take place at The Brewery in London, on Thursday 10 June, 2027.
As part of the 30th anniversary awards we will be including a number of innovations to help you complete your entry.
As well as publishing an entry guidance pack, we will also be holding a live Q+A with judges on Thursday 19 November to explain exactly what they are looking for in submissions and to give you a chance to pose your questions to judges.
To receive a copy of the entry guidance pack or to put your name down for the Q+A, please register for the awards (see below).
The overview of the judging process and the category list is as follows:
Awards Process
This year there will be two stages in the awards process – the deadlines of which are as follows:
1. Registration: Firms need to register for the awards and let us know what categories they plan to enter by Tuesday 17 November.
Registration is hugely important. Registering to enter for the awards will mean we can send you essential updates about the UK Pensions Awards 2027 as soon as they are available.
It will also give you access to entry guidance and allow you to listen to our live Q+A with judges.
Registration takes less than a minute. You can register by creating an account on our awards platform and starting an entry form for your chosen category/categories. Rest assured, this does not submit your entry - you can return and edit your entry form at any time until the entry deadline.
2. Entry submission: The next stage is to complete your entry form by answering all entry form questions and submitting any supporting documents. The judges will use this form to draw up the finalists list and decide on the final winners. The deadline for receipt of the entries is Friday 22 January 2027.
The entry forms and submissions will be considered by a panel of judges made up from professionals from across the occupational pensions industry. These judges will be announced in Professional Pensions over the coming weeks.
The finalists list will be published late March and the winners will be announced at a ceremony at The Brewery in London on Thursday 10 June 2027.
Categories
We have made a number of changes to the category list for the 2027 awards in response to feedback we have received.
In order to celebrate three decades of the UK Pensions Awards, we are including a special 30th Anniversary Award for Excellence in order to recognise the firm that has made the greatest contribution to the industry since our accolades were first launched in 1998.
We have replaced the Alternative and Private Markets Investment Manager of the Year category with three separate awards - Private Equity Manager of the Year; Private Debt Manager of the Year and Infrastructure Manager of the Year. We have also launched a Multi-Private Market Solutions Provider of the Year category to reflect that increasing number of managers offer blended private market solutions, particularly for DC default funds (combining PE, infrastructure, and private credit in a single fund or LTAF).
We have renamed the Fiduciary Manager of the Year category as Fiduciary/OCIO Manager of the Year to reflect the broader range of delegated investment options on offer to schemes.
We have merged the Run-on Provider of the Year and Alternative Endgame Solution Provider of the Year categories into a single Run-on and Alternative Endgame Solution Provider of the Year category.
We have renamed the Risk Transfer Provider of the Year as Pension Risk Transfer Provider of the Year to reflect market nomenclature.
We have renamed the ESG Manager of the Year as the Sustainable Investment Manager of the Year to more closely align with market terminology. We have also merged the Impact Manager of the Year into this category.
We have removed the Cashflow-driven Investment (CDI) Manager of the Year category.
We have renamed the Equity Manager of the Year and Fixed Income Manager of the Year as Equity Innovation of the Year and Fixed Income Innovation of the Year.
We have renamed the Retirement Innovation of the Year category as DC Retirement Innovation of the Year, moving this category into our DC awards section.
Once again this year, the awards incorporate a range of Pension Scheme of the Year Awards categories – Pension Scheme of the Year, Best Pension Scheme Communications Strategy, LGPS Innovation of the Year and Best Pension Scheme Investment Strategy – dedicated to the achievements of pension schemes themselves. In addition to pension schemes entering these accolades on their own behalf, we also welcome entries on their behalf from their consultants and providers, providing the scheme has given its consent.
The full list of categories for the 2027 awards is:
30th Anniversary Award
- 30th Anniversary Award for Excellence
Advisory Categories
- Actuarial/Pensions Consultancy of the Year
- DC Consultancy of the Year
- Investment Consultancy of the Year
- Pension Lawyers of the Year
- Risk Reduction Adviser of the Year
- Fiduciary Evaluator of the Year
- Sponsor Covenant / IRM Adviser of the Year
DC Categories
- DC Pension Provider of the Year
- DC Investment Strategy of the Year
- DC Master Trust of the Year
- DC Innovation of the Year
- DC Retirement Innovation of the Year
Investment Categories
- Investment Manager of the Year
- Fiduciary/OCIO Manager of the Year
- Institutional Investment Platform Provider of the Year
- Equity Innovation of the Year
- Fixed Income Innovation of the Year
- Emerging Markets Manager of the Year
- Real Estate Manager of the Year
- Private Equity Manager of the Year
- Private Debt Manager of the Year
- Infrastructure Manager of the Year
- Multi-Private Market Solutions Provider of the Year
- Sustainable Investment Manager of the Year
- Liability-Driven Investment (LDI) Manager of the Year
Other Categories
- Pension Risk Transfer Provider of the Year
- Run-on and Alternative Endgame Solution Provider of the Year
- Diversity and Inclusion Excellence Award
- Independent Trustee of the Year
- Third-Party Administrator of the Year
- Technology Innovation of the Year
- Pensions Communication Initiative of the Year
- Educational and Thought Leadership Initiative of the Year
Pension Scheme of the Year Award Categories
- Pension Scheme of the Year
- Best Pension Scheme Investment Strategy
- LGPS Innovation of the Year
- Best Pension Scheme Communications Strategy
If you have any questions about the awards process, please contact Sophia De Palma at [email protected].
