Winners Book Wednesday 7th May 2014 London Hilton on Park Lane Thank you to our Sponsors VIDEO SPONSOR 2 headlinemoney awards 2014 Welcome CONTENTS 2 Awards sponsors Nothing ‘virtual’ about 3 Chairman’s welcome 4-5 The judging process brilliant financial journalism 7 Financial/Business Journalist of the Year (local & regional titles) or being the best at PR 9 Rising star of the Year (B2B) 11 Rising star of the Year (Consumer) The 2014 Headlinemoney media awards are all about prestige. They both recognise and celebrate the hard work demonstrated by the UK’s top financial journalists, leading money 13 Mortgage Journalist of the Year media outlets and best communications professionals. Only those who bring their ‘A’ game to 15 General Insurance the various category shortlists leave the annual awards ceremony clutching a coveted trophy. Journalist of the Year With Bitcoins and virtual exchanges attracting the headlines over the past year, 17 Investment Journalist of the Year Headlinemoney thought it was about time it created its very own currency-related theme for 19 Health & Lifestyle Protection this year’s awards. Journalist of the Year 21 Pensions Journalist of the Year Fortunately, there’s nothing ‘virtual’ about the line-up of winners you’ll read about in this commemorative book! To land a trophy, each of the victorious journalists required not just the 23 Best Use of Social Media support of their peers but submissions also had to cut the mustard in front of a tough-to- 25 Press Office Teams of the Year please panel of judges. 27-29 PR Professionals of the Year The time and effort that Headlinemoney’s users allocate to the initial nominations process 31 Outstanding Achievement Award never fails to impress. Thousands of votes were registered this year. You can read more about how the awards process works over the page. 33 Household Money Journalist of the Year 35 Financial Blog of the Year Nominations were received for more than 300 individual journalists, 100-plus different print- based financial title/money sections, and a similar number of online offerings (including 37 Consumer Champion of the Year standalone money websites, or print titles which feature an internet offshoot). 39 Money Columnist of the Year Hearty congratulations, therefore, to everyone who made it on to a shortlist this year and a 41 Financial Website of the Year special ‘well done’ to each of the eventual category winners. 43 Financial B2B Title of the Year Thank you to everyone who supports the awards so generously. From voters and those 45 Consumer Money Title of the Year submitting their work, to the all-important sponsors and awards attendees. Headlinemoney’s 47 Financial B2B Journalist of the Year annual celebration of excellence continues to be the UK’s foremost event for money media in terms of scale, prestige and simply having a great time! 49 Freelance Financial Journalist of the Year 51 Financial Broadcast Journalist of the Year 53 Consumer Money Journalist of the Year Andrew Michael 55 Headlinemoney Journalist of the Year Founder, Money & Media Chairman of the 2014 awards judging panels headlinemoney awards 2014 3 The judging process and list of judges Recognising the money media’s top journalists, titles and best media relations practitioners It doesn’t matter if your brief is to cover the disappearance of a virtual supplement have emerged victorious after successfully negotiating a two- currency provider, or report on the latest fine meted out by the financial phase nomination, then face-to-face judging process. services watchdog. Throughout January 2014, Headlinemoney users were encouraged to vote The fact is there has never been a more exciting time in which to cover financial, online for the journalists and titles that they believed produced the most business or City affairs. Coupled with all the multi-media facets, opportunities outstanding levels of work within various categories during the previous and deadlines that now face correspondents and editors vested with the job calendar year. of putting together money-related content, there has simply never been an era like it. After the online vote closed, shortlists of the top five names in each awards category were drawn up. When you bear in mind that many of the categories Against this stimulating backdrop the Headlinemoney media awards celebrate feature dozens of initial contenders, it’s important to stress that it’s no mean excellence. Editorial superiority as demonstrated by money journalists and feat making it to a shortlist. Each shortlisted name was then asked to submit titles at the top of their game, combined with PR excellence from those relevant examples of work along with extra supporting material for the second communications professionals whose brief it is to represent the numerous phase of judging. corporations and organisations which exist under the general mantle of “financial services industry”. Each judging panel is made up of a combination of journalists (including former award winners), communications experts and top-flight figures from As always, the majority of the journalist winners that you’ll read about in this the financial services industry itself. THANKS VERY MUCH TO THIS YEAR’S JUDGES! IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER, THEY ARE: Cathy Adams, Square Mile Alex Cardno, HFM Week Simon Gompertz, BBC News Sue Anderson, CML Kevin Carr, Kevin Carr Consulting Lawrence Gosling, Incisive Media James Andrews, Yahoo! Finance Michelle Carter, Daily Star John Greenwood, Corporate Adviser Guy Anker, MoneySavingExpert.com James Charles, The Sunday Times Andrew Hagger, Freelance Mark Atherton, The Times Robert Cole, Reuters BreakingViews Jane Hamilton, The Sun Simon Bain, The Herald & Times Newspapers Mark Colegate, Asset TV Alex Hammond, Kensington Mark Baker, Team Spirit Patrick Collinson, The Guardian Marek Handzel, Claims Magazine Alan Bannister, Advantage Regulation James Coney, Daily Mail Stephanie Hawthorne, Pensions World Yuri Bender, Professional Wealth Management Roland Cross, Broadgate Mainland Geoff Ho, Sunday Express Peter Birks, Reactions Ian Crowder, The AA David Hollingworth, L&C Mortgages Jasmine Birtles, Moneymagpie.com Jon Cudby, Money Management Natalie Holt, Money Marketing Nicole Blackmore, Telegraph Media Group James Daley, Fairer Finance Will Howell, NFU Mutual Tracey Bleakley, PFEG Trisha Doyle, AOL Money Dan Hyde, Telegraph Media Group Caroline Bloor, Good Housekeeping Gareth Evans, Royal London Ruth Jackson, Freelance Tony Bonsignore, BBC Radio 5 Live Tara Evans, GoodtoKnow Harvey Jones, Introducer Today Ray Boulger, John Charcol Joanna Faith, Your Money Rupert Jones, The Guardian Anna Bowes, Savings Champion Donna Ferguson, Freelance Ross Keany, Scottish Widows Ed Bowsher, MoneyWeek Kalpana Fitzpatrick, MummyMoneyMatters Liam Kennedy, IPE Hannah Brenton, Property Week John Fitzsimons, Lovemoney.com Emmanuel Kenning, Insurance Age Annabel Brodie-Smith, AIC Claire Foster, Direct Line Mark King, Moneywise David Budworth, The Times Faith Glasgow, Money Observer Simon Lambert, ThisisMoney.co.uk 4 headlinemoney awards 2014 Each one is decided by a simple vote. For the eight individual awards, journalists Fair hearing are asked to name their selections in each sector (and provide a sentence Hopefully, everyone who sits on a panel will agree that all the shortlisted justifying their decision). There are also two awards for the best press teams. contenders are given a fair hearing before turning to the tricky task of whittling One as judged by members of the financial B2B media. One from those five names down to an eventual winner and highly commended (our version of representing the consumer side of the industry. a runner-up). Judging week has become an institution in the Headlinemoney awards. Panellists score each contender online in advance of a face-to-face All the votes were carried out online during February 2014 and it’s a case of judging session. Then it’s a case of robust discussion and lively debate before those with the most nominations coming out on top in each case. the name of each winner is agreed in each category. The aim is to be as fair as possible to all the contenders involved. This year there were some extremely close calls. Winners can be sure the merits of their victory are scrutinised to within an inch of their life and should be rightly proud of their successes. The middle section of this supplement also reveals the names of the successful individuals and press teams as voted for solely by Headlinemoney’s extensive Andrew Michael database of journalists in our PR of the year awards element. Chairman of the 2014 awards judging panels Tony Langham, Lansons Kevin Pratt, MoneySupermarket.com Alex Steger, New Model Adviser Paul Lewis, Freelance Jeff Prestridge, The Mail on Sunday Tony Stenning, BlackRock Gavin Lumsden, Citywire Helen Pridham, Freelance Jonathan Swift, Post Magazine Emma Lunn, Freelance David Prosser, Freelance Malcolm Tarling, ABI Julian Marr, Freelance Simon Read, The Independent Ella Tekdag, Threadneedle Steve McDowell, Freelance James Redgrave, Plansponsor UK Holly Thomas, Freelance Michelle McGagh, Freelance Cherry Reynard, Freelance Paul Thomas, Mortgage Strategy Steve McGrath, Alliance News Stephanie Reynolds, The Share Centre Robert Thickett, Mortgage Strategy Paul McMillan, Money Marketing Charlotte Richards, Money Management Ed Tirbutt, Freelance Harriet Meyer, Freelance Paul Robertson, Cover Emma Varty, Lloyds Bank Christine Michael, Freelance Matthew Rock, DueDil Natasha Virtue, Sainsbury’s Bank Omar Mohammed, Clydesdale