2025 Shortlist

Judges will seek to reward outstanding management of a brand’s affiliate program that has leveraged data-driven insights or creative strategies to optimise and significantly enhance the affiliate programme’s growth, profitability, or efficiency.

For campaigns that successfully built brand visibility and engagement while delivering measurable performance outcomes.

Judges will look for creative use of channels, strong partner collaboration, and evidence of impact on brand metrics and conversions.

Savvy marketers push boundaries and seek innovative solutions to overcome challenges. Regardless of budget size—whether micro, small, or large—judges are eager to recognise those who have embraced a test-and-learn approach through experimental campaigns. These campaigns should leverage new technologies, creative ideas, or data-driven insights that have delivered positive results for the client.

Recognising campaigns that coordinated multiple partners and tactics across the entire customer journey – from awareness to conversion.

Entries should show clear objectives, smart measurement across funnel stages, and proof of how the integrated approach drove results.

Rewards activity that meets client objectives by delivering high-quality prospects via smart, cost-efficient and ethical practices, with clear alignment to campaign goals.

Entries should highlight innovative targeting, compliance, nurturing strategies, and proof of how leads converted into meaningful outcomes (sales, sign-ups, subscriptions etc).

This award recognises the expert management of an enterprise brand’s affiliate programme, whether managed in-house, by an agency, network, or SaaS. Judges will be looking for clear objectives, smart execution, creativity, measurable results, and evidence of how large-scale programmes are managed effectively.

Enterprise brands face unique challenges in affiliate management, from complex partner ecosystems and cross-market coordination to compliance, scalability, and integration with wider brand objectives. Entries should demonstrate how these challenges were addressed while delivering strong outcomes.

For this category, an enterprise brand is defined as a company with more than 250 employees or an annual turnover above £40 million.

This award recognises the well-executed, holistic management of an SME brand’s affiliate programme, whether managed in-house, by an agency, network, or SaaS.

Judges will be looking for clear objectives, smart execution, creativity, measurable results, and the human touch that makes SME programmes unique.

For this category, an SME is defined as a company with fewer than 250 employees and an annual turnover under £40 million.

Honours the effective integration of two or more measurable channels working together to achieve outcomes, with clear planning and in-flight optimisation.

Judges want to see how integration and orchestration across channels created efficiency, reach, or incremental value.

Showcases excellence in paid search, including smart use of data, platforms and tools (in-house or managed), aligned to brand values and objectives with a well-planned approach.

Recognises innovative, impactful paid social activity that achieves performance outcomes while clearly meeting client objectives.

Judges will be recognising innovation in the performance marketing space, whether through technology, creative strategy, or campaign execution.

While return on investment (ROI) will be a key consideration, judges will also evaluate the potential for long-term impact and transformative innovation.

Judges are looking for a standout affiliate or partner program launch or migration that showcases excellence in research, planning, and execution.

The winning entry should demonstrate successful partner adoption, optimisation, and growth. Success can be illustrated through various metrics, such as increased revenue, profitability, improved efficiencies, market expansion, enhanced alignment with brand objectives, synergy, and the diversity of partnership types.

This category is open to advertisers managing in-house or via agencies, affiliate networks, or SaaS partnership platforms.

Recognises innovative, strategic use of AI that enhances planning, research, execution or measurement in performance marketing, with clear application and results.

Judges will seek to recognise innovative and strategic use of AI that enhances the planning, research, execution, or measurement of performance marketing efforts.

They are particularly interested in how AI has been intelligently applied to drive improvements and deliver impactful results in these areas.

Recognises campaigns or partnerships that drive outcomes via mass media, editorial partners, creators or strategic content, informing and inspiring consumers while delivering results.

Judges will be seeking entries that demonstrate smart and strategic use or analysis of first-, second-, or third-party data.

Entrants should clearly illustrate how their data-driven approach has directly contributed to the success of their campaign or initiative.

Judges will be looking for creative, well-executed, and highly effective use of influencer marketing that has met or exceeded the client’s stated objectives.

Entries should provide evidence of strategic technology adoption and meticulous planning, with a strong focus on measurement, creativity, and most importantly, flawless execution.

Judges are seeking an exceptional use of programmatic advertising, supported by clear evidence of impactful results.

Winning entries should thoroughly detail the campaign’s objectives, target audience, and inventory used, while also demonstrating the tangible value the programmatic strategy brought to the business or client.

Recognising campaigns targeting business audiences with measurable success.

Entries should demonstrate how performance strategies tackled B2B challenges like long sales cycles or niche audiences.

Recognises performance campaigns in finance, insurance, and related services – from banking, credit, and mortgages to protection products such as breakdown cover, health, or travel insurance.

Judges will be looking for evidence of smart planning, creative execution, and the effective use of technology to drive measurable results.

Rewards performance campaigns across leisure, lifestyle, and wellness sectors – including fitness, health, beauty, fashion, food, and experiences.

Judges will be looking for creative planning, strategic execution, and the smart use of technology to deliver measurable outcomes.

Rewards retail/eCommerce campaigns that excel through performance methodologies, with clear planning, strategic execution and value-adding technologies.

Rewards performance campaigns across telecoms, utilities, and essential digital services – from broadband and mobile to energy and streaming – demonstrating thoughtful planning, strong execution, and technology that adds value.

Judges are seeking a technology that has significantly enhanced growth, service, or efficiency in clients’ performance marketing activities.

Beyond delivering a strong return on investment, the technology should offer a competitive advantage or enable smarter business practices for its users.

Judges will look for an innovative product that demonstrates clear evolution, with tangible evidence of customer adoption, measurable results, and high levels of satisfaction.

This new category will recognise the sophisticated use of performance marketing technology to drive value and sales for a brand.

Judges will be looking for strategies that not only deliver significant value and efficiencies for the brand but also effectively incentivise partners to generate profitable sales.

For this category, we define performance marketing technology as any tool, SaaS or publisher technology that helps drive profitable sales for brands.

Affiliate networks and SaaS platforms must submit an entry via the website to be considered. Judges will create a shortlist based on how well each platform engages and supports clients, enabling them to evolve and optimise their performance marketing activity.

Once the shortlist is announced, the industry casts its vote, with one vote per company counted toward the final result.

As with last year, this award recognises excellence in product development, service, and support for both advertisers and publishers. The final outcome is determined equally by the judging panel and the public vote (50/50). Review the full criteria in the entry kit for guidance on what to include.

Recognises agencies that plan and execute joined-up affiliate and partnership activity, utilising multiple partnership types to deliver exceptional results.

This award celebrates agencies that excel across multiple performance channels, from programmatic and native to content, CTV, and data-driven solutions. Judges will look for agencies that combine innovation, technical expertise, and creativity to deliver measurable ROI and transformative impact for their clients.

The winner will be recognised as a leader in digital optimisation and performance marketing excellence, consistently achieving outstanding results and driving long-term client growth.

This award celebrates outstanding teams that have earned the trust and admiration of their clients across diverse audiences.

Great teams drive industry progress, and the PMAs are proud to recognise those who excel in collaboration and consistently optimise client performance and potential.

Open to teams from all areas of the performance marketing industry, including both internal and client-facing teams.

This award shines a spotlight on the people, companies, campaigns, or products that have truly shaken things up in performance marketing. Judges want to see bold ideas that challenged the norm, pushed boundaries, and left a clear mark on the industry.

Whether it’s a breakthrough technology, a fresh way of working, or a standout act of leadership, entries should tell the story of how you made it happen and why it mattered. Share the challenges you faced, the changes you sparked, and the results that prove your impact. Testimonials, case studies, and hard numbers will help bring your story to life.

This award shines a spotlight on the brightest emerging talent in performance marketing – individuals with less than six years’ experience who are already making a big impact. We welcome nominations from across the industry, whether directly from individuals (with employer endorsement), from clients, or from employers.

Up to six candidates will be shortlisted and invited to a judging day, where they’ll pitch to a panel of industry experts on a topical challenge. Judges will be looking for drive, enthusiasm, ambition, and industry knowledge, alongside evidence of real contributions to their company and clients.

Judges will recognise a standout partnership between two or more companies that delivered clear value for all involved. Success may take many forms, from commercial growth and customer engagement to creative innovation or brand impact.

Any collaboration that significantly advanced the goals or mission of each partner will be considered for this award.

This award honours a publisher that has stood out over the past year through innovation, creativity, and originality, while delivering exceptional results for advertisers and value for consumers.

Judges will be looking for evidence of product innovation, service excellence, and campaigns that showcase measurable success and strong client relationships.

Judges are seeking a compelling example of a real-world challenge that was successfully overcome for a client, resulting in a remarkable outcome.

This award will recognise the effective use of technology and the collaboration of great teams to deliver an innovative and impactful solution.