The organising team and judges of the UK Sponsorship Awards are delighted to reveal that the shortlists for the 2025 event are now published. To view this year’s cohort of contenders, please here.

UK Sponsorship Awards CEO Rosemary Sarginson said: “I’m thrilled to share that we have seen strong growth in the number of entries this year, with sponsorship proving once again what a resilient medium it is. This year’s work was of exceptional quality and promises to make the Awards ceremony an emphatic reminder of the industry’s game-changing impact on brands, rights holders and communities.”

2025’s Award categories cover a broad array of sponsorship disciplines, as well as shining a spotlight on the terrific work being done in critical areas such as sustainability, DEI, gender equality, community and education. Particularly noticeable this year was the record-breaking number of entries in the social purpose track. A strong set of finalists in the diversity category also underlined the sector’s positive momentum in this arena.

Illustrating the diversified nature of the sponsorship industry’s commercial impact, there are Finalists from sectors including: finance, FMCG, the energy sector, health, media, automotive, construction, gaming, retail, logistics, mobile/telecoms, toys, personal care, hotels, travel & leisure and the drinks industry.

Shortlisted entries including the likes of Adobe, Microsoft, Vinted, eBay, Go.Compare, Three, TeamViewer, Starling, Revolut, Pluto TV and OKX reinforce how the profile of the sponsorship sector is evolving in step with digital and lifestyle consumer trends. In a similar vein, 2025 sees the strongest ever line-up for UKSA’s Best Use Of Technology category.

Branded content entries were especially buoyant this year, as was live entertainment, bouncing back after the Covid-19 period. Equally, an inspiring line-up of Finalists in the Women’s Sports Sponsorship category is a powerful reminder that there continues to be significant momentum for women’s sport, both at the elite level and the grass-roots level.

In time-honoured fashion, the judges’ brief was to reward campaigns that displayed clear objectives, creative and effective executions and robust proof of success, said Sarginson. “The campaigns presented on Awards night are spread across areas including arts, media, sport, esports and social purpose. In an exceptional year for sports events, we saw best in class entries from Euro 2024 and the Paris Olympics. Overall, the 2025 awards look set to be another great platform for the industry’s creativity, innovation and effectiveness.”

While brands and consultancies represent the largest share of the entries, also prominent in the 2025 shortlists are arts organisations, media companies, charities, educational establishments, event organisers, venues and other rights holders. As always, the entries cover everything from big budget, multi-tiered activation strategies to campaigns crafted on shoestring budgets. “Across the full spectrum of rights and activation budgets, 2025’s Finalists illustrate the sector’s ability to achieve an extraordinary array of objectives. Part of the judging team’s job is to ensure that any outstanding entrant can make the shortlists – regardless of its spend.”

The Finalists were selected by a roster of judges from the client, rights holder and consultancy and research sectors of the business. Their expertise covered the full spectrum of sports, media, social purpose, and cultural activities – with drilled down expertise in strategy, execution and research. “I’d like to thank our judges, who tackle their remits with commitment and curiosity,” said Sarginson. “Their decisions help promote the outstanding work being delivered by the UK’s world class sponsorship industry.”

The shortlisted and winning entries for this, the 31st edition of the Awards, will be celebrated at a Gala Dinner on March 25th at the London Marriott, Grosvenor Square. The event will be hosted by BBC royal correspondent Jonny Dymond.

To attend the Awards, please click on the following link.

UK Sport Industry Group Report 2025 - Five key take-aways for sponsors

The Sport Industry Group has just released its Sport Industry Report for 2025. Created in partnership with Nielsen, the Report provides an illuminating insight into the UK sports sector – from multiple perspectives. Based around a survey of 1006 sports fans and 223 sports industry professionals, it provides plenty of food for thought for sponsors looking to maximise their investment through deeper fan engagement. 

Among key findings, the report identified the following five headline trends:

Sport is witnessing a marked shift to digital fanship. According to the Report, fan engagement is undergoing a dramatic transformation. While live events and TV broadcasts remain important, a staggering 73% of fans now follow their favourite sports primarily through social media. In part this is about the cost of attending events or subscribing to media services, but it is also a clear indication of the way younger demographics choose to consume sports content. For sponsors, it means that more campaign activation needs to take place via social platforms like YouTube and TikTok.

The industry has seen an appetite among fans for format innovation: Intriguingly, the Report finds that fans welcome evolution in their favourite sports. While the perception might be that they are inherently conservative (Five Day Test Matches etc), SIG says 76% of fans “believe that format innovation is essential for driving the industry forward”. Perhaps this is an invitation for sponsors to embrace new formats and franchises. According to SIG, governing bodies and organisations are responding to this fan demand for innovation, “exploring bold ideas to meet these expectations”. A key example of this is the growing crossover between professional sport and the creator economy (eg The Baller League or the PGA’s Creator Classic).

Fans are embracing the growth of women’s sport: Women’s sport holds enormous potential, according to the Report, and is expected to grow from $1bn in global revenue in 2023 to a projected $23 billion by 2033. 72% of sports fans believe that “sponsoring women’s sport reflects well on sponsor brands”. Football is the most popular women’s sport in the UK, but Olympic sports fronted by individual athletes – tennis, athletics, swimming and cycling – are then dominant, particularly among female fans.

Social impact and sustainability commitments are supported by fans: A healthy 68% of fans agree that it reflects well on brands who partner with sports organisations on initiatives that promote positive social change. Moreover, they are likely to link their purchasing decisions to these values as a result. At the same time, younger fans are prioritising sustainability in their engagement with sport. Notably, 87% of 18 to 34-year-olds would be willing to pay higher ticket prices if it was put towards a positive environmental benefit. This demonstrates a powerful opportunity for sport and sponsors to lead in environmental responsibility and align with evolving fan values.

Tech in sport is welcomed by fans (but not VAR): 82% of fans and 91% of industry professionals agree that technology is an overall positive for sport. Football’s VAR is the innovation viewed least positively, but other officiating systems are more popular. In the media, technology has driven a wide range of viewing and consumption habits and created demand for different content and interactive experiences before, during and after live games. This is an area that sponsors can tap into if they are keen to demonstrate their cutting-edge capabilities to fans. The report predicts that “Artificial Intelligence will accelerate the trend towards personalisation by enabling customisable live streams, richer real-time insights, automated translations and more”.

What is a Sponsorship Award?	For individuals as well as businesses	We're here to help you succeed!
Winning a Sponsorship Award isn't just a pat on the back and a splendid trophy to dress your foyer (though it’s certainly that as well), it brings with it tangible benefits and long-lasting commercial impact. Click here for ten reasons why you should enter and a host of testimonials from winners.	The sponsorship industry is peopled by fantastically enthusiastic and dynamic individuals. We recognise these executives in two categories. For more information on these categories, please click here.	We are also on hand for any help/advice you might need, so please click on the Help! button, send us an email and we will come back to you by return. It doesn't have to be an Awards related query - if we don't know the answer, we’ll find someone who does.