Shortlist announced for 2026 ESA Awards in partnership with Pearlfinders

The European sponsorship community is preparing to celebrate the very best in creative excellence and partnership performance after the shortlist was unveiled for the 2026 ESA Awards in partnership with Pearlfinders.

The continent's most prestigious sponsorship awards saw another huge entry, with submissions coming from across Europe and showcasing thoughtful strategy, creative ambition and meaningful impact. Judges noted that the overall standard of entries was exceptionally high, and after rigorous discussion across all panels, several categories proved incredibly close - underlining the strength, depth and range of the European sponsorship industry.

Purpose-based sponsorship continued to be a powerful strand of the Awards submissions, with the Sponsorship with a Social Purpose category (introduced in 2023) and the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion in Sponsorship category (introduced in 2024) once again proving extremely popular. These entries demonstrated how partnerships can be a force for positive change while delivering against core organisational objectives.

The 2026 ESA Awards ceremony will take place 12 March 2026 at The Brewery in London, and tables and tickets can now be purchased with an early-bird discount available until 9 January. ESA is delighted to welcome back Pearlfinders as headline sponsor for a second year.

Reflecting the continued evolution of the sponsorship landscape, the 2026 Awards introduce a new category - Festival Sponsorship - recognising the growing prominence and sophistication of partnership activity in the festival sector. This addition complements an already diverse line-up of categories and further broadens the view of sponsorship's role across cultural and commercial environments.

The shortlist includes brands, rights holders and agencies drawn from a wide range of markets and sectors, illustrating the creativity, professionalism and partnership-led thinking that define the industry today.

As always, the ESA Awards provides a panoramic view of the European sponsorship landscape - celebrating outstanding achievements and recognising the power of collaboration in driving effective, impactful sponsorship.

ESA Chair Sophie Morris said: "Each year the ESA Awards showcases the very best of our industry, but the standard of entries for the 2026 edition has been exceptional. Across every category you can see thoughtful strategy, creative excellence and measurable impact - a testament to the talent and dedication of sponsorship professionals across Europe.

"With more than 100 judges engaged in rigorous discussion, several categories were phenomenally tight, reflecting how high the bar has been set this year. Reaching the shortlist is an outstanding achievement in itself, and I'd like to congratulate every organisation and individual who put their work forward.

"The enthusiasm and pride shown in this year's submissions underline the continued strength of the sponsorship industry. My message to the community is simple: celebrate this moment, you have earned it, and make sure you secure your ticket for Awards night. I can't wait to see you all to recognise your achievements together on 12 March."

The ESA Awards is renowned for its rigorous judging, and more than 130 senior sponsorship and marketing professionals from 21 countries met across 13 groups this week to discuss the merits of the various entries.

ESA would like to thank the event sponsors whose contribution is vital to the delivery of the 2026 ESA Awards: Pearlfinders, IPSEM Squared, Feenix, Meshh, NoTurningBack2020, Sponsorworks, SPORTO and Wasserman Live. For sponsorship opportunities please contact [email protected].

-ENDS-

About ESA

The European Sponsorship Association (ESA) is the essential and inclusive community for all professionals working in sponsorship. We inspire more successful sponsorships, drive confidence in decision making and grow a diverse community through world-leading education, events and resources, industry connections and recognition of excellence.

A not-for-profit membership association, ESA's reach encompasses all types of sponsorship activity from sport, broadcast, education, charity, arts and culture to environment and the community. Its members include sponsors, rights holders, agencies and consultants, professional advisors and suppliers. Visit sponsorship.org for more information.

About Pearlfinders

Pearlfinders empowers commercial teams at Europe's most successful sports rights-holders and agencies to generate more sponsorship revenue. Our platform provides access to Europe's largest, most accurate and relevant database of sport sponsorship budget-holders - with analyst-generated, forward-looking intelligence on potential partners - giving you an edge when pitching partnership opportunities to key decision-makers. Better insights. Better contact data. Better results.

Media enquiries

Jonathan Coates | ESA Marketing, Communications and Events Manager

[email protected]