Unbiased.co.uk announces the winners of its ‘Media Awards’ 2012

Winning IFAs and whole of market mortgage advisers announced for the eleven categories from last night’s awards.

Unbiased.co.uk, the professional advice website, announces the winners of its eighth annual ‘Media Awards’.  The awards are held to recognise the hard work of the Bluebook media advisers, and were presented to the eleven category winners last night at a drinks party in London.  The Bluebook connects personal finance journalists with media advisers who are ready and willing to provide comment, insight and case studies to promote the value of independent financial advice and professional advice for consumers.

The 2012 awards, sponsored by Alliance Trust Savings, Scottish Widows, Schroders, Legal & General, Alquity, Lockton, Lansons Communications, AXA Wealth, Reform and Opinium Research, recognise the work of individual advisers who are taking the lead in positioning the advice sector as expert media commentators on financial issues. 

Each category was judged by an expert panel including journalists, product providers and industry specialists, and led by Karen Barrett, chief executive of unbiased.co.uk. The panel looked at all of the shortlisted advisers’ media work, press commentary and engagement with unbiased.co.uk media services to decide the winner of each category. 

The winners and runners up for each of the eleven categories are:

 

IFA of the year (sponsored by Alliance Trust Savings)

Winner: Dennis Hall, Yellowtail Financial Planning Ltd

Runner up: Jason Witcombe, Evolve Financial Planning

 

Pensions IFA of the year (sponsored by Scottish Widows)

Winner: Tom McPhail, Hargreaves Lansdown

Runner up: Kevin Tooze, Equity Partners UK Ltd

 

Investmet IFA of the year (sponsored by Schroders)

Winner: Adrian Lowcock, Bestinvest

Runner up: Patrick Connolly, AWD Chase De Vere

 

Protection adviser of the year (sponsored by Legal & General)

Winner: Lorreine Kennedy, CareMatters

Runner up: Alan Lakey, Highclere Financial Services

 

Responsible investment IFA of the year (sponsored by Alquity)

Winner: Ruth Whitehead, Ruth Whitehead Associates

Runner up: Olivia Bowen, GAEIA Partnership

 

Mortgage adviser of the year (sponsored by Lockton)

Winner: David Hollingworth, London & Country Mortgages

Runner up: Ray Boulger, John Charcol

 

Bluebook newcomer (sponsored by Lansons Communications)

Winner: Alistair Cunningham, Wingate Financial Planning

Runner up: Justin King, MFP Wealth Management

 

Social media adviser of the year (sponsored by AXA Wealth)

Winner: Alistair Cunningham, Wingate Financial Planning

Runner up: Tom McPhail, Hargreaves Lansdown

 

Best Blogger of the year (sponsored by Reform)

Winner: Martin Bamford, Informed Choice Ltd

 

Best IFA website/ online proposition (sponsored by Opinium Research)

Winner: Bestinvest

Runner up: Eldon Financial Planning

 

Judges Award

Winner: Jason Witcombe

 

The awards were judged by an expert panel of:

Karen Barrett, Chief Executive, unbiased.co.uk

Annie Shaw, Editor of CashQuestions.com and freelance journalist

Jo Thornhill, Assistant Personal Finance Editor, Mail on Sunday

Simon Read, Personal Finance Editor, The Independent

Paul McMillan, Editor, Money Marketing

Patrick Mill, Sales and Distribution Director, Alliance Trust Savings

Brian Boehmer, Partner Producer, Lockton

Timothy Rees, Head of Market Relations, Scottish Widows

James Rainbow, Head of UK Marketing, Schroders

Nick Frankland, Sales & Marketing Director, Legal & General

Paul Riddell, Head of PR, AXA Wealth

Paul Robinson, CEO of Alquity and Trustee of The One Foundation, Alquity

Hannily Pavey, Board Director, Lansons Communications

James Endersby, Managing Director, Opinium Research

Lucy Mann, Marketing and Business Development Director, Reform

Julia Dreblow, Director, SRI Services

 

Karen Barrett, Chief Executive of unbiased.co.uk comments:  "These awards are an important opportunity to publicly recognise the significant contribution of the media advisers who make up the Bluebook.  Our media advisers help to keep independent financial advice and professional advice at the forefront of consumers’ minds helping them understand the value of advice.  The judging, involving both  journalists and product providers, highlighted the value the media advisers bring to articles and it was a closely contested shortlist for each category but the winners represent those that have gone above and beyond to support the unbiased.co.uk PR campaign.  I would also like to say a big thank you to our sponsors, judges and media advisers who support the awards.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Photos of the awards are available on request.

For more information contact:

Lisa Grando/ Emily Falla/ Maddy Morgan Williams, Lansons Communications:  020 7294 3682

For expert commentary or case studies from over 150 media-friendly IFAs, journalists should visit www.unbiased.co.uk/bluebook.

Twitter: @unbiased_co_uk

LinkedIn: Unbiased.co.uk - Online networking for professional advisers

About unbiased.co.uk, the professional advice website

The unbiased.co.uk portal is a free and confidential UK-wide search matching consumers with local professional advisers: ‘find an IFA’, ‘find a mortgage adviser’, ‘find a solicitor’, and ‘find an accountant’. These searches enable consumers to find professional advisers by postcode, area of specialism, qualification and payment method. In 2011, unbiased.co.uk fulfilled around 450,000 searches for local, professional advice. 

Unbiased Ltd promotes the benefits of independent financial advice to consumers.  Unbiased Ltd is supported by the following companies: