Winners of the AIC Shareholder Communication Awards 2026

Chair of the judging panel, Anthony Leatham, Head of Investment Companies Research at Peel Hunt, said: “This year’s Shareholder Communication Awards have demonstrated the continued innovation and high standards of communication across the investment trust sector. Best Marketing, Best Shareholder Engagement and Best Report and Accounts attracted the highest number of submissions, and the judges were impressed by the quality and creativity of entries.

“It’s encouraging that more investment trusts are following an integrated approach to shareholder communications, using advertising, PR, social and digital media alongside traditional reports and factsheets. This is helping investment trusts engage existing shareholders and reach new investors in innovative ways. On behalf of the judging panel, I would like to congratulate this year’s winners and shortlisted companies.” 

Richard Stone, Chief Executive of the Association of Investment Companies (AIC), said: 

“We are pleased to see investment trusts continue to improve the quality of their communications with shareholders. This year’s entries demonstrated innovative, technology-enabled approaches engaging both new and existing investors. I would like to congratulate all of the winners and thank everyone who took the time to enter the awards.”

The awards were presented on Tuesday 29 September 2026 at The Ivy, Tower Bridge, London.

The winners are:
 

Best Report and Accounts – Generalist

Winner: The Merchants Trust

The judging panel praised the creative approach and the engaging design of the online digital report. They highlighted the innovative use of technology, case studies, and video to communicate directly to shareholders to bring the report to life.
 

Best Report and Accounts – Specialist

Winner: AVI Japan Opportunity Trust

The judges commended the winner for its informative and well-structured report which clearly articulated the engagement-led approach. They were particularly impressed with the design and use of graphics to demonstrate the performance of the trust.
 

Best Report and Accounts – Alternative

Winner: Neuberger Private Equity Partners

The judges applauded the clear commentary, appealing design and accessibility of the report. They highlighted the strong balance of information and education on private equity and the effective use of KPIs and performance tracking.
 

Best Report and Accounts – VCT

Winner: Pembroke VCT

The judges liked the report’s appealing design and layout and noted the engaging case studies and varied content. They felt considerable thought had gone into making the report feel fresh, interesting and enjoyable to read. 
 

Best ESG Communication

Winner: Octopus Renewables Infrastructure Trust

The panel praised Octopus Renewables Infrastructure Trust for its clear narrative on ESG. The report stood out for its accessible content and helpful metrics. The judges highlighted the effectiveness of the case studies and the use of video content to bring ESG to life.
 

Best Factsheet

Winner: Sequoia Economic Infrastructure Income

The judges applauded Sequoia Economic Infrastructure Income’s clear and concise monthly factsheet providing shareholders with an insightful and visually appealing update on the portfolio and performance of the trust.
 

Best Marketing Campaign

Winner: Templeton Emerging Markets Investment Trust

The judges praised Templeton Emerging Markets as the winner of the Best Marketing Campaign for its consistent and effective multi-channel campaign. The measurable results show how the creative integrated campaign continues to resonate with shareholders.
 

Best PR Campaign

Winner: Temple Bar Investment Trust

Temple Bar was selected as the winner for its effective “Think Value, Think Temple Bar” campaign. The clear and impactful campaign produced strong measurable results for the winner resulting in increased retail ownership across major investment platforms.
 

Highly Commended: Vietnam Enterprise Investment

The judges commended Vietnam Enterprise Investment's innovative and well-coordinated PR campaign around key strategic events to communicate with commentators and shareholders.
 

Best Shareholder Engagement

Joint Winner: Invesco Global Equity Income Trust

The judges praised the strategic approach to shareholder engagement to deliver a smart, well-executed multi-channel campaign to merge the trust with Franklin Global Trust. The campaign’s effectiveness was supported by strong engagement metrics and the merger was approved by shareholders.

Joint Winner: RIT Capital Partners

The judges recognised the significant progress the company made in raising its visibility, particularly around its private company holdings. They noted the sustained effort to improve the company’s profile and engagement with existing and prospective shareholders across a range of in-person events and digital communication.
 

Best Social Media

Winner: F&C Investment Trust 

The judges praised the winning entry for its innovative use of vox pops, street interviews and tailored educational content across platforms such as TikTok and YouTube. They were particularly impressed by the campaign’s ability to generate views in the millions, demonstrating its strong reach and audience engagement. They commended the change in tone of voice when communicating to experienced investors on LinkedIn. 
 

Highly Commended: Seraphim Space Investment Trust

The judges commended Seraphim Space for its creative use of content and the impressive metrics achieved across its social media channels.
 

Best Website

Winner: Templeton Emerging Markets Investment Trust

The judges praised the thoughtful redesign of the website to provide a more engaging experience for the user. They highlighted features such as “TEMIT in numbers” as engaging touches that add value and encourage investors to look beyond the initial page and explore further.

PLEASE CONTACT THE AIC COMMUNICATIONS TEAM FOR 
PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE WINNERS