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.

The Best Brand Awareness Campaign award aims to recognise initiatives that effectively engage an audience with a brand through a performance-driven approach.

The winning campaign will have successfully generated brand awareness and consideration, while also driving meaningful conversations or actions within the targeted audience segment, ultimately contributing to the company’s core objectives.

Judges will be on the lookout for a content partnership that turned brilliant ideas into measurable results.

The content partnership could have helped guide consumers along the purchasing funnel via commerce content or social commerce to drive sales or leads for a brand.

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.

Judges are looking for well-executed campaigns or strategies that effectively leverage multiple partner collaborations and diverse performance marketing methods to engage and influence consumers across all stages of the purchasing funnel.

Judges are looking for a lead generation campaign that has effectively met client objectives by delivering high-quality prospects through a smart, cost-efficient, and ethical strategy.

Winning entries will demonstrate the ability to quantify the value of leads in alignment with the client’s original campaign goals, showcasing clear success in achieving those objectives.

A deep understanding of the complexities within the affiliate channel is crucial to running a successful program.

In this category, judges will be seeking examples of well-executed, competent, and holistic management of an enterprise-level brand’s affiliate program, whether managed by an agency, in-house team, or affiliate network.
Entries should also demonstrate significant improvements over the previous year’s performance.

For this category, ‘Enterprise’ is defined as a company with more than 250 employees and an annual turnover exceeding £40 million.

SMEs typically have distinct goals and KPIs compared to larger enterprise brands, and this category is designed to evaluate them exclusively against their peers.

Judges will be looking for well-executed, competent, and holistic management of a brand’s affiliate program, whether handled by an agency, in-house team, or affiliate network.

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

The Best Multi-Channel Campaign award celebrates the effective integration of multiple channels working together to achieve outstanding results.

Whether it’s affiliate marketing combined with paid search, CTV paired with creators, or another mix of outcome-based marketing strategies, this award will honour a company or team that has successfully blended two or more measurable activities.

Entries should provide detailed insights into the efforts and strategies employed to launch the campaign, including any adjustments made along the way to achieve the desired outcome.

Winning entries should showcase a high level of proficiency in using the paid search channel, including the strategic use of data, platforms, and innovative tools, whether managed in-house or on behalf of a client.

Judges will look for campaigns that align seamlessly with brand values and objectives, demonstrating a well-planned and executed approach.

Judges are looking to recognise an innovative and impactful paid social campaign or strategy that achieved outstanding results through a performance-driven approach.

Whether the goal was to drive sales, boost engagement, amplify with UGC, generate leads, or perhaps increase footfall, entries should clearly demonstrate how the campaign met and exceeded the client’s 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.

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.

This category recognises an exceptional campaign or partnership that has successfully delivered sales or defined outcomes via mass media, editorial partners, creators or strategic content, whilst informing and inspiring consumers.

Entries should detail the strategy deployed and the technologies used to drive success.

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.

The Best Business to Business (B2B) category seeks to reward a B2B campaign utilising any performance-based methodology to meet predefined goals and objectives for the brand.

Judges will seek to reward a campaign that has excelled within the finance or insurance vertical through the use of performance-based methodologies.

Entries should showcase how the campaign was creatively planned and strategically executed, highlighting any technologies that added significant value.

This category is open to submissions in collaboration with one or multiple clients and must be focused on a specific campaign.

Judges will look to reward a retail or eCommerce campaign that has excelled through the use of performance-based methodologies.

Entries should showcase how the campaign was creatively planned and strategically executed, highlighting any technologies that added significant value.

This category is open to submissions in collaboration with one or multiple clients and must focus on a specific campaign.

Judges will seek to reward a campaign that has excelled in the broadband, mobile, or utilities sectors using performance-based methodologies.

Entries should demonstrate how the campaign was creatively planned and expertly executed, with a focus on any technologies that added significant value.

Additionally, highlight how collaboration and the human touch provided a competitive edge, elevating the campaign’s success.

This category is open to submissions in partnership with one or multiple clients and must focus on a specific campaign.

Judges will seek to reward a campaign that has excelled within the travel, leisure, or lifestyle verticals through the use of performance-based methodologies.

Entries should showcase how the campaign was creatively planned and strategically executed, highlighting any technologies that added significant value.

This category is open to submissions in collaboration with one or multiple clients and must be focused on a specific campaign.

For a shot at their very own PMA, affiliate networks or SaaS competing for the Affiliate Network or SaaS of the Year award, must enter as usual via the website. Judges will then create a shortlist based on how well the network or SaaS engages and supports their clients, enabling them to evolve and optimise their performance marketing activity.

Once the shortlist is announced the industry places their vote. With one vote per company taken into consideration when deciding the outright winner.

As per last year, this award focuses on product development, service and support for both advertisers and for publishers/affiliates.

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.

The winner of the PMA for Best Affiliate & Partnership Marketing Agency will be masters of planning and executing joined-up affiliate and partnership campaigns for their clients. Utilising multiple forms of performance-based partnerships to deliver exceptional results.

The winner of the PMA for Best Agency Specialising in Performance Media (Programmatic, Performance Content, CTV, Native, Data Solutions, etc.) will be recognised as a leader in driving exceptional value for clients by expertly utilising the full range of performance media methodologies.

This agency will excel in delivering digital optimisation and fostering positive transformation, consistently achieving outstanding results for their clients.

This award celebrates outstanding teams that have earned the respect and admiration of their clients across multiple demographics.

Great teams are the driving force behind industry evolution, and the PMAs are eager to recognise those who excel in collaboration, optimising both client activity and potential.

This award is open to teams from all sectors of the performance marketing industry and can include internal or customer facing teams.

The “Gamechanger of the Year” award seeks to recognise an individual, team, company, or innovation that has significantly disrupted and transformed the performance marketing landscape during the eligibility period. Judges will be looking for entries that demonstrate a profound and measurable impact on the industry, either through pioneering new approaches, launching breakthrough technologies, or redefining best practices. The ideal candidate or initiative should exhibit a bold vision and the ability to challenge the status quo, driving tangible improvements in efficiency, effectiveness, or creativity within performance marketing. Judges will consider the scale and scope of the change brought about, the challenges overcome to achieve this transformation, and the long-term implications for the industry. Entries should provide clear evidence of success, including relevant metrics, case studies, and testimonials, to illustrate the game-changing nature of the contribution. Additionally, the entry should highlight how this innovation or individual has set new benchmarks, inspired others, and created a lasting legacy in the performance marketing arena.

This award is designed to recognise and reward bright, ambitious, and exceptional talent in the performance marketing industry. We welcome nominations from across all demographics, whether directly from individuals with employer endorsement, from clients, or from employers themselves. Employers submitting nominations must clearly outline the nominee’s impact on the business and their performance during the judging period. Up to six candidates will be shortlisted and invited to participate in a judging day, where they will pitch to our panel of industry experts on a relevant industry topic. Judges will be assessing candidates for their drive, enthusiasm, ambition, and depth of industry knowledge. Please note: Entrants should have less than six years of industry experience.

Judges are looking to recognise a standout partnership between two or more companies that has driven mutual success.

Success can be defined in various ways, such as boosting customer conversions, increasing sales, or amplifying brand reach.

Given the diverse nature of partnerships, any collaboration that has significantly advanced each party’s goals or mission will be considered for this award.

Judges are seeking to honour a publisher who has stood out over the past 12 months by blending innovation, creativity, and originality.

This publisher will have delivered exceptional results that not only set them apart from their peers but also raised the bar in the industry.

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.