II Global Awards: Cross-continent competition stiffens

Few events have the capacity to simultaneously cause as much delight and anguish as a democratic vote… and the situation is no different for Infrastructure Investor’s Global Awards 2017. Some voters will be keen for us to announce the winner now but, while we can’t do that, we can provide an early exit poll.

Democracy in 2017 is as much about style as substance, which brings us to our Personality of the Year category. Our North American-dominated category has left three of the candidates trailing in the wake of the front runner currently carrying 54.3 percent of the vote, some 35.4 percentage points ahead of his nearest challenger. There’s no first-past-the-post system in our elections, so the candidate with the most votes will indeed take home the trophy and it could be an II Awards first.

The competition is much stiffer in our global Deal of the Year category, where the two leaders are separated by just one vote. With voting still open for another 20 days, this one could go right down to the wire. The situation is similar in the global PPP vote, where only five votes sit between the two vying for the award.

After a year in which British, French, German and Dutch voters headed to the polls, with only one of those countries emerging with an outright winner, it’s no surprise to see a similar situation emerging in our own votes. There is a particularly close race in the European Fund Manager of the Year award, with eight votes between the leader and the third-placed candidate. The crowded European market is living up to its competitive reputation, although a clear winner is beginning to emerge in the continent’s PPP Deal of the Year.

The Middle East and Africa category is typically heating up and there is a dead-heat between two lenders vying for the region’s Bank of the Year award. Just 3.9 percentage points separate third place from the leaders, so every vote will be crucial here. A close battle can also be found between those competing for Equity Fundraising of the Year in Asia-Pacific, although the group’s transport investor leader has the clearest lead of all categories.

There is certainly all to play for over the next week and the holiday period and with the competition remaining fierce, some might be advised against premature celebrations over Christmas. Votes remain open until 7 January so CLICK HERE to make your voice heard.