A flagship event for the investment industry for three decades, the Investment Week Fund Manager of the Year Awards honour fund managers who have demonstrated consistently strong performance for investors.
This year’s awards host was Strictly Come Dancing star Anton Du Beke, who treated the audience to a musical number.
Our charity for the evening was the British Heart Foundation, while we also provided a platform to hear more about the work of Inclusion in Finance’s Pathway Programme to support female fund managers.
Commenting on this year’s awards , Katrina Lloyd, editor-in-chief of Investment Week, said: “We had the highest attendance at FMYA for a decade this year, with over 900 people joining us on the night, demonstrating how highly these awards are regarded by the industry and how important it is to bring everyone together again.
“The Fund Manager of the Year Awards rewarded those managers who have used their experience and skills to navigate a turbulent time for investors and have added alpha and diversification benefits to portfolios.
“In the age of AI, we also highlighted during the ceremony the importance of continuing to showcase individual and team skill, diversity of thought and encouraging the next generation of investment talent.”
Judging process
Our fund awards shortlists are constructed using data provided by our partner, Morningstar. You can view the full shortlist and read more about the methodology here.
The award winners are then decided by a panel of more than 80 fund selectors drawn from across the investment industry, who judge categories in their specialist areas of interest and consider both quantitative and qualitative factors.
In addition, we are pleased to have the support of our industry judges and long-standing advisory panel of senior fund selectors.
Special Awards
This year, we also recognised groups supporting asset and wealth firms in the UK including the Technology Partner of the Year category, which was won by AM Insights, and Marketing & PR Partner of the Year, where Quill PR took the trophy.
KKR won our inaugural Private Markets Partner of the Year award, with the judges recognising “this quality manager has shown innovation in adapting to the needs of UK wealth managers and demonstrated success in getting high profile partnerships off the ground.” They also liked its robust education platform.
We honoured Lightman Investment Management as the winner of another new category for Boutique Manager of the Year, recognising the important part specialist groups play in the investment sector.
The judges described Lightman as “a great ambassador for active management”, while praising their patience and conviction, which has paid off in performance.
Meanwhile, Group of the Year was awarded for the second consecutive year to Artemis Fund Managers.
The judges praised Artemis for delivering outstanding performance across a great spread of asset classes and described them as “proper active managers”. They also liked how they come together as a group to make a difference through charity fundraising and educational initiatives.
Individual Awards
This year’s Outstanding Fund Manager Achievement Award was presented to Eric Holt from Royal London Asset Management.
The judges wanted to honour an excellent manager who has served clients very well during his 40-year career running corporate bond funds. Holt has played a key role in the development of a successful bond franchise at his firm and evolving its strategies. He has also been a regular on the Fund Manager of the Year shortlists and winners lists over the years, including at this year’s awards.
Finally, the winner of the Outstanding Contribution to the Industry Award was Claudia Calich, M&G Investments.
The judges wanted to honour this highly respected fund manager’s significant impact at the vanguard of developing and promoting emerging market debt as an asset class during her 30-year career.
In particular, Calich has played a key role mentoring and developing investment teams and educating investors and the wider industry about EMD, having a huge impact across the sector.
To read more about the awards, go to: www.fmya.com
Winners of Fund Manager of the Year Awards 2026
Equities
UK All Companies
Winner: Fidelity Special Situations Fund
Highly commended: Ninety One UK Special Situations Fund
UK Smaller Companies
Winner: WS Gresham House UK Micro Cap Fund
Highly commended: Premier Miton Tellworth UK Smaller Companies Fund
UK Equity Income
Winner: TM Redwheel UK Equity Income Fund
Highly commended: Man Income Fund
Asia Pacific Ex-Japan
Winner: M&G Asian Fund
China
Winner: Ninety One All China Equity Fund
India
Winner: Chikara Indian Subcontinent Fund
Japan
Winner: WS Morant Wright Japan fund
Highly commended: Man Japan CoreAlpha fund
Global Emerging Markets
Winner: Artemis SmartGARP Global Emerging Markets Equity Fund
Highly commended: Pacific North of South EM All Cap Equity Fund
Europe
Winner: Mirabaud Discovery Europe ex UK Fund
Highly commended: Artemis SmartGARP European Equity Fund
Global Equity
Winner: WS Blue Whale Growth Fund
Highly commended: Janus Henderson Horizon Global Smaller Companies Fund
Global Income
Winner: Artemis Global Income fund
Highly commended: Thornburg Equity Income Builder fund
US
Winner: New Capital US Growth Fund
Highly commended: Alger American Asset Growth Fund
Specialist
Bonds
Winner: MI Twentyfour Investment Funds – Asset Backed Opportunities Fund
Highly commended: Lombard Odier Asia Value Bond Fund
Equities
Winner: Polar Capital Global Technology Fund
Highly commended: Algebris Financial Equity Fund
Equity Precious Metals
Winner: Jupiter Gold & Silver Fund
Highly commended: BlackRock Gold & General Fund
Bonds
Sterling Strategic Bond
Winner: Schroder Strategic Bond Fund
Highly commended: Royal London Sterling Extra High Yield Bond Fund
Sterling Corporate Bond
Winner: Royal London Sterling Credit Fund
Highly commended: Man Sterling Corporate Bond Fund
Global Emerging Market Bond
Winner: BlueBay Emerging Market Unconstrained Bond Fund
High Yield Bond
Winner: Man High Yield Opportunities Fund
Highly commended: Aegon High Yield Bond Fund
Global Corporate Bond
Winner: Schroder International Selection Fund EURO Corporate Bond Fund
Highly commended: PGIM Global Corporate Bond Fund
Global Bond
Winner: Royal London Global Bond Opportunities Fund
Highly commended: PGIM Multi-Sector Credit Fund
Absolute Return and Managed Sectors
Managed 0-35% Shares
Winner: IFSL Church House Tenax Multi-Asset Strategy Fund
Highly commended: Premier Miton Defensive Multi-Asset Fund
Managed 20-60% Shares
Winner: Artemis Monthly Distribution Fund
Managed 40-85% Shares
Winner: Orbis OEIC Global Balanced Fund
Managed – Flexible
Winner: CG A J Bell Adventurous Fund
Highly commended: AB Emerging Markets Multi-Asset Portfolio
Highly commended: VT Price Value Portfolio
Absolute Return
Winner: Jupiter Merian Global Equity Absolute Return Fund
Highly commended: TM Fulcrum Income Fund
Industry Categories
Boutique Manager of the Year
Winner: Lightman Investment Management
Technology Partner of the Year (Asset and Wealth Management)
Winner: AM Insights
Marketing & PR Partner of the Year (Asset and Wealth Management)
Winner: Quill PR
Private Markets Partner of the Year
Winner: KKR
Highly commended: Titanbay
Group of the Year
Winner: Artemis Fund Managers
Outstanding Fund Manager Achievement Award
Winner: Eric Holt, Royal London Asset Management
Outstanding Contribution to the Industry
Winner: Claudia Calich, M&G Investments
