• Canon and RNIB's moving work in making photography accessible to the blind scoops ESA Sponsorship of the Year
• Irish partnerships win judges over with three successes for Guinness including ESA Best of Europe gold
• The Breathing Space collects another triple crown for Norwegian insurance firm Gjensidige

Buzzing brands and elated partners from Ireland, Norway and the UK demonstrated the fine art of commercial collaboration as their work was recognised with silverware at the 2026 ESA Awards, in partnership with Pearlfinders.

A packed audience of almost 600 sponsorship professionals gathered at The Brewery in London to acclaim the glory of Canon & RNIB - World Unseen as winner of ESA Sponsorship of the Year as well as the Arts & Culture Sponsorship category. The partnership's proven ability to deliver on business objectives while achieving a profoundly positive social purpose, making photography accessible to blind people, impressed the judges.

Shortly before the climax of the ceremony, Tommy Hilfiger and F1 The Movie was recognised with the Chair's Award for an entry described as "disruptive brilliance".

The Breathing Space by Gjensidige, winner of a record five awards in 2025 including ESA Sponsorship of the Year, demonstrated its enduring brilliance as the Norwegian insurance brand picked up three winner trophies including the new Festival Sponsorship category. A Norwegian double was completed in the Sponsorship with a Social Purpose category (sponsored by IPSEM Squared) thanks to The Entry Room - by Sparebank 1 Østlandet and Retail Factory.

Guinness was another brand celebrating a triple crown. Large-scale category success came with IDA x Guinness 'Never Settle' Boot in Sponsorship with a Social Purpose and Guinness & The Premier League: A Match Made in Heaven in Sport Sponsorship (sponsored by Meshh), and the Dublin-based brewer delivered a third successive win for Ireland in ESA Best of Europe courtesy of its Lovely Summer for a Guinness campaign.

ESA Best of Europe judges also recognised the France entry EDF x Paris 2024: The Moment to Shine (Silver) and Samsung ShotControl (Bronze) from the Netherlands.

There was no concealing the identity of the Traitors in the room as the RTÉ version of the hit TV show picked up wins for work done with two brand partners, Centra and Very - Suss or Sound? Centra Content Champions of the Traitors Ireland and A Very Proud Sponsor of the Traitors Ireland.

Sky Ireland also excelled with two wins for its Bound by Belief, Sky and Irish Football campaign, including Best Use of Measurement & Insight.

Hosted by England rugby legend, broadcaster and diversity advocate Ugo Monye, the 18th annual ESA Awards ceremony celebrated the very best of European sponsorship. A wide range of organisations earned recognition for outstanding work across the past 12-18 months, winning trophies and commendations across 26 categories.

The ceremony featured a new winner of Agency of the Year as MSQ Sport + Entertainment earned the coveted prize, while Oak View Group enjoyed its first taste of success in Rights Holder of the Year.

A category introduced in 2025 - Equality, Diversity & Inclusion in Sponsorship - again proved popular, with Cairn Community Games prevailing over stiff competition to win the prize (partnered by NoTurningBack2020).

Vhi Women's Mini Marathon 2025 won Event of the Year (sponsored by Sponsorworks), while Environmentally Sustainable Sponsorship (sponsored by Wasserman Live) was collected by The Irish Times Ireland's Greenest Places partnership with Electric Ireland.

ESA Chair Sophie Morris presented the Toby Hester Award to the 2025 ESA Diploma Top Graduate, Clémentine de Bibikoff.

Click here to see the full list of entries recognised in the 2026 ESA Awards.

ESA Awards Chair of Judges, Matthew Leopold, said: "Judging the ESA Awards puts you in a privileged position. We get to review an impressively wide range of world-class sponsorship work. This year was no exception. The standard was higher than ever. More than a few categories came down to the sort of margin that made the judges re-check their notes and engage in heartfelt, spirited debate. This is what sets the ESA Awards apart - our judges really know their subject matter and really care about the result.

"Many congratulations to all our winners, and a particular nod to the ESA Sponsorship of the Year, Canon & RNIB - World Unseen. A genuinely compelling piece of work, strong on the numbers and, more importantly, genuinely felt.

"The ESA judging process is famously rigorous, but every so often, a campaign arrives that simply refuses to stay inside the lines. Tommy Hilfiger's work with F1: The Movie was that rare exception. It blurred the boundaries between fashion, cinema and sport with such flair, they created a sponsorship that felt entirely fresh. We created the Chair's Award because brilliance this disruptive, and this much fun, demanded recognition."

-ENDS-