Europe’s most innovative and impactful event partnerships took centre stage last night at the 2026 European Sponsorship Awards (ESA), where festivals, races, cultural spectacles, and sports events were among the winners celebrated for their ground-breaking collaborations. In front of a packed audience of 600 at London’s The Brewery, the awards recognised the power of partnerships - from music festivals and charity races to marathons, cultural celebrations, and sports spectacles.

Winning event partnerships The 2026 ESA Awards shone a spotlight on events of all kinds, proving that sponsorship can elevate experiences across every sector: Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon 2025 (Ireland) was crowned Event of the Year, proving that mass-participation events can drive both community engagement and commercial success. Gjensidige’s The Breathing Space (Norway) claimed the Festival Sponsorship award, demonstrating how brands can turn festivals into immersive, socially impactful experiences. The Pfizer Cycle 2025 (Ireland), co-organised by Titan Sports, won Best Employee Engagement, showcasing how a charity cycling event can drive internal engagement while supporting a global cause.

Sustainability and social purpose take centre stage The awards particularly celebrated partnerships that prioritise purpose and sustainability. The Irish Times Ireland’s Greenest Places, in partnership with Electric Ireland, won Environmentally Sustainable Sponsorship, setting a benchmark for eco-conscious events. This award was presented by Andrew Hodson of Wasserman Live. Sparebank 1 Østlandet and Retail Factory’s The Entry Room claimed Sponsorship with a Social Purpose, proving that events can drive meaningful change in their communities. Cairn Community Games won the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion in Sponsorship award, showing how local events can champion inclusivity. Canon & RNIB’s World Unseen took home ESA Sponsorship of the Year and Arts & Culture Sponsorship, making photography accessible to blind people and proving that event sponsorships can drive both business and social impact. Culture and entertainment shines RTÉ’s The Traitors dominated the TV and entertainment space, with sponsors Centra and Very winning awards for their creative activations, proving how TV events can become cultural phenomena through smart partnerships.

Tommy Hilfiger and F1: The Movie received the Chair’s Award for "disruptive brilliance", blending fashion, film, and motorsport in a way that redefined cross-sector collaboration. Guinness secured a triple win, including ESA Best of Europe for Lovely Summer for a Guinness, showing how beer brands can own both sports and cultural moments. “Heartfelt, spirited debate” Hosted by England rugby legend and diversity advocate Ugo Monye, the 18th annual ESA Awards celebrated 26 categories of sponsorship excellence. MSQ Sport + Entertainment was named Agency of the Year, while Oak View Group won Rights Holder of the Year for the first time. “The standard was higher than ever,” said ESA Awards Chair of Judges, Matthew Leopold. “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.”