The ICCO Global Awards 2015, for PR agencies and individual practitioners, has the recognition of 33 PR trade associations worldwide, despite being in its inaugural year.

The awards, which took place on Thursday 26 November at the Park Plaza Hotel, London, were hosted by British television presenter, Helen Fospero.

The Independent Consultancy of the Year Award went to Interel Group in the EMEA region, Avian Media in the APAC region and Imagem Corporativa in the Americas, and the Rising Star of the Year Award was won by Christopher Onderstall, associate director at FleishmanHillard. The PR Leader of the Year Award was won by Nitin Mantri, director at Avian Media.

David Gallagher, CEO of Ketchum Europe and ICCO jury president, says, “We believe that effectiveness is the one true and equal parameter we can all be measured by. We wanted to recognise not just the obvious, loudest campaigns but the smartest, most elegant, and highest value work our industry has to offer. Congratulations to all the winners.”

Entries to the ICCO Global Awards are judged according to the proven effectiveness of the campaign - results take precedence over creativity. Judges included senior PR practitioners at global agencies.

Full list of winners below:

Regional Network of the Year Award:

EMEA: TRACCS

APAC: Weber Shandwick

AMERICAS: Ketchum

Independent Consultancy of the Year Award:

EMEA: Interel Group

APAC: Avian Media

AMERICAS: Imagem Corporativa

World’s Best PR Campaigns Award:

Media Relations: Hill + Knowlton Strategies

Consumer: Burson-Marsteller

Digital and New Media: MSL Group

B2B: NetProfile

CSR: The Skills Group

Not for profit: CROS

Technology: MSL Group

Crisis & issues: CROS

Broadcast: Lansons

Healthcare: FleishmanHillard

Rising Star of the Year Award:

Christopher Onderstall, FleishmanHillard

PR Leader of the Year Award:

Nitin Mantri, Avian Media

ICCO Hall of Fame:

Arun Sudhaman, The Holmes Report

Kathy Cripps, PR Council

Ray Kotcher, Ketchum

Richard Houghton, Agency Doctor

Barry Leggetter, AMEC