The shortlist for the tenth Grant Thornton Quoted Company Awards has been announced, and includes a selection of the highest achieving companies and individuals in the market.

The awards consist of 12 categories that focus on high achieving listed companies quoted below the FTSE 350 through to AIM and ISDX. The award categories, shortlist, judging panel and list of sponsors are detailed below.

Philip Secrett, Head of Public Company Advisory, Grant Thornton UK LLP, said: “We are delighted to announce the shortlist for this year's Grant Thornton Quoted Company Awards. These awards were designed to recognise real talent, whether emerging or well established, within the mid and smaller cap sector. Ten years on we still believe in rewarding such talent, especially given the central role these companies are playing in our economy – driving growth during such turbulent times.”

The ceremony will be held on Wednesday 29 January 2014 at the Natural History Museum from 7pm. For table enquiries, please contact Rachelle Cornel, on 020 77250 7043 / rachelle.cornel@vitessemedia.co.uk. More information, including the evening’s programme, can be found on the website: www.quotedcompanyawards.com.

Award categories and shortlist and judges:

Chairman of the Year

Anthony Clinch, Nanoco Group
David Evans, EKF Diagnostics Holdings
Martin Lightbody, Finsbury Food Group
Roger Parry, Mobile Streams
Terry Roydon, Inland Homes
Terry Stannard , Walker Greenbank
Andrew Wiseman, Telford Homes

CEO of the Year

David Cicurel, Judges Scientific
Ken Greetham, Wynnstay Group
Richard Law, GB Group
David Richards, WANdisco
Andy Roberts, Innovation Group
Nick Robertson, ASOS
Rob Terry, Quindell Portfolio

Deal of the Year

Advanced Computer Software Group’s acquisition of Computer Software Holdings
EMIS Group’s acquisition of Ascribe Group
Highland Gold Mining’s acquisition of CJSC Bazovye Metally
IQE’s acquisition of Kopin Wireless
Ithaca Energy’s acquisition of Valiant Petroleum
Waterlogic’s acquisition of Cool Clear Water Group

Entrepreneur of the Year

Suranga Chandratillake, blinkx
Ronald Duncan, cloudBuy
William Hindmarch, Best of the Best
Philip Letts, blur Group
Vinodka Murria, Advanced Computer Software Group
Konstantinos Papadimitrakopoulos, Globo
Stephen Streater, Forbidden Technologies

Finance Director of the Year

Tom Booth, Randall & Quilter Investment Holdings
Keith Butcher, Optimal Payments
Max Cawthra, Tracsis
Julie Dean, Frenkel Topping Group
Brad Petzer, Monitise
Richard Stone, Share
Gerry Tucker, Bango

Broker of the Year

Canaccord Genuity
Cenkos Securities
finnCap
N+1 Singer
Numis Securities
Peel Hunt
Shore Capital
Westhouse Securities WH Ireland

IPO of the Year

AB Dynamics
Eland Oil & Gas
Globalworth Real Estate Investments
HellermannTyton Group
Lekoil
Plus500
Starcom

Fund manager of the Year

Georgina Brittain, JPMorgan Smaller Companies Investment Trust
Neil Hermon, Henderson Smaller Companies Investment Trust
John McClure, Unicorn UK Smaller Companies
Richard Plackett, BlackRock Throgmorton Trust
Mike Prentis, BlackRock Smaller Companies Investment Trust
Alex Wright, Fidelity UK Smaller Companies

Fund Manager of the Decade

Giles Hargreave, Marlborough Special Situations
Neil Hermon, Henderson Smaller Companies Investment Trust
Paul Marriage, Cazenove UK Smaller Companies
Daniel Nickols, Old Mutual UK Smaller Companies Focus
Harry Nimmo, Standard Life UK Smaller Companies Trust
Mike Prentis, BlackRock Smaller Companies Investment Trust
Philip Rodrigs, Investec UK Smaller Companies Fund

Non-Executive Director of the Year

Jessica Burley, UK Mail Group
Anthony Cann, Smiths News
Gillian Kent, Pendragon
Mark Laurence, Dart Group
David MacFarlane, Energy Assets Group
Nigel Stead, Vertu Motors
Matt Wood, Westminster Group

PR Firm of the Year

Abchurch
Buchanan
College Hill
FTI Consulting
Newgate Threadneedle
Pelham Bell Pottinger
Redleaf Polhill
St Brides Media & Finance
Tavistock Communications
Walbrook Public Relations

Company of the Decade

Accesso Technology Group (formerly Lo-Q)
ASOS
blinkx
Domino’s Pizza
Entertainment One
Gulf Keystone Petroleum
Playtech

2014 Judges

Peter Ashworth, Charles Stanley 
Andy Brough, Schroders 
Andrew Buchanan, Octopus Investments 
Giles Hargreave, Hargreave Hale 
Gareth Henderson, Winterflood Securities 
Ben Jaglom, Growth Company Investor 
Paul Kavanagh, Killik & Co
Judith MacKenzie, Downing LLP 
Philip Rodrigs, Investec 
Philip Secrett, Grant Thornton UK LLP
Sam Smith, finnCapp 
Graham Shore, Shore Capital 
Sara Williams, Vitesse Media 
Gervais Williams, MAM Funds