This year's entries were judged on style, content, accuracy, and timeliness by an independent panel of seven industry professionals, chaired by William Mellor, an independent writer and producer with a notable history as a senior writer and Asia correspondent for Bloomberg News. The panel included Raymond Li, professor of Practice and Head of the Department of Journalism at Hong Kong Baptist University; Dr. King Au, executive director at the Financial Services Development Council (FSDC); Lawrence Au, founder and CEO of The LaunchPad.Biz; Allen Cheng, founder and Chief Adviser of Advise Insight Ltd; Jame DiBiasio, author and media entrepreneur; and Alison Tudor, a former journalist and multimedia editor.

The prestigious Outstanding Contribution to Institutional Journalism Award was presented to Enoch Yiu of the South China Morning Post. Yiu, who has been recognised six times at the State Street Institutional Press Awards, was lauded for her nearly thirty-year dedication to institutional journalism and her strong sourcing. The panel highlighted her ability to address complex and less visible topics such as regulation and investment services. "Enoch Yiu’s 2025 submissions showcased particularly balanced, high-quality journalism, reflecting ongoing professional growth," the panel noted.

Stefan Gmuer, head of Asia Pacific at State Street, expressed his admiration for the honourees and their contributions to the field. "We are thrilled to celebrate this year's honourees and highly commended journalists for their commitment and excellence in covering pivotal financial issues shaping today’s markets," he stated. "The response was incredible, with around 250 submissions received this year. It is a privilege to acknowledge the essential work journalists do in advancing knowledge and sparking important dialogue throughout the global investment community and beyond."

William Mellor, the lead judge, echoed these sentiments, emphasising the quality of the submissions. "This year's entries raised the bar once again and demonstrated outstanding ability," Mellor said. "The diversity and calibre of the journalism submitted made our task as judges both deeply rewarding and considerably challenging. We reviewed work that tackled complex topics and provided clear, valuable insights. These awards emphasise the vital role of high-quality journalism plays in keeping the financial community well informed and engaged."

The awards recognised journalists across various categories, reflecting the breadth of institutional finance. In the Journalist of the Year – Pensions category, Lee Ying Shan of CNBC emerged as the winner, with Daniel Kemp from Infrastructure Investor receiving high commendation. For Journalist of the Year – Investments, Alex Lynn from Private Equity International took the top honour, while Sophia Luo from China Daily Hong Kong was highly commended.

Stephanie Li of DealStreetAsia was named Journalist of the Year – Private Markets, with Vivian Li from AVCJ as the runner-up. In the Alternatives Investments category, Cheryl Heng of Citywire Asia was the winner, with Tan Ai Leng from The Business Times receiving high commendation.

The Capital Markets category saw Daniel Stanton of IFR Asia take the top spot, while Julie Zhang from South China Morning Post was highly commended. Andrew Hobbs from AFR was recognised as Journalist of the Year – Investor Services, with Enoch Yiu from the South China Morning Post also receiving commendation.

Nurdianah Md Nur from The Edge Singapore won the Journalist of the Year – Data, Technology & Artificial Intelligence category, with Justin Niessner from AVCJ highly commended. Alfred Lam from South China Morning Post won the Regulation category, with Lee Ying Shan from CNBC following closely.

In the Sustainable Investments & Stewardship category, Tom Taylor from Agri Investor was awarded Journalist of the Year, with Samantha Chiew from The Edge Singapore highly commended. Hugo Mathers from Capital Brief was named Best Newcomer, with Bella Ding from Ignites Asia and Vivian Li from AVCJ also recognised.

The awards also acknowledged achievements in Chinese language journalism. Jenna Huang from HK01 was named Journalist of the Year – Investments, while Yining Xia from Caixin Media was recognised in the Private Markets & Alternatives category. Li Yen Chiu from Global Views Monthly won in the Capital Markets category, and Yaffa Zheng from HK01 was awarded for Data, Technology & Artificial Intelligence. The Sustainable Investments & Stewardship category was led by Huang Shun Yang from Bloomberg Businessweek/Chinese.

As the financial landscape continues to evolve, the State Street Institutional Press Awards serve as a reminder of the crucial role journalists play in informing and shaping the industry.