When ‘great’ was no longer enough to succeed at the ESA Awards
Matthew Leopold
Chair, ESA Awards Judges Panel
A packed awards hall. A room filled with the sharpest minds in sponsorship. Months of analysis, debate and data-crunching have all led to this moment. The envelope is opened. A breathless pause. The name is read aloud. Applause erupts. But this isn’t just any old applause. This is the sound of an industry witnessing history.
Winning at the ESA Awards is always a defining moment. But to take home ESA Sponsorship of the Year? That’s different. That’s a statement. Because this award isn’t about being the best in one category – it’s about being the best of the best.
Every category winner is put under the microscope for a second time. Every success story is re-interrogated. Every result is scrutinised. In the end, the judges must conclude which sponsorship stands above them all.
The 2025 ESA Sponsorship of the Year winner didn’t just impress. They changed the game.
A raised bar
Sponsorship has evolved. The days of slapping a logo on a jersey and calling it a campaign? Thankfully, long gone from the ESA Awards hall of fame.
Today, the best sponsorships don’t seek to attract eyeballs – they aim to change how people think and behave. They create cultures. They make an impact. And in 2025, that transformation reached new heights.
This wasn’t just a competitive year… it was a battleground. The 24 campaigns that made it to the ESA Sponsorship of the Year panel had already risen to the top of hundreds of entries. These were the best in sport, music, arts, esports, sustainability and social impact. But once those winners were in the ring together, it became clear: excellence wasn’t enough anymore.
The numbers alone tell the story. The average judging score for these winners was the highest ever recorded – a stunning 80.2%. Even the lowest-scoring campaign in the final line-up would have been the frontrunner in previous years (scoring an average of 74.3%). The level of quality was staggering.
When every finalist could have won
Now, we hear this at every awards ceremony: “the standard was ever higher”. Well – actually – you don’t hear it at every awards ceremony. I don’t always say it, because it isn’t always true. But this year, I thought I would let the data speak for itself.
The winners of the individual categories were scoring higher than ever before. The judges had a problem. A big problem. How do you pick a winner when the top five entries are separated by mere decimal points?
Our winner bagged an average score of 83.5%. But the average for the top 5 was 83.2%! The winning campaigns weren’t just winners – they were brilliant. Each had redefined sponsorship in its own way, setting new standards for creativity, effectiveness and impact.
One judge summed it up best: “In any other year, half of these campaigns would have walked away with gold. This year? We had to rethink what ‘the best’ really means to us and to the industry.”
The competition wasn’t just tight – it was brutal. Brands and rights holders weren’t just investing money; they were reshaping the industry. The campaigns weren’t just innovative; they were the kind that future sponsorships will be measured against.
A campaign that changed everything
To win in 2025 was to be exceptional in a year where exceptional was the norm. The sponsorship that took home the top prize didn’t just tick the right boxes. It set fire to the rulebook.
It wasn’t just effective; it was era-defining. It changed perceptions, shaped conversations, and set a new benchmark for what sponsorship can achieve. It even saved a life. Don’t take my word for it. Read about The Breathing Space campaign by Gjensidige here and hear from their Head of Sponsorship in the official news release.
What happens now?
If 2025 has shown us anything, it’s that sponsorship isn’t just evolving, it’s accelerating. Brands and rights holders are becoming more sophisticated, leveraging data, technology and cultural insight to create sponsorships that don’t just engage audiences but mean something. Purpose-driven sponsorship is no longer an optional extra; it’s an expectation. Creativity has never been more fearless, and execution has never been sharper.
For anyone aiming for ESA Awards glory in 2026, one message rings loud and clear: being great won’t cut it anymore. You need to be extraordinary.
