Shortlist Announced for Investor Relations Society Best Practice Awards 2010

LONDON, October 11, 2010 - The Investor Relations Society Today Announces the Companies Shortlisted
for its Best Practice Awards. These Awards Recognise Companies That are
Leading the way in the Practice of Investor Communications

The IR Society Best Practice awards, now in their 10th year, were created
to encourage and reward best practice in investor communications through the
printed annual report and corporate web site. The 2010 awards have attracted
entries from 115 companies.

Entries are reviewed and scored against the IR Society's Best Practice
Guidelines, with the top scoring entries for each award category
peer-reviewed by experienced IR officers drawn from the Society's board of
directors, who draw up a shortlist. The winners are chosen from the shortlist
by a panel of judges drawn from users of company accounts.

The winners of the awards will be announced at the IR Society's Annual
Awards Dinner which will be held on 23 November 2010 at the Royal Hospital
Gardens Chelsea.

John Dawson, Deputy Chairman of the IR Society and Chairman of the Best
Practice Committee said: 'This year we have seen many more companies raise
their game and in a number of categories we have extended the shortlists as
the scoring is so close'

The shortlisted companies for each award (in alphabetical order) are:

    Best communication of strategy, performance and KPIs in the annual report

    Anglo American
    ARM Holdings
    Man Group
    Wm Morrison

    Best communication of governance and risk in the annual report

    Candover Investments
    Capita Group
    Experian
    Marks and Spencer

    Best communication of corporate responsibility in the annual report

    Anglo American
    BASF
    Party Gaming
    Xstrata

    Most improved annual report

    Antofagasta
    Aurelian Oil and Gas
    Torotrak
    William Hill

    Best use of a website to communicate and support a company's investment
    proposition

    Adidas
    BASF
    Centrica
    Kingfisher

    Most effective use of innovative online technology to support investor
    relations communications

    Adidas
    BASF
    Centrica
    Daimler

    Best corporate website - FTSE 100

    3i Group
    Imperial Tobacco
    Kingfisher
    J Sainsbury

    Best corporate website - FTSE 250

    Chemring
    Go Ahead
    Party Gaming
    Provident Financial

    Best corporate website - Small Cap & AIM

    Future
    HMV Group
    Speedy Hire
    Victoria

    Best corporate website - International

    To be announced on 23 November

    Award for the most effective overall Annual Report (printed and online) -
    FTSE 100

    3i Group
    Capita Group
    Centrica
    Land Securities
    Tullow Oil

    Award for the most effective overall Annual Report (printed and online) -
    FTSE 250

    Go Ahead Group
    Great Portland Estates
    Home Retail Group
    Premier Farnell
    Provident Financial

    Award for the most effective overall Annual Report (printed and online) -
    Small Cap and AIM

    May Gurney
    Next Fifteen
    TT Electronics

    Award for the most effective overall Annual Report (printed and online) -
    International

    Adidas
    BASF
    Daimler
    Syngenta

Award for the best annual report by an unlisted entity

To be announced on 23 November

The judging panel which will meet to finalise the winners consists of:

    John Dawson Investor Relations Society
    Stephen Haddrill Financial Reporting Council
    Marc Jobling Association of British Insurers
    Harry McAdoo Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales
    Liz Murrall Investment Management Association
    David Patterson National Association of Pension Funds
    Alison Smith Financial Times
    David Tyrrall Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Tickets for this event can be booked by contacting Dipty Patel at The
Investor Relations Society on +44(0)20-7379-1763 or dipty.patel@irs.org.uk.

Media partner: Financial Times

Notes for editors:

The Investor Relations Society exists to promote best practice in
investor relations, helping public companies to develop effective two way
communication with the markets and create a level playing field for all
investors. It has almost 600 members drawn from public companies and IR
agencies from the UK and overseas, including the majority of the FTSE 100 and
much of the FTSE 250.

    For further information please contact:
    Michael Mitchell - General Manager
    The Investor Relations Society
    T: +44(0)20-7379-1763
    E: michael.mitchell@irs.org.uk
    Bedford House, 3 Bedford Street, London WC2E 9HD

For further information please contact: Michael Mitchell - General Manager, The Investor Relations Society, T: +44(0)20-7379-1763, E: michael.mitchell at irs.org.uk, Bedford House, 3 Bedford Street, London WC2E 9HD