The 2025 Australasian Reporting Awards marked a significant milestone, celebrating 75 years of recognising excellence in annual reporting across the Asia-Pacific region. This year's awards showcased outstanding achievements in transparency, clarity, and stakeholder engagement, reflecting the evolving landscape of corporate and public sector reporting.

Report of the Year: Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation

The Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation clinched the prestigious Report of the Year award for the fourth time in five years. Their 2025 annual report stood out for its clear, engaging design and customer-centric approach. The report effectively communicated complex financial information through well-designed graphics, making it accessible and informative for a broad audience.

Gold Award Winners

The Gold Awards recognised organisations that demonstrated exceptional reporting standards. There were XXX Gold Award recipients this year.

Silver and Bronze Awards

Silver and Bronze Awards were presented to organisations that met high standards in various reporting categories. These awards highlight the diverse sectors and regions committed to enhancing the quality of their annual disclosures

Industry Sector Awards

The Industry Sector Awards acknowledged the best reports within specific sectors:

Community & Welfare: The Smith Family for its impactful reporting in the community sector.
Resources & Production: Perenti for its comprehensive and transparent reporting in the resources sector.
Financial Services: Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation for its exemplary financial services reporting.
Public Administration National: New Zealand Police for its detailed and accessible national public administration reporting.
Health, Research & Education: Hort Innovation for its informative and well-structured reporting in the health and education sector.
Public Administration State: Audit Office of New South Wales for its outstanding state-level public administration reporting.
Infrastructure, Retail & Services: Wesfarmers Limited for its detailed and accessible reporting in the infrastructure, retail, and services sector.
Public Administration Local: City of Stirling for its engaging and transparent local government reporting.

Sustainability Reporting Award

The Sustainability Reporting Award continues to recognise excellence in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) disclosures. The ARA introduced Special Awards to recognise emerging trends and best practices in reporting. These awards focus on areas such as integrated reporting, online reporting, and sustainability disclosures, encouraging organisations to adopt innovative approaches in their annual reports. These organisations demonstrated leadership in integrating sustainability into their reporting practices, setting benchmarks for others in the industry.

In 2025, the Sustainability Report of the Year was awarded to CLP Holdings Limited. The judges commended the report for its "beautifully designed" and "easy to read and navigate" format, effectively communicating complex sustainability initiatives to a broad audience.

Special Awards

The Special Awards recognise excellence in specific aspects of annual reporting, encouraging innovation and best practices across various reporting domains. In 2025, notable recipients included:

Best First Time Entry: Worley – Recognised for a compelling first-time entry that effectively communicated its purpose and vision through engaging visuals and clear messaging.
Governance Reporting Award – Private Sector: PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad – Awarded for superior transparency and governance disclosures, setting a high standard in the private sector.
Governance Reporting Award – Public and Not-For-Profit Sectors: Audit Office of New South Wales – Recognised for adopting relevant private sector governance principles while meeting public sector requirements, with notable improvements in transparency.
Online Reporting Award – Private Sector: CLP Holdings Limited – Recognised for excellence in digital reporting, enhancing user experience and accessibility through innovative online platforms.
Online Reporting Award – Public and Not-For-Profit Sectors: Audit Office of New South Wales – Awarded for outstanding online reporting practices, making information easily accessible and user-friendly.
Communication Award – Private Sector: Port Otago Limited – Recognised for clear and engaging communication with stakeholders, featuring honest self-analysis and inputs from external stakeholders.
Communication Award – Public and Not-For-Profit Sectors: The Smith Family – Awarded for effective communication strategies that resonate with stakeholders and convey the organisation's mission and impact.
Integrated Reporting Award: Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation – Recognised for integrating financial and non-financial information to provide a comprehensive view of the organisation's performance and strategy.
Work Health & Safety Reporting Award: Cleanaway Waste Management Limited – Awarded for excellence in reporting on work health and safety practices, demonstrating commitment to employee well-being.

These awards underscore the importance of specialised reporting areas and encourage organisations to continually improve and innovate in their reporting practices.

Looking Ahead

The 2025 ARA Awards not only celebrated past achievements but also set a benchmark for future reporting standards. As organisations continue to navigate complex challenges and opportunities, the ARA remains committed to promoting excellence in reporting practices across the Asia-Pacific region.

For more details on the 2025 ARA Awards and to explore the full list of winners, visit the ARA Results Page.

Celebrating Excellence: Highlights from the 2025 Australasian Reporting Awards