Communicate Magazine will host this year’s Best Practice: Corporate Reporting conference on July 2^nd. The conference, which takes place at the London Stock Exchange, will feature panels, presentations and discussions from industry professionals. However, what many in the audience will be most looking forward to most is the final session when reporting research and advisory services firm FutureValue award their Strategic Reporting Index Accolades.

The shortlist for the awards, which are selected on the basis of their standings in FutureValue’s own Strategic Reporting Index, were announced today. The awards will be bestowed upon the publishers of the outstanding annual reports of 2012.

The six awards for Strategic Leadership, Best Business Model, Best Key Performance Indicators, Best Strategic Risk, Best Strategic Capability and Best Shared Strategic Value hold much prestige within corporate reporting circles.

The most nominated company, Unilever, is shortlisted for three awards; Strategic Leadership, Best Strategic Capability and Best Shared Strategic Value. Meanwhile Fresnillo, Lloyd’s Banking Group and National Grid are each shortlisted twice. Elsewhere there were shortlist spots for easyJet, Marks and Spencer Group and British American Tobacco, amongst others.

The annual reports were dwindled down to the remaining few by a process where they were scrutinized against FutureValue’s rigorous strategic framework of seven content and communication factors. A score was given in each of these seven categories and then calculated into an average score. The reports were then re-assessed by FutureValue’s research team and shaped into the shortlists that were announced today. The winners will be decided by panel of judges comprised of industry experts.