The Shannon Airport Group shortlisted for the prestigious Public Enterprise of the Year Award at the Business & Finance Awards 2026.
Business & Finance, in association with KPMG, has announced the shortlist for the 52nd annual Business & Finance Awards 2026.
This year’s awards have attracted a significant increase in entries, The surge in participation reflects the continued strength, ambition and diversity of Ireland’s business community, with organisations of all sizes demonstrating exceptional performance, innovation and resilience in an increasingly competitive and complex global environment.
A significant development for 2026 is the introduction of the Digital Transformation Award, recognising businesses that are successfully embracing digital technologies to transform operations, improve customer experiences, increase productivity and create new opportunities for growth.
The new category reflects the increasingly important role of digital transformation in shaping Ireland’s economic future, as businesses across every sector respond to technological advances, changing customer expectations and the opportunities presented by artificial intelligence, automation and emerging technologies.
Now in its 52nd year, the Business & Finance Awards remains Ireland’s longest-running and most prestigious business recognition platform, honouring exceptional companies and individuals whose achievements contribute to Ireland’s economic success and international reputation.The annual awards ceremony will welcome more than 1,000 business, political, civic and social leaders from Ireland and around the world to celebrate outstanding achievement, leadership and innovation across Irish and international business.
Against a backdrop of global economic uncertainty, geopolitical challenges and rapid technological change, the shortlisted businesses demonstrate the adaptability, determination and entrepreneurial spirit that continue to underpin Ireland’s success as a leading international business location.
Among the most eagerly anticipated categories is Business Person of the Year, recognising outstanding entrepreneurs and business leaders whose vision, leadership and achievements are making a significant impact nationally and internationally.
The prestigious Company of the Year award will recognise an organisation that has demonstrated exceptional performance, sustained growth, innovation and business excellence.
Other categories celebrate achievements in innovation, sustainability, diversity and inclusion, brand development, foreign direct investment and public enterprise, reflecting the wide-ranging contribution of businesses and organisations to Ireland’s economic and social development.
International Honourees Announced for 2026
The 2026 Business & Finance Awards will also recognise two internationally renowned Irish figures for their exceptional contributions to public life and global leadership.
Sir Bob Geldof, internationally acclaimed musician, humanitarian campaigner and activist, will receive the prestigious Sutherland Leadership Award, recognising more than four decades of humanitarian advocacy and his extraordinary contribution to international efforts to combat poverty, famine and global inequality.
From co-founding Band Aid in 1984 and organising the landmark Live Aid concerts in 1985 to his continued international campaigning on poverty, debt relief and development, Geldof has demonstrated the extraordinary power of individual leadership to mobilise collective action and influence global change.
Dublin-born Ambassador Samantha Power, former United States Ambassador to the United Nations and former Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), will receive the prestigious TK Whitaker Award for Outstanding Contribution to Ireland & Public Life.
A Pulitzer Prize-winning author and distinguished academic, Power has built an extraordinary international career championing democracy, human rights, humanitarian assistance and international cooperation. Her recognition reflects a lifetime of commitment to public service and her influence on international policy and global affairs.
Both awards will be presented at the Business & Finance Awards ceremony on Thursday, 10 December 2026.