L&L announces first-ever awards, shortlist

Labels & Labeling will host its first-ever global label awards during Labelexpo Europe 2025.  

The Labels & Labeling Global Awards will honor outstanding achievements across three categories: innovation, sustainability and Converter of the Year. 

The winners will be announced at Festa Barcelona, a welcome party on the first night of Lablexpo Europ 2025.

The judging panel includes Andy Thomas-Emans, strategic director of the labels group at Informa Markets as chairman; Mark Glendenning, owner and CEO of Inland and president of TLMI; Philippe Voet, CEO of Etivoet and chair of Finat; and Chelsea McDougall, editor of Labels & Labeling. 

The judges chose winners from a curated list of nominees first selected by Labels & Labeling’s global editorial team, based on news coverage and industry impact reported by the magazine throughout the year.  

‘As the leading global trade publication for the label and package printing industry, Labels & Labeling is proud to launch the first-ever Global Label Awards in partnership with Labelexpo Europe,’ McDougall said. ‘Our international editorial team has drawn on our experience and industry insight to carefully select this year’s shortlist, recognizing true excellence, innovation, and leadership across every corner of the world. 

‘These awards are truly a celebration of the very best our industry has to offer.’ 

Shortlist 

The Innovation Award, sponsored by Gallus/Heidelberg, recognizes companies that have developed a specific, groundbreaking innovation, either as a supplier or converter, that is new or novel, functional and impactful on the wider label and package printing industries.  

The shortlisted nominees are: Esko for its Print Clone AI color matching tool; LemuGroup for its end-of-line automation; and Mark Andy for its Digital Series HD High-Speed 1200 press. 

In the sustainability category, nominees were selected for sustainable products or processes, developed by a supplier or converter, that promote a reduced environmental impact or a circular economy. The sustainability award is sponsored by Durst Group. 

The shortlisted nominees are: Bio4life for its home-compostable pressure-sensitive adhesive; Elkem for its recycled release liner silicones; and Polish converter Masterpress, for its development of magnetizable inks for shrink sleeves with Magnomer. 

The converter of the year award is sponsored by Flint Group. This award recognizes a label printing and converter company that has stood out over the last year and met a number of criteria, including a commitment to a diverse and inclusive workforce; development of training programs; contributions to charitable initiatives and the introduction of innovative products or programs. 

The shortlisted nominees are Masterpress from Poland; OPM Group from the United Kingdom and Schreiner MedPharm from Germany.  

‘The quality and creativity showcased in this year’s Global Label Awards shortlist is a powerful reminder of just how innovative and dynamic our industry continues to be,’ said Thomas-Emans, the Awards chairman. ‘From sustainability breakthroughs to game-changing technologies, the entries truly reflect the spirit of progress driving label and package printing forward. A sincere thank you to our panel of expert judges for lending their time, insight, and experience to this important initiative.’ 

The winners will be honored on16 September, during the first night of Labelexpo Europe 2025. Festa Barcelona will take place at Time Out Market Barcelona, and feature music, and food and drink showcasing the best of Barcelona. 

‘Festa Barcelona is set to be an unforgettable night; a true celebration of our industry, packed with great music, local flavor and the vibrant energy that only Labelexpo can deliver,’ said Andrew Galloway, labels group director for EMEA for Labelexpo Global Series. ‘We can’t wait to bring the label community together for an evening of fun and connection. A huge thank you to our sponsors, Durst Group, Flint Group and Gallus/Heidlberg.  for making the event possible.’ 

The Labels & Labeling team selecting the shortlist was: Adyasha Sinha, India editor; Akanksha Meena, global brands editor; McDougall; Piotr Wnuk, senior digital editor; Selah Zighelboim, North America editor; and Yolanda Wang, head of content, China. 

For more information or to secure your ticket to Festa Barcelona, click here.