LONDON, March 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Executives and companies from 11 countries have been selected as finalists for the inaugural Platts Global Metals Awards, which recognize exemplary performance in nearly a dozen categories. The 2013 finalists, chosen from dozens of nominations, were announced today by program host Platts, a leading global provider of energy, petrochemical and metals information.

Platts Global Metals Awards highlight corporate and individual innovation, leadership and superior performance in categories spanning the entire steel, metals and mining complex. The new awards program is modelled after the highly successful Platts Global Energy Awards, established in 1999 and often described as "the Oscars" of the energy industry.

"We're proud to introduce a new event that celebrates the continued evolution of the steel and metals industries including its strides in efficiency and 'green' solutions," said Larry Neal, president of Platts. "We congratulate the nominees and finalists alike and look forward to announcing the winners in May."

There was noteworthy interest in the categories of Lifetime Achievement Award, End-User Efficiency Initiative of the Year and Innovative Technology of the Year. These categories attracted the greatest number of nominations and the latter two included an impressive number of entries related to energy efficiency and cost savings in the automotive sector.

From today's list of finalists, the program's independent panel of judges will select winners in each Awards category. They will also select the 2013 Metals Company of the Year from the entire list of finalists. The winners of the inaugural Platts Global Metals Awards will be announced at a black-tie dinner on May 23 in central London.

This year's awards dinner will be held in association with the Platts European Steel Summit, which features two additional events: Platts Green Steel Focus Day on May 22 and the Platts Steel Markets Europe Conference on May 23-24. The latter two events will include keynote addresses and roundtable discussions by company executives, government officials and other industry leaders.

"We believe the Platts European Steel Summit, with its critical industry debate, and our Platts Global Metals Awards program are both must-attend events that will establish themselves as part of the fabric of the industry in the years ahead," said Andrew Goodwin, Platts general manager of metals and agriculture.

Corporate and industry representatives may RSVP to attend the Awards dinner at this registration link (http://bit.ly/Yn2CUp). Accredited media may attend as guests of Platts by registering via the press registration link (http://bit.ly/ZeKCOr).

CME Group, a leading and diverse derivatives exchange, and Groot Steel, an integrated steel production company, are sponsors of the Platts Global Metals Awards. For more information on sponsorship opportunities, contact Neil Roberts at +44 20 7176 7638.

To view the full list of 2013 Platts Global Metals Awards finalists and/or for more information on the Awards, visit the Platts Global Metals Awards website.

About Platts: Founded in 1909, Platts is a leading global provider of energy, petrochemicals and metals information and a premier source of benchmark prices for the physical and futures markets. Platts' news, pricing, analytics, commentary and conferences help customers make better-informed trading and business decisions and help the markets operate with greater transparency and efficiency. Customers in more than 150 countries benefit from Platts' coverage of the carbon emissions, coal, electricity, oil, natural gas, metals, nuclear power, petrochemical, and shipping markets. A division of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), Platts is headquartered in New York with approximately 900 employees in more than 15 offices worldwide. Additional information is available at http://www.platts.com.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies: The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), a financial intelligence and education company, signed an agreement to sell its McGraw-Hill Education business to investment funds affiliated with Apollo Global Management, LLC in November 2012. Following the sale closing, expected in early 2013, the Company will be renamed McGraw Hill Financial (subject to shareholder approval) and will be a powerhouse in benchmarks, content and analytics for the global capital and commodity markets. The Company's leading brands will include: Standard & Poor's, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Dow Jones Indices, Platts, Crisil, J.D. Power and Associates, McGraw-Hill Construction and Aviation Week. The Company will have approximately 17,000 employees in more than 30 countries. Additional information is available at www.mcgraw-hill.com.

SOURCE Platts

SOURCE: Platts