LONDON, March 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Executives and companies from 19 countries have been selected as finalists for the second annual Platts Global Metals Awards, which recognize exemplary performance in a dozen categories, according to 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 awards program is modelled after the Platts Global Energy Awards, established in 1999 and often described as "the Oscars" of the energy industry.

"We're pleased to see the widening interest in the program, with this year's nominations having come from 20 countries as far afield as Monaco and Mexico," said Larry Neal, president of Platts. "We congratulate finalists and nominees alike for their accomplishments and look forward to honoring the winners in May."

Rising Star, a new award category which honors the achievements of up and coming companies, drew the majority of its entrants from the Asia-Pacific region, with finalists hailing from Australia, India, and Hong Kong. The most geographically diverse category, however, was Industry Leadership for Steel. The nominees for this award, which recognizes leadership, market expansion, corporate integrity and financial success, included companies from Bangladesh, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, United Kingdom and United States.

The entries for the 2014 CEO of the Year Award went well beyond traditional best practices and demonstrated strong leadership in the creation of new markets and new approaches.

From the list of finalists, the program's independent panel of judges will select winners in each individual awards category. The 2014 Metals Company of the Year will be chosen from the entire list of finalist companies.

All winners of the second annual Platts Global Metals Awards will be announced on May 21 at a black-tie dinner in central London.

"We are pleased to announce that this year's Platts Global Metals Awards gala will be emceed by CNBC's Karen Tso, a face well-known to Australian and European television audiences for her long coverage of the metals and mining sectors," said Murray Fisher, Platts Global Metals Awards producer.

Corporate and industry representatives may attend the Awards dinner with advance registration at this at this link. Accredited media may attend as guests of Platts by registering via the press registration link.

Supporting the Platts Global Metals Awards are a number of 2014 program sponsors, including co-sponsor CME Group, a leading and diverse derivatives exchange, and several executive sponsors: Jefferies, a global investment banking firm; Novelis, a leader in the global aluminium industry; and Thomson Reuters, a leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals. For more information on sponsorship opportunities, contact Neil Roberts at +44 20 7176 7638.

Visit the website http://gma.platts.com/ for additional information and to view the full list of finalists of the 2014 Platts Global Metals Awards.

For event and program updates, follow @PlattsGMA on Twitter and/or "Like" the Platts Global Metals Awards Facebook page.

About Platts: Founded in 1909, Platts is a leading global provider of energy, petrochemicals, metals and agriculture 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 biofuels, carbon emissions, coal, electricity, oil, natural gas, metals, nuclear power, petrochemical, shipping and sugar markets. A division of McGraw Hill Financial (NYSE: MHFI), 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 McGraw Hill Financial: McGraw Hill Financial (NYSE: MHFI), a financial intelligence company, is a leader in credit ratings, benchmarks and analytics for the global capital and commodity markets. Iconic brands include: Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Dow Jones Indices, Platts, CRISIL, J.D. Power and McGraw Hill Construction. The Company has approximately 17,000 employees in 27 countries. Additional information is available at www.mhfi.com.

CONTACT
Kathleen Tanzy
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Kathleen.tanzy@platts.com

SOURCE Platts

SOURCE: Platts