The Nigel Mason Award
About the Nigel Mason Award
The Nigel Mason Award, is an annual research award, which was established to encourage outstanding research and analysis in employee ownership and related fields.
Open to researchers from any background, the Nigel Mason Award is named after one of the UK’s leading experts on employee ownership who died in 2021. The Award promotes quality research and analysis in this area by recognising the most significant recent individual contribution. Winners of the inaugural Nigel Mason Award were announced in the Summer of 2025.
- See the 2026 Award call for nominations.
The Award is administered by the Nigel Mason Award committee, with support from the UK employee ownership sector. A panel of world-leading experts will judge submissions annually. Further details are found on the judging panel, award committee and supporters page.
Nigel Mason’s passion was analysis and research to deepen understanding of democratic business ownership. Nigel was concerned about the relative lack of high-quality research into the employee ownership business model. His pioneering analysis and research provided much-needed support for policymaking.
Grow the impact of the Nigel Mason Award
The Nigel Mason Award was initiated through a generous bequest from Nigel Mason, and is supported by additional philanthropic contributions that advance its purpose. Nigel originally conceived the Award as a medium-term catalyst to stimulate high-quality research and analysis into the drivers and benefits of employee ownership. The strength of engagement and support it has already attracted points clearly to a lasting legacy, with the potential to shape thinking and practice over the long term.
We warmly invite expressions of interest from those who wish to contribute to this growing impact. You may wish to consider opportunities to:
- Make a gift to the Nigel Mason Bequest Fund, honouring Nigel’s memory while strengthening the Award’s future
- Sponsor elements of the annual Award event in Oxford, the Award itself, or related activities aligned with its mission
The Award holds a prominent and expanding profile across academic institutions, think tanks, research communities, national employee ownership bodies, policymakers, and employee-owned businesses. Award-winning research will be widely disseminated, ensuring visibility and influence among key audiences.
Donors based in the UK and USA may also benefit from tax-efficient giving arrangements, enabling support to be both impactful and advantageous.
- Contact our fundraising team to discuss these giving opportunities.