Winners of Tenth European Performance Awards revealed

Futuris Asset Management’s Futuris Fund is the winner of the Hedge Funds Review Tenth European Performance Awards Hedge Fund of the Decade.

Futuris beat several funds to the award, the top honour for a fund. Shortlisted funds included Man Investments' AHL Alpha, Quality Capital Management's Global Diversified Programme, Nektar Asset Management's Nektar Fund, the Rubicon Global Fund, the IKOS Hedge Fund and the Winton Futures Fund.

BlueCrest Capital Management's BlueCrest Capital International was named as Hedge Fund of the Year, beating shortlisted Gartmore Investment Management's AlphaGen Volantis Fund, the CQS Directional Opportunities Feeder Fund, the Martin Currie China Hedge Fund and the Pamplona Credit Opportunities Fund.

Swedish asset management company Brummer & Partners picked up the award for Best Overall Group, while Martin Currie Investment Management won the award for Best Investor Relations Team.

Winton Capital Management founder, managing director and head of research, David Harding, was recognised for his outstanding contribution to the industry. An exclusive video interview with Harding reveals his thoughts on the future of the hedge funds industry as well as his views on issues such as regulation and qualities needed for an asset manager.

The Futuris Fund also won the award for the Best Directional Hedge Fund over 10 years, while the Nektar Fund was named the Best Non-Directional Hedge Fund over 10 years.

Over 300 hedge fund managers from Europe's best and brightest management companies attended the awards, held at London's Grand Connaught Rooms.

The glittering ceremony was hosted by journalist, broadcaster and former politician Gyles Brandreth. Flamenco dancers entertained guests before the awards were announced.

The European Performance Awards, recognising single manager hedge funds representing a full range of investment strategies, are the most sought-after accolades in the industry.

The judging panel for the awards this year included Reiko Nahum, CEO of Amber Partners; Luke Dixon, portfolio manager, absolute return strategies at Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS); Phil Irvine, director of PiRho Investment Consulting; Tushar Patel, managing director, investment management, at Hedge Fund Investment Management; and the editor of Hedge Funds Review, Margie Lindsay.

The hedge fund investment process relies on more than just numbers and the awards judging process recognises this.

The judging process began with a quantitative screen over all entries. Managers were then ranked on their returns and other factors. From this selection, after debate by the judges, the winner and shortlisted funds were chosen.

Tenth European Performance Awards PHOTO GALLERY (PDF)

David Harding video interview

Performance Awards over 1 year

The listing gives the fund with the management company in brackets.

Best Long/Short Equity Hedge Fund
Winner: AlphaGen Volantis Fund (Gartmore Investment Management)
Shortlisted:
AlphaGen Tucana Fund (Gartmore Investment Management)
Manticore (Manticore Capital (Brummer & Partners))
Martin Currie China Hedge Fund (Martin Currie Investment Management)
The Real Return Asian Fund (Veritas Asset Management)

Best Event Driven Hedge Fund
Winner: Vallea Fund (BelleVue Conseils)

Best Global Macro Hedge Fund
Winner: BlueCrest Capital International (BlueCrest Capital Management)
Shortlisted:
Ermitage Global Dynamic Trading Fund (Ermitage Asset Management Jersey)
GAM Global Rates Hedge Fund (GAM International Management)
Rubicon Global Fund (Rubicon Fund Management)

Best Fixed Income Hedge Fund
Winner: Nektar (Nektar Asset Management (Brummer & Partners))
Shortlisted:
CQS Asset Backed Securities Feeder Fund (CQS (UK))
GAM Star Global Rates (GAM International Management)

Best Credit/Distressed Hedge Fund
Winner: Pamplona Credit Opportunities Fund (Pamplona Capital Management)
Shortlisted:
Cheyne Long/Short Credit Fund (Cheyne Capital Management (UK))
Numen Credit Opportunities Fund (Numen Capital)

Best Emerging Markets Hedge Fund
Winner: Martin Currie China Hedge Fund (Martin Currie Investment Management)
Shortlisted:
CQS Asia Feeder Fund (CQS (UK))
Insparo Africa and Middle East Fund (Insparo Asset Management)
The Real Return Asian Fund (Veritas Asset Management)

Best Equity Market Neutral Hedge Fund
Winner: Sabre Style Arbitrage Fund (Sabre Fund Management)
Shortlisted:
Pioneer Long/Short European Equity (Pioneer Alternative Investment Management)

Best Convertible Arbitrage/Volatility Hedge Fund
Winner: CQS Asia Feeder Fund (CQS (UK))
Shortlisted:
CQS Convertible and Quantitative Strategies Feeder Fund (CQS (UK))

Best Managed Futures Hedge Fund
Winner: Ion Fund (Ion Asset Architecture)
Shortlisted:
BlueTrend (BlueCrest Capital Management)
Dexia Systemat (Dexia Asset Management)
SEB Asset Selection Fund (SEB)
Winton Futures Fund (Winton Capital Management)

Best Energy or Commodities Hedge Fund
Winner: Cumulus Energy Fund (PCE Investors)
Shortlisted:
BlackRock Agriculture Fund (BlackRock)
Halcyon Power Investment Company (Halcyon Advisors)

Best Ucits III-Compliant Product
Winner: Pioneer Absolute Return Equity (Pioneer Alternative Investment Management)
Shortlisted:
BlackRock UK Absolute Alpha Fund (BlackRock)
Dexia Long Short Risk Arbitrage (Dexia Asset Management)

Best Multi-Strategy Hedge Fund
Winner: CQS Directional Opportunities Feeder Fund (CQS (UK))
Shortlisted:
AllBlue (BlueCrest Capital Management)
BlueBay Multi-Strategy Fund (BlueBay Asset Management)
Brummer Multi-Strategy (Zenit Asset Management)

Best Sub-$50 million Hedge Fund
Winner: Liontrust Credit Fund (Liontrust Investment Services)
Shortlisted:
Cumulus Fahrenheit Fund (PCE Investors)
Dacharan Capital High Exposure Fund (Dacharan Capital)
The Iskandia Capital Fund (Maguelone Management)

Hedge Fund of the Year
Winner: BlueCrest Capital International (BlueCrest Capital Management)
Shortlisted:
AlphaGen Voltanis Fund (Gartmore Investment Management)
CQS Directional Opportunities Feeder Fund (CQS (UK))
Martin Currie China Hedge Fund (Martin Currie Investment Management)
Pamplona Credit Opportunities Fund (Pamplona Capital Management)

Best Foreign Exchange Hedge Fund
Winner: The Cambridge Strategy Emerging Markets Alpha Programme (The Cambridge Strategy (Asset Management))
Shortlisted:
Capricorn FXG10 (Capricorn Asset Management)
IKOS FX Fund (IKOS)

Tenth Anniversary Performance Awards

Best Directional Hedge Fund over 10 years
Winner: Futuris (Futuris Asset Management (Brummer & Partners))
Shortlisted:
AHL Alpha (Man Investments)
Global Diversified Programme (Quality Capital Management)
Winton Futures Fund (Winton Capital Management)

Best Non-Directional Hedge Fund over 10 years
Winner: Nektar (Nektar Asset Management (Brummer & Partners))
Shortlisted:
Rubicon Global Fund (Rubicon Fund Management)
The IKOS Hedge Fund (IKOS)

Hedge Fund of the Decade
Winner: Futuris (Futuris Asset Management (Brummer & Partners))
Shortlisted:
AHL Alpha (Man Investments)
Global Diversified Programme (Quality Capital Management)
Nektar (Nektar Asset Management (Brummer & Partners))
Rubicon Global Fund (Rubicon Fund Management)
The IKOS Hedge Fund (IKOS)
Winton Futures Fund (Winton Capital Management)

Qualitative Awards

Best New Product of 2009
Winner: Castellain Cavendish (Castellain Capital)

Most Innovative Product
Winner: I2BF Technology Fund (I2BF)

Best Overall Group
Winner: Brummer & Partners
Shortlisted:
BlackRock
BlueCrest Capital Management
GAM International Management

Best Investor Relations Team
Winner: Martin Currie Investment Management
Shortlisted:
BlueCrest Capital Management
Reech AiM Partners
Veritas Asset Management

Outstanding Contribution to the Industry
David Harding, founder, managing director and head of research of Winton Capital Management