GMS Agency, a leading global marketing and consultancy specialising in the golf industry, has been named Agency of the Year at the 2025 Sports Business Awards.
The Sports Business Awards, which were held in London on November 21, rewards the most successful and high-performing businesses and institutions across sport – from top tier Premier League football clubs to the industry’s core governing bodies. The event was attended by over 650 sports industry professionals.
The prestigious Agency of the Year accolade is awarded to the team that shows commitment to ‘innovation, storytelling, and measurable impact across campaigns, strategy, and representation’.
Winning the award reflects GMS’s significant and continued international growth, progressive approach to modern sports marketing and its ability to adapt quickly to an evolving marketing and media landscape. Despite being a lean team, with 23 in-house staff, GMS now stands among the best and brightest not only in golf, but across the entire sporting landscape.
“To win against the biggest and best not just in golf but across sport is humbling,” says Sam Elder, Co-CEO at GMS Agency. “We pride ourselves in over-delivering for all of our partners and truly punching above our weight. This is perhaps the best example of this in our agency’s history.”
Phil Craghill, Co-Ceo of GMS Agency, added: “To be recognised in a massive sports competition and come out on top is testament to our creativity, collaboration and drive to deliver world-class service. To be nominated among some of the most respected businesses in sport was a big win for a relatively small independent agency like ours. To actually come out on top is extremely humbling and a dream realised.”
Other finalists in the Agency of the Year Award included Eleven Sports Media, 50 Sports, The Space Between, MatchFit, WeAreFearless, TBA Group, 54 and Soapbox.
The Sports Business Awards judging panel is made up of some of the most respected individuals in the industry, including executives at BBC Sport, World Rugby, the Olympic Team, and more. The scoring was conducted independently to ensure the grades were unbiased throughout the process. Four-time Olympic Gold medalist Matthew Pinsent presented the award to GMS Agency.
In 2026, GMS will continue growing its footprint in Asia, Europe, and North America as they represent the largest golf markets in the world. The agency also looks forward to delivering first rate service to its existing and new partners alike.
