One of four categories in MNN's inaugural Awards for Excellence, the Deal and/or Merger of the Year recognises value creation through what can be a risky strategy.

The Deal and/or Merger of the Year is the MNN corporate development award recognising successful execution of a strategy, and/or realisation of value, from a significant transaction.

We are focusing on ‘company-making' asset deals, or unions, and taking into account the often variable nature of transactions and the range of factors contributing to successful outcomes.

Into this mix, we'll look at how deals are funded; the impact on balance sheets and how transactions leave companies in terms of their capacity to deliver value to shareholders through share-price growth and/or dividends; and prices paid relative to comparable sector transactions.

As with most things in the mining equity space, though, the simple measure of a good deal is the market's valuation of the principal pre-and post the transaction, and changes in the company's capacity to deliver shareholder returns.

Nominees can nominate themselves or someone else.

You can nominate here.