In 2025, we proudly continued to recognise original and outstanding research that advances the understanding of regional issues. This year, all award ceremonies were held online, making them accessible to a global audience.
Catch up on the celebrations by watching the recordings of the online ceremonies below.
2025 Sir Peter Hall Contribution to the Field Award – Lifetime contribution to the field of regional studies
2025 Regional Leadership Award for Policy and Practice – Individuals or organisations in policy and practice who work at the interstices with academia and other forms of research to develop the field and practice of regional studies and science.
Stephen Aldridge, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, UK
2025 RSA Institutional Ambassador Award – A leading institution in the field of the promotion of regional issues
ARL – Academy for Territorial Development in the Leibniz Association, Germany
2025 Distinguished Service to Regional Studies – This award recognises those who have made an important contribution to the field, either through long-lasting service or a brief but impactful intervention.
Anne Green, City-REDI, University of Birmingham, UK
Ivan Turok, Human Sciences Research Council, South Africa
Joyce Liddle, University of Durham, UK
Flavia Martinelli, Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, Italy
2025 Paul Benneworth Award – This award is for registered PhD students who have not yet received their PhD certificate.
Max Roessler, University of Greifswald, Germany
2025 RSA & Routledge Early Career Award – This award is for early career researchers (defined as being within five years of the date on their PhD certificate or equivalent).
Alice Garvey, University of Leeds, UK
2025 Best Book Award – This award is voted for by Regional Studies Association members from a shortlist of books from the Regions and Cities Book Series and books that have been reviewed in Regional Studies.
Innovation for the Masses: How to Share the Benefits of the High-Tech Economy, Neil Lee, London School of Economics, UK
2025 Regional Studies Best Paper
Social Infrastructure and ‘Left Behind Places’
John Tomaney, University College London, UK
Lucy Natarajan, University College London, UK
Dimitrios Panayotopoulos-Tsiros, University College London, UK
Florence Sutcliffe-Braithwaite, University College London, UK
Myfanwy Taylor, University College London, UK
2025 Regional Studies Policy Debates Best Paper
A Capability-approach Perspective on Regional Development
Maria Abreu, University of Cambridge, UK
Flavio Comin, Ramon Lull University, Spain
Calvin Jones, Cardiff University, UK
2025 Regional Studies Urban and Regional Horizons Best Paper
Absorptive Capacity, Complexity and Regional Renewal: A Developmental Psychology Perspecitve
Lance R. Newey, University of Queensland, Australia
2025 Spatial Economic Analysis Best Paper
To use or not to use the Spatial Durbin Model? – that is the Question
Malabika Koley, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, USA
Anil K. Bera,University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, USA
2025 Territory, Politics, Governance Best Paper
Gonzalo Álvarez,University of Tarapaca, Chile
Cristian Ovando, University of Tarapaca, Chile
2025 Regional Studies, Regional Science Best Paper
Untangling Regional Development Traps through Narratives
Max Roessler, University of Greifswald, Germany
2025 Area Development and Policy Best Paper
What counts as infrastructural labour? Community action as waste work in South Africa
Kathleen Stokes, University of Galway, Ireland
Mary Lawhon, University of Edinburgh, UK
2025 Finance and Space Best Papers
Andreas Noelke, Goethe University, Germany
Insurance in a Changing Climate: From Commonsense to Catastrophe
Kate Booth and Grace Martini, University of Tasmania, Australia
2025 Regional Studies Best Referees
Helen Lawton Smith, Birkbeck, University of London, UK
Nicola Cortinovis, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
Andrew Beer, University of South Australia, Australia
2025 Spatial Economic Analysis Best Referee
Monoru Osawa, Institute of Economics, Japan
2025 Territory, Politics, Governance Best Referees
Andrés Rodriguez-Pose, London School of Economics, UK
2025 Regional Studies, Regional Science Best Referee
Ilaria Mariotti, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
2025 Area Development and Policy Best Referee
Seth Schindler, University of Manchester, UK
2025 Finance and Space Best Referee
Fabio Contel, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil
2025 Regions eZine Best Paper
2025 Best Blog