Ranking the top 67 brokers in the history of the British Insurance Awards

Three years on though and I have put together a more extensive list than the original one, featuring all 67 broking groups I could find that have received more than one nomination or a win. With three points for a victory and one for a nomination this means all the firms listed here have scored at least two points.

Given the merger and acquisition activity in the market, there have been some notable changes in the top 10, with Marsh more than doubling its score through recent deals for Bluefin and Jelf, usurping Aon at the top in the process.

Arthur J Gallagher has also seen some significant movement, with its score boosted by the like of Barbon's Farr business and Oval, while Howden enters the top 10 on the back of its takeover of the likes of Perkins Slade and RK Harrison.

In total, 48 separate broking groups have won a coveted BIA trophy with the biggest gap between wins being 18 years for Bollington, from 1996 when FM Green won Commercial Lines Broker of the Year to 2014 when it took the overall Broker of the Year crown; and Marsh, which in 1998 won Broking Initiative of the Year under the Sedgwick guise, and in 2016 was crowned Insurance Broker of the Year - International.

The biggest gap between being shortlisted and eventually winning a gong is also 16 years for Thomas Carroll, which in 1998 was shortlisted as Personal Lines Broker of the Year, before being acclaimed as Broker of the Decade in 2014.

Looking at the top 50 broker list that Post published last year, only 12 of these firms have never being shortlisted at the BIA: Saga, Henderson, BPL Global, Adrian Flux, Griffith & Armour, Lycetts, Barbon, Price Forbes, Alan Boswell, Premium Choice, Lorica and Reich.

Top 50 firms Brightside, First Central, Aston Scott (through Motor Trade Solutions), Grove & Dean, THB and Hood Group are not listed in the BIA rankings chart, but each have one nomination to their names.

There will no doubt be more merger activity this year, with GRP's inclusion down to its Higos takeover this month, but the easiest way to improve your ranking is to simply enter.

Nominations are now open for both broker specific and general categories, so take a look at what is available and get working on your story. The deadline is 15 March.

And maybe come to the awards night at the Royal Albert Hall on 5 July, you will be boosting your standing within this historic ranking.