Old Mutual Global Investors’ Luke Kerr was named FE Alpha Manager of the Year at the 2018 FE Alpha Manager Awards, which recognised the best managers across 14 different categories.
This year’s winners were drawn from a shortlist of more than 70 of the 198 FE Alpha Managers in total.
The winners are determined by narrowing down the full range FE Alpha-rated managers to a list of the highest-scoring managers on a number of metrics. Once this new list has been compiled the team then used qualitative analysis to select the brightest stars. 
Charles Younes (pictured), research manager at FE, said: “This year’s award winners have combined consistent performance throughout their career with phenomenal outperformance over the past year in their respective categories.
“This is an incredible achievement in the face of unpredictable markets, rising yields and enhanced competition from active but also passive investors.”
Neil Bradford, chief executive of FE, added: “The FE Alpha Manager awards are a celebration of the industry’s best-rated fund managers.
“They are recognition of a manager’s ability to create risk-adjusted alpha, outperformance in both rising and falling markets and of those who consistently beat their sector peers.”
A full list of the winners from each of the 14 categories can be found below.
Of particular note is Morgan Stanley’s Kristian Heugh, who was named as Best New FE Alpha Manager and was also recognised as Best Alpha Manager in a Bull Market.
Other winners from the FE Alpha Manager of the Year Awards included Hermes’ Gary Greenberg who won the Best Regional Equity Specialist (Emerging Markets) Alpha Manager category for the second year running.
M&G’s Steven Andrew also collected an award for the second consecutive year after winning the Best Multi Asset Alpha Manager award.
FE Alpha Manager of the Year Kerr, who oversees the Old Mutual UK Dynamic Equity fund, has recorded a 396 per cent return over the past nine years compared with a 138.83 per cent return for the peer group average, according to data from FE Analytics.
Performance of manager vs peer group composite over 9yrs
Source: FE Analytics
Under Kerr, the £585.7m five FE Crown-rated Old Mutual UK Dynamic Equity has delivered a total return of 425.48 per cent compared with a gain of 270.94 per cent for the benchmark FTSE 250 (ex IT) index and a return of 171.90 per cent for the average IA UK All Companies sector fund.
Best New Alpha Manager Heugh meanwhile has returned 215.58 per cent over eight years compared with 93.50 per cent for the peer group composite.
Performance of manager vs peer group composite over 8yrs
Source: FE Analytics
Heugh has managed the Morgan Stanley Global Opportunity fund since 2010, during which time he has delivered a total return of 266.23 per cent compared with a 125.65 per cent gain for the MSCI AC World index and a return of 102.79 per cent for the average IA Global fund.
He has also been a manager of the offshore $914.6m Morgan Stanley Asia Opportunity fund since launch in March 2016 and was joined by Krace Zhou later that year. Since launch the fund has returned 101.68 per cent compared with a 58.50 per cent return for the MSCI AC Asia ex Japan index and a 47.27 per cent gain for the average FO Equity – Asia Pacific ex Japan sector fund.
Hermes’ Greenberg, two-time winner of the Best Regional Equity Specialist (Emerging Markets) Alpha Manager award, has generated a total return of 78.89 per cent since 30 June 2011 compared with a 24.85 per cent for the peer group composite.
Performance of manager vs peer group composite since June 2011
Source: FE Analytics
His $4.4bn five FE Crown-rated Hermes Global Emerging Markets fund, which he oversees alongside deputy manager Kunjal Gala, has delivered a total return of 84.12 per cent since he took over compared with a 39.07 per cent gain for the MSCI Emerging Markets index and a 35.43 per cent return for the average IA Global Emerging Markets sector peer.
M&G’s Andrew meanwhile has generated a total return of 82.10 per cent during his management tenure, compared with a 51.61 per cent gain for the peer group composite.
Performance of manager vs peer group composite since November 2010
Source: FE Analytics
During his time on the £832.4m M&G Episode Income fund – which he manages alongside deputy manager Maria Municchi – the fund has returned 78.82 per cent compared with a 47.16 per cent gain for the average IA Mixed Investment 20-60% Shares sector fund.