Alcoa Snags Metals Company of the year and industry leader-aluminum at Platts Global Metals Awards

U.S.- based Alcoa, a global leader in lightweight metals technology, engineering and manufacturing, walked away with two of the most prestigious titles at the third annual Platts Global Metals Awards, which recognize exemplary performance in a dozen categories across the steel, metals and mining complex.

Snaring Metals Company of the Year and Industry Leadership Award: Aluminum, Alcoa was one of 12 honorees from four continents heralded at a black-tie gala in central London last night. The event, hosted by Platts, a leading global energy, metals and commodities information provider, was emceed by CNBC's Karen Tso and attended by nearly 200 industry executives.

"We congratulate Alcoa, under the leadership of CEO Klaus Kleinfeld, for this impressive win," said Larry Neal, president of Platts. "Each of this year's winners and finalists deserves praise for important contributions to the metals sector in these challenging times of oversupply and soft prices. It's notable in the 2015 competition that companies were thinking outside the box and taking measures to move up- and down-stream in search of competitive edge and improved financial performance."

It was the decisive move away from a commodity focus to an emphasis on innovation and downstream high-end growth markets of automotive, infrastructure and aerospace that won American aluminum giant Alcoa the 2015 Metals Company of the Year title. In making its unanimous selection for this title, the independent judging panel applauded the company's nimble and strategic re-direction, calling it a "once-in-a-century shift." Aiding its Industry Leadership Award win was Alcoa's continued commitment to environmental efforts while simultaneously delivering 13 consecutive quarters of improved financial performance.