Who were your stars of 2016?

Many in the private equity industry – and beyond – will be breathing a sigh of relief that 2016, with its rollercoaster markets, major political upheavals and stop-start deal activity, is drawing to an end, so we can look forward with renewed optimism to 2017.

As the year closes, you can tell us which groups had a spectacular 2016, by voting in our annual awards.

Amid macroeconomic jitters and geopolitical upsets, private equity remained relatively stable.

Fundraising remained robust, with just over 600 closed-ended private equity funds collecting $382 billion by the end of November. This is not far off the giddy heights of 2015, when more than 700 funds raised $431 billion.

Gallic firm Ardian – which is shortlisted in no fewer than seven awards categories – is responsible for 2016’s largest capital raise, amassing $14 billion, predominantly for secondaries. The five largest funds collected a combined $44 billion.

And there are still more than 2,300 funds in market targeting a combined $730 billion, according to PEI data, while dry powder has reached $1.4 trillion.

It has been a seller’s market, thanks to high valuations, and you’ll find the most spectacular examples shortlisted for Exit of the Year in our three regions.

The flip side is that putting money to work has not been easy. By the end of October 2016, 4,700 private equity deals had been announced globally, worth a combined $380 billion, according to data from Bureau Van Dijk. This compares with more than 5,800 deals for the same period in 2015, for a $520 billion total.

So, among all the uncertainty and volatility, who has done the industry proud in 2016? Which transactions deserve to be named ‘Deal of the Year’? Which GPs dominated the increasingly crowded mid-market?

Every year since 2001 we’ve given you – the industry – the opportunity to determine the outcome of private equity’s most extensive set of global awards.

With nearly 70 categories across three regions, you’re encouraged to vote in as many as you feel qualified to judge. You’ll notice a few new categories – Secondaries Law Firm of the Year in each region, and Firm of the Year in Turkey.

To help you navigate the voting process we’ve drawn up a shortlist for each category based on our coverage throughout the year and our conversations with the market. We have also left a space for you to add in your own choice, if you feel that the rightful winner isn’t on our list.

The rules for voting are simple: you may only vote once; you may not vote for yourself or your own firm, nor engage in block voting; and non-corporate email addresses will be discounted (so, no Hotmail or Gmail entries). The polls close on Thursday 5 January, with results revealed in March.

We can't wait to find out your thoughts. CLICK HERE TO START VOTING NOW