TAL has won the Association of Financial Advisers and Strategic Insight life company of the year award.

BT Financial Group, winner in the past two years, and MLC Insurance were runners-up.

TAL also took the service quality award, beating Zurich Financial Services and BT.

And it edged out OnePath and MLC for the trauma prize. Zurich won the total and permanent disability category, and CommInsure the income protection award.

CommInsure also won the investment bond and annuity and income stream innovation awards.

Challenger was annuity provider of the year, and also topped the long-term income stream category.

The awards are based on independent studies by Strategic Insights, actuaries and researchers.