Southern Company's 2019 proxy statement was named the number one proxy statement in the United States in the inaugural U.S. Transparency Awards, sponsored by Labrador, a global communications firm specializing in regulated disclosure documents.

The rankings compared the efficacy of corporate disclosure documents among the top S&P 250 companies trading on the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq, as determined by market capitalization.

Proxy statements provide investors with the information needed for informed decision-making in advance of a company's annual shareholders meeting. The U.S. Transparency Awards focus on the criteria of accessibility, accuracy, comparability and availability. Southern Company's proxy statement stood out by including easy-to-understand graphics within an environmental, social and governance (ESG) section, along with specific feedback from the board evaluation process.

Southern Company ranked third for overall corporate disclosure, which includes each company's form 10-K and investor website in addition to its proxy statement.

"It is a tremendous honor to be recognized for excellence in our corporate disclosure communications," said Jim Kerr, executive vice president, chief legal officer and chief compliance officer for Southern Company. "We take great pride in producing clear and comprehensive disclosures that address the information investors are seeking, and are also easy for shareholders to access and understand."