Last week (Thursday 23rd June) saw the highly anticipated return of the annual Big Chip Awards. The event, organised by digital trade association for the North, Manchester Digital, welcomed over 400 top industry professionals to revel in the sector’s achievements over the last 12 months.
Comedian Bethany Black announced the winners, who came from all over the North including Newcastle, Manchester, Salford, Liverpool, Leeds, Warrington, and Chester. The awards span all aspects of the digital industry, from animation and marketing, to social media and innovative use of technology.
Shaun Fensom, Chair of the Big Chip Awards Steering Group, said: “The digital industry here in the North is growing fast and we can see that in the excellent standard of entries to Big Chip this year. It’s great to see this progress and as always we loved celebrating it with old friends and new. I’m looking forward to seeing how the industry evolves over the next year.
“It’s a good time to be working in digital and tech in the North.”
19 winning entries were picked by judges: design guru Malcolm Garrett (last year’s special guest judge), the BBC’s Bill Thompson, co-founder of Talenthouse Maya Bogle, Herb Kim, founder of Thinking Digital Conference, Plusnet founder Lee Strafford, Patrick Altoft of VP Ventures, Sam Michel of Chinwag, Jon Bradford co-founder of F6S, Dr David Kreps of Salford University, Emily Louise Higgins of C3UK and Alastair Cole from the Engine Group. The panel is chaired by long-standing judge Al Scott FRSA of C3.
Lawrence Jones, founder and CEO at headline sponsor UKFast, added: “The variety and quality of entries we’ve seen has again been fantastic this year. The forward-thinking businesses in this region are increasingly receiving credit for the incredible work they are producing and the Big Chip Awards are a brilliant way to celebrate just that.”
The full winners list:
Best B2C E-Business Project
Space 48 with Charlotte Tilbury Go Global
Best B2B E-Business
BigChange Apps with JobWatch
Best Public Sector Project
HiFi with Operation Resolve
Best Not for Profit Project
Reason Digital and Gone For Good with The Gone for Good Charity App
Best User Experience
Corporation Pop with ‘Course Finder’ app for Study Group
Best Use of Mobile
Gospelware with REALRIDER ®
Best Use of Visual Design
Uniform + Made Thought with Greenwich Peninsula’s interactive paper world
Best Use of Content Marketing
Mosquito & Turtle Wax with Life Gets Mucky Digital Campaign
Most Innovative Application of Technology
Stardotstar with LAMP, a big data service for further education colleges
Best Use of Animation
Flipbook with Reebock & NHL All-Stars Virtual Reality Experience
Best Use of Search and CRO
CandidSky & Peninsula Business Services with Website development & technical SEO
Best Use of Social
myclever ™ Agency with Bench | #LoveMyHood
Best Digital Marketing Campaign
Illuminated Mirrors and We are AD with Driving Profitability Online
Little Chip Student Award
University of Central Lancashire with Jason Dunmont, Ant Harrolt, and Rebecca Marginson
Little Chip Placement/Apprentice Award
MBNA with Joey Whitehall
Best Start-UP
Leaf.fm
Best Freelancer/Micro Enterprise
Bearded Fellows
Big Chip Digital Agency Award
Space 48
Grand Prix
Leaf.fm
Anthony Wilson Award
Tom Rainford Animations
