Tech awards celebrate 20th anniversary
The 20th Big Chip Awards took place last week in a ceremony which saw businesses, individuals and students across 21 categories unveiled as winners.
Organised by digital and tech trade association Manchester Digital the awards are the longest running digital and tech awards in the UK.
Over 400 industry professionals and guests attended the event at Manchester’s Hilton Hotel.
Winners included Co-op Food, who scooped three awards, including the Anthony Wilson Award which was chosen by special guest judge, Martha Lane-Fox and Flow Creative were the winners of the new ‘Best Creative Impact’ award.
To mark the anniversary a one-off award was introduced, the Big Chip Pioneer Award, to highlight the outstanding contribution made by an individual to the North’s digital and tech industries over the last 20 years.
This award was won by Dave Carter, formerly the Head of the MDDA, who through his role in pioneering projects in Manchester from the late 1980’s is credited with ensuring the city got an early start using on-line technology – a key factor in the development of its thriving digital and tech scene.
This year’s distinguished judging panel included design expert Malcolm Garrett – chair of the panel – the BBC’s Bill Thompson, Nikki Barton of British Airways, Thinking Digital’s Herb Kim, Jeni Tennison of Open Data Institute and special guest judge Martha Lane-Fox.
Chair of the Big Chip Steering Group, Shaun Fensom, said: “It’s great to have marked the 20th Big Chip with such an array of brilliant entries.
“We set out back then to show that the North can deliver great quality digital and tech projects. Now we’re proving year after year that in fact some of the best work you can find anywhere is being done right here.”
Lawrence Jones, chief executive of headline sponsor UKFast, added: “It’s been an honour to once again be part of Big Chip and help to recognise the very best in our industry – it’s an unmissable event in the awards calendar so we were proud to sponsor for the fifth year running.”
