2025 shortlist
The prolific north champions awards recognise the organisations, teams and individuals putting the north on the map in the creative and digital sectors.
The 2025 winners were revealed at our live ceremony on 8 May at The Point, Emirates Old Trafford – Lancashire Cricket Club. Scroll down for the full shortlist.
Check out the winners here. See you next year to #CelebrateTheNorth!
Recognising Agencies, Production & Creatives
INDEPENDENT AGENCY OF THE YEAR: Small - Sponsored by Glaisyers
Bonded Agency
Bottled Imagination
OnyxPDA
Unhooked Communications
Independent Agency of the year: Medium - Sponsored by Glaisyers
- Cornerstone DM
- Drummond Central
- Engage Interactive
- Evoluted
- Tangent
Integrated Agency of the Year - Sponsored by Paprika Software
- Bonded Agency
- Campfire
- Cock-a-doodle-doo Communications
- Cornerstone DM
- Evoluted
- Jaywing
- MadeBrave
PR Agency of the Year
- Agent42
- Bottled Imagination
- Brazen
- Smoking Gun
- Unhooked Communications
Digital Agency of the year: Small - sponsored by Colony
- List & Found
- Phantom Digital
- Pixelbuilders
- Quirky Digital
- Ryze Agency
Digital Agency of the year: Medium - sponsored by SBS
- Agent42
- Engage Interactive
- Evoluted
- House Digital
- Pharmacy Mentor
Digital Agency of the year: large - Sponsored by SBS
- Answer Digital
- CDS
- Tangent
Creative Studio of the Year
- Drummond Central
- TXTURED
Production Company of the year - Sponsored by Access Industry
- MillK – The Film Content Company
- Propack Direct Mail Ltd
- Sam Teale Productions
New Agency to Watch - Sponsored by Paprika Software
- adam+gary
- Beyond Echo PR
- Cairn
- Co-op Media Network
- EDGEY
- Oceros
- PEAK
- The Digital Lighthouse
- Yasper
Recognising Campaigns & Innovations
B2C Marketing Campaign of the Year - Sponsored by Buymedia
- Bradford BID – Bradford Open for Business
- Calderdale College – Great Career, Right Here
- Calderdale College – Launching a game-changing campus
- Emporia Marketing & Bellissima – Celebrates Golden Campaign for Bellissima
- Evoluted & Puckstop – Pucking Great Results!
- First Internet & Black Brick – Prestige Relocation
- iMP & Grind – Cool & Canned
- Pharmacy Mentor & Raylane Pharmacy Group
- Sam Teale Productions – The Last Gift
- Spike & Quickline – Rethinking Lead Generation for Rural Broadband
B2C Marketing Campaign of the Year: medium - Sponsored by Buymedia
- Bottled Imagination & Protein Works – Facts, Flavour, and Fresh New Headlines
- Campfire & Quorn – Nacho Nuggets #CraveTheCrunch
- Edison Media Ltd & The University of Derby – Over 1400% ROI
- Live & Breathe & Real Techniques – Our Tools. Your Way
- Modo25 & Natural Baby Shower – Double-digit growth over Peak 2024
- Opera North – Opera that’s right up your street
- Powerhouse & Alchemy Media – Squeezing Success for Primula
- SpaMedica – The Choice is Clear
B2C Marketing Campaign of the Year: large - sponsored by Buymedia
- BIG Partnership & Morris Homes – Moving with Morris
- Bupa – Inside Health
- Bupa, Teamspirit & MillK – Break Through and Be Heard
- Channel 4, Carat UK & Co-op Funeralcare – The Ultimate Celebrity Send Off
- Channel 4, Mail Metro Media, EssenceMediacom & Skipton Building Society – Helping the Nation Make Their Move
- Drummond Central & Fentimans – Introducing ’Fentiman’
- Drummond Central & Greggs – Bag Some Joy
- Workhouse & Interfloor – The Tredaire-nauts
B2B Marketing Campaign of the Year - Sponsored by The Easten Blok
- Bubble Design & Marketing Ltd & Polypipe Building Products – PolyPlumb Enhanced Launch
- EXP, James Cropper & Foilco – Sometimes It Is Black & White
- Lesniak Swann & JELD-WEN – Behind Every Doorset
- Lesniak Swann & KBR – CleanSPEND
- Lesniak Swann & Polypipe Building Services – MecFlow Toughen Up!
- The Spirit of Manchester Distillery – Actually Made In
B2B PR Campaign of the Year
- Lesniak Swann & Finning UK and Ireland – Rebuild
- Lesniak Swann & Reynaers Aluminium – While others talk, we helped Reynaers to Act on ESG
- Smoking Gun & ESP Play – Playvolution
- Unhooked Communications & Jewson – Making Better Homes Awards
- Yasper – Placing our brand at the heart of political debate
B2C PR Campaign of the Year
- Bottled Imagination & MedExpress UK – Come On You Blues
- Brazen & Manchester Airport – Holiday: Mode Activated
- Channel 4 – Paris 2024 Paralympic Games
- Drummond Central, Hope & Glory & Greggs – Nigella at Christmas
- Influential & Merlin Entertainments – Harry’s Home
- Smoking Gun & Alton Towers Resort – Nemesis Reborn: Back with a vengeance
- Unhooked Communications & Ultraframe – The only way is hup!
- Vega & Rank Interactive – Strictly First to Market
Not-for-Profit Campaign of the Year: In-House
- Aberfield Communications & Wakefield Council – Making 2024 Our Year for Wakefield
- Bradford BID – Bradford Open for Business
- North West Cancer Research & Influential – Block the sun, not the fun
- North West Cancer Research & Influential – Remember when…
- TfGM – Say Yellow Tranche Three
Not-for-Profit Campaign of the Year: agency
- Bonded Agency, Story & Fresh – Smoking Survivors
- Cause UK & New Writing North – Talent is Classless
- Channel 4, EssenceMediaCom, McCann Leeds & Benenden Health – Time for Another Check-In
- Health Innovation Manchester, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust & AgencyGMR – Detecting EARLY Heart Failure in Greater Manchester
- Hitch Marketing & Wirral Council – Breathe Better
- MadeBrave & Catherine McEwan Foundation – Shooting the Sh*t for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
- Start Communication & Fourth Day – The Ethical Supply Chain Program: A 20-Year Brand Evolution
E-commerce / retail campaign of the year
- B2 Agency’s & TJ Hughes – Specialised Strategy Fuels a 73.2% Revenue Surge
- Bonded Agency & Primal Strength – Supercharging Retail Growth with Data-Driven Innovation
- Drummond Central & Greggs – Bag Some Joy the Gameshow
- Evoluted & Puckstop – Pucking Great Results!
- LS Eleven Media Services x Ab InBev, Budweiser: Bringing it home for Asda customers at the 2024 Euros
- Superfly Marketing & Surprise Shirts
Social impact campaign of the year - Sponsored by Edison Media
- Bubble Design & Marketing Ltd & Polypipe Building Products – Education Campaign
- Fishtank Agency & Stripes, The West Yorkshire ADHD Charity – Purpose Over Profit
- Maxwellia & Evana – Not all periods are equal
- Sam Teale Productions – Knives Claim Lives
- The Cumberland Building Society & Intro PR – Kinder Kind Of Kitchen
- Transport for Greater Manchester – It’s Your Move
Web Development project of the year
- Evoluted & Bauer
- First Internet & iHasco
- Fly High Media & WePrescribe
- IDHL & Hachette Learning
- Pixelbuilders & The QHotels Collection
- Ryze Agency & Ford M-Sport Raptor
- Skipton Building Society
Best brand activation
- Channel 4 – The Piano’s Big Piano
- Edison Media Ltd & Under Armour & JD Sports – Here to Win with Paddy the Baddy
- Emporia Marketing & Bellissima – Emporia Celebrates Golden Campaign for Bellissima
- Influential & Merlin Entertainments – Harry’s Home
- MadeBrave & First Bus – Fare’s Fair
- Propel PR & The Ivy Liverpool Brasserie – The Opening
- Smoking Gun & Alton Towers Resort – Nemesis Reborn: Back with a vengeance
- You Platforms Ltd & First Bus West Yorkshire – TOTO Games
Best use of emerging technologies
- Jaywing – Leading the way in AI-driven marketing innovation
- Picture Lock Films & Edmundson Electrical
Recognising Tech Driven Companies or Work
Tech for Good Award
- Boshhh Mobile – Driving financial equality for those who need it most
- Connect Internet Solutions Ltd & Homes England – Intranet
- ExR Education – Accessible VR Training to Support the NHS
- Lhasa Limited – Advancing chemical safety assessments through non-animal testing
- Numodo – Raising a Dram to Sustainability
- Pharmacy2U & PocDoc – Healthy Heart Study
- SimAnalytica Ltd & West Yorkshire Combined Authority – Transforming Bus Performance with Data and AI
Tech Platform of the Year
- ASK BOSCO® – AI reporting, forecasting and benchmarking
- Campfire – SPARK
- Salesfire – Salesfire AI
Recognising Initiatives
Innovation Champion
- Jaywing – Leading the way in AI-driven marketing innovation
- Maxwellia – Not all periods are equal
- Pharmacy Mentor – The Ultimate Pharmacy Website (UPW)
Workplace Culture Champion
- CRAFTD
- Edison Media Ltd
- Lhasa Limited
- Superfly Marketing Ltd
Recognising Organisations and Teams
International success award - Sponsored by Embryo
- Edison Media Ltd
- Fishtank Agency & Magnera
- Sun Branding
- Tangent
Best Client Services Team
- Agent42
- Cast Can
- LS Eleven Media Services
- Real Return Marketing
- Sun Branding
Best In-house Marketing Team - sponsored by hub
- Leasing.com
- Polypipe Building Products
- The Cumberland Building Society
- The Spirit of Manchester Distillery
- Transport for Greater Manchester
Recognising Individuals
Prolific Leader of the Year
- Aaron Saxton – UA92
- Anna Maxwell – Maxwellia Limited
- Bethan Vincent – Open Velocity
- Damien Fisher – Fishtank Agency
- David Wadsworth – Cornerstone DM
- Lewis Norwood – Pharmacy Mentor
- Nicola Orrell – Edison Media Ltd
- Nina Webb – Brazen
This award is decided by a combination of judge’s scores and public vote. Voting is now CLOSED.
Young Entrepreneur of the Year
- Matt Pyke – Fly High Media
- Oliver Hodgson – Platinum Live
- Olivia Mae Hanlon – Girls in Marketing
- Sam Teale – Sam Teale Productions
- Tom Chandler – The Digital Lighthouse
This award is decided by a combination of judge’s scores and public vote. Voting is now CLOSED.
Prolific Rising Star of the Year - Sponsored by Sun Branding
- Calum Higginbottom – Cast Can
- Chukwuebuka Ihueze – Podfather
- Ellice Eadie – AO Arena
- Hattie Gibson – Fearless Adventures Academy Ltd
- Katy Emmett – Mighty Dub Fest
- Meg Lowery – Havas Lynx
Oliver Hodgson – Platinum Live - Olivia Mae Hanlon – Girls in Marketing
- Rebecca Downey – Robinsons Brewery
- Tom Chandler – The Digital Lighthouse
This award is decided by a combination of judge’s scores and public vote. Voting is now CLOSED.
2025 Sponsors
BuyMedia
Access Industry
SBS
Automated Analytics
Edison Media
Colony
Paprika Software
Glaisyers
Embryo
Sun Branding
The Eastern Blok
