Champions Awards 2026 Shortlist

The prolific north champions awards recognise the organisations, teams and individuals putting the north on the map in the creative and digital sectors.

On 14 May, we celebrated the very best across the North at the Champions Awards at The Point, Emirates Old Trafford. The event will return in 2027.

Pictures

Recognising Organisations

INDEPENDENT AGENCY OF THE YEAR: Small - Sponsored by Glaisyers

Independent Agency of the year: Medium - Sponsored by Glaisyers

Independent Agency of the year: Large - Sponsored by Glaisyers

Integrated Agency of the Year

PR Agency of the Year

Digital Agency of the year - sponsored by Colony

  • Answer Digital
  • Mutatio Marketing Agency LTD
  • Open Partners
  • Pixelbuilders

New Agency to Watch - Sponsored by Synergist

  • BrandXYZ
  • EDGEY
  • Exter Media
  • Ginger Fury
  • Hide Marketing Agency
  • Invested
  • Novaro Social Commerce
  • Oceros
  • Swype®

Production Company of the year

  • Eight Engines
  • Sam Teale Productions
  • The Chase Films

Tech Company of the Year: Small - Sponsored by Slater Heelis

  • !Coconut
  • Cognni
  • Crysp limited
  • Hop Software
  • Propello Cloud
  • Salesfire

Tech Company of the Year: M/L - Sponsored by Slater Heelis

Recognising Teams

Best In-house marketing team - sponsored by hub

  • AO Arena
  • Calderdale College
  • Corecom Tech Academy
  • CTI Digital’s in-house marketing team
  • eStar Truck & Van
  • Go North East
  • Ian Cheveau
  • Leasing Options
  • Medical Protection Society
  • Woodlands Home & Garden Group, trading as Tiger Sheds

Recognising Campaigns

B2B Marketing Campaign of the Year

  • Dentsu Creative – The Luximoment
  • First Internet and Mulmar – AI Answers to Local Enquiries.
  • Matter & Kelling Group – Transforming Lead Quality with Prospect Intelligence™ & ABM
  • Salesfire – AI Connect Milk Carton

B2C Marketing Campaign of the Year: Small

  • Calderdale College – Applications Now Open
  • Keane Creative Ltd & Wilfreda Beehive
  • RMS Marketing & Trafford Leisure – Unearthing Hidden Treasure

B2C Marketing Campaign of the Year: Medium

  • Edison Media & Visit Blackpool – This Is Blackpool: Reigniting a Seaside Icon
  • Evoluted & Supplement Hub – Supplementing Success, Sustaining Growth
  • Jaywing, The Sun, & cardfactory – No Tricks Just Treats
  • MPS – I’m a Consultant
  • Trafford Centre – Beautopia
  • Weber Shandwick – Knorrplay is the new foreplay

B2C Marketing Campaign of the Year: Large

  • Edison Media – JD & Adidas
  • Immediate – Crown Paints & Good Food
  • Immediate – Ristorante & Radio Times Book Club
  • Jaywing & Yorkshire Tea – Four Minute Wonders: Turning brew time into time well spent
  • Reigning Media & Leasing Options

B2B PR Campaign of the Year

  • Aberfield Communications & The Compleat Food Group – Establishing The Compleat Food Group as a ‘Star Performer’ in the UK grocery sector
  • Altitude PR & IntelliAM AI – The Proof Over Promise Campaign
  • Petal & Co & ReBound & ASC – Creating a new narrative. Turning retail returns into repeat spending.
  • Viva & CoolKit – Electrifying the Cold Front

B2C PR Campaign of the Year

  • Brazen PR & Sudocrem® – Sudocrem® Gets Uncovered with Brazen
  • Citypress & Lurpak – Lurpak: The Taste Test
  • HAVAS Red & GetYourGuide – Ibiza Unplugged
  • Jam & Raisin: The Newsroom That Simplified Saving
  • Prohibition PR & Martin House Children’s Hospice – THE BUILD
  • RMS Marketing & Swizzels – Celebrating 70 years of Refreshers for Swizzels
  • Smoking Gun & Philips – Fry & Mighty: Taking back market share for Philips airfryer
  • Viva & Bolton Food & Drink Festival – Secret Menu Hits the Spot
  • Weber Shandwick & Mars Petcare – A New Leash on City Life: Helping Mars Pet Build a Pet-Friendly World
  • Weber Shandwick & McAfee – Repositioning McAfee for the AI Era

Not-for-Profit Campaign of the Year - sponsored by Brandxyz

  • Epilepsy Action & Magpie – If I Told You
  • Fusion Unlimited & Anchor – Closing the Digital Trust Gap in Care
  • Hitch Marketing & Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance – Bowel Cancer Awareness Campaign
  • Hotfoot Design & Together an Active Future – Healthy Hearts
  • ICG & The Big Food Project – Support us or lose us campaign
  • Medical Protection Society – Medical and Dental Students
  • North East International Film Festival
  • Resolution Communications & The Teesside Charity
  • The Prominence Collective & The Widowed Collective – #WidowedAtChristmas
  • Yasper & Row4MND – Whipping up a media storm for charity rowers

E-commerce / retail campaign of the year

  • Be Found Be Chosen & Superdry – Paid Media driving Prominence & Performance
  • Edison Media & Sik Silk – Black Friday
  • Evoluted & Supplement Hub – Supplementing Success, Sustaining Growth
  • HUB x Jorvik Tricycles – Putting the wheels in motion for a tricycle revolution
  • Jaywing & Euro Car Parts – Stabilising Growth Through Search
  • Vega & Propaganda – Cloud Nine – Strength Through Kindness

Social impact campaign of the year

  • Charter Walk Shopping Centre – Minutes Not Money Campaign
  • Liverpool City Region Combined Authority & OneMay – Digital Inclusion
  • Northumbrian Water Group – Local Action
  • One Minute Briefs & PAPYRUS – Suicidal Thoughts Don’t Wait
  • Sam Teale Productions – Destination Florida Children’s Charity
  • St Johns Shopping Centre – Fit n Fresh January
  • The Broadway Bradford – Delivering Social Value at the Heart of the Community
  • Weber Shandwick & Cadent – From Cold Truth to Warmth and Dignity

Property/Construction Campaign of the Year - Sponsored by BIG Partnership

  • Bonded & The Arch Company – Digital Commercial Transformation
  • co&co & Found – Found in Good Company
  • Luma Marketing & Euan Kellie Property Solutions – EK Unlocked
  • Pixelbuilders & Strata – My Home Finder

Recognising Projects

Tech Platform of the Year

  • Be Your Own Coach
  • Lloyds Banking Group – Bereavement Digital Journey & Transformation
  • Propello Cloud & South Western Rail – Full steam ahead for South West Railways ROAS
  • Salesfire – AI Connect

Tech for Good Award

  • Ciptex & Debt Free Advice – Video Advice Kiosk with Agent AI Assist
  • HelloU Creative & Sewell Construction – AR Careers Ambassadors Campaign
  • Hitch Marketing & Leicestershire Police – ‘Speak Out Space’ hate crime hub
  • Hop Software
  • Lhasa Limited – Rapid CPCA integration into Derek Nexus following global nitrosamine guideline changes
  • Novi & Senior Stairlifts – “step-by-step” growth
  • Numodo & Severn Trent Water – Turning the Tide on Carbon Emissions
  • Pharmacy2U – Healthy Heart Workplace Programme
  • R-2 Energy – Roadwave Technology
  • Silvia Health – Structured Menopause Intelligence for Primary Care

Best Application of AI/Data

  • Key Group – More2Life
  • Layopay – Ratechecker
  • Matter – Prospect Intelligence™
  • OneTwo – AI Avatar Event Assistant

Best Brand Activation - Sponsored by Edison Media

  • Cat Among The Pigeons & Birds Eye – Win Trips With Chips
  • co&co & Found – Sundown Sessions Vol.2
  • Dentsu Creative & Valspar – Enjoy & Valspar Colour Consult
  • Equinox Group & Digitain – ICE Barcelona
  • Make Events & Salboy x Nobu Hospitality – Groundbreaking: Transforming a construction site into an Iconic Brand Experience
  • Weber Shandwick & Knorr – Knorrplay is the new foreplay

Recognising Initiatives

Talent Development Champion

  • AND Digital – AI Ignition
  • Corecom Tech Academy

Culture & Workplace Champion

  • AND Digital
  • Art of Cloud
  • Bonded Agency

Recognising Individuals

Prolific Leader of the Year

  • Catherine Forshaw – Brabners LLP
  • Chris Burgess – CTI Digital
  • Edwin Buckley – The Prominence Collective
  • Jordan Stachini – co&co
  • Lucy Gugas – Bloom North
  • Sam Teale – Sam Teale Productions
  • Zoë Blogg – Reboot Online

This award is decided by a combination of judge’s scores and public vote. Voting is now CLOSED. 

Prolific Rising Star of the Year

  • Declan Real – Edison Media
  • Dr. Giovannie Jean-Louis – PROBr
  • Isobel Waterworth – HUB
  • Matt Owens – Edison Media
  • Matthew Haywood
  • Millie Jackson – Jaywing
  • Petr Bednarik – Numodo
  • Pippa Gilroy – Bonded Agency
  • Samantha Levene – Reboot
  • Shoaib Ahmed – SA Personal Branding
  • Tilly Ogden – Matter
  • Wezi Mulenga – CGI

This award is decided by a combination of judge’s scores and public vote. Voting is now CLOSED. 

Young Entrepreneur of the Year

  • Elliot Ward – Excite OOH
  • Niall Ratcliffe – noticed.
  • Samuel Marriott-Dowding – Marriott Communications

This award is decided by a combination of judge’s scores and public vote. Voting is now CLOSED. 

Lifetime Achievement Award

  • Christina Clarke – C21 Creative Communications
  • Ian Wallace – Gaydio
  • Malcolm Clifford – Jaywing

This award is decided by a combination of judge’s scores and public vote. Voting is now CLOSED. 

Female Entrepreneur of the Year

  • Danielle Hewitt – Reigning Media
  • Dr. Meghana Nadella – PROBr
  • Ginny Nicholls – Interim Digital
  • Jordan Stachini – co&co
  • Kathy Brooke – Be Your Own Coach

This award is decided by a combination of judge’s scores and public vote. Voting is now CLOSED. 

2026 Sponsors

Brand XYZ

Synergist

BIG Partnership

Slater Heelis

Edison Media

Colony

Glaisyers

HUB