Northern Design Awards Celebrate Another Successful Year

The Devonshire Dome in Buxton provided the stunning backdrop for the 12th annual Northern Design Awards on Friday 21st November.

With accolades being awarded to leading architects, designers, retailers and trade, the shortlisted businesses represented the crème de la crème of the north’s vibrant design scene.

As confidence returns to the UK’s property market, the organisers of the Northern Design Awards have seen a surge in interest from businesses wishing to enter and attend one of the most prestigious events in the design calendar.

Event Organiser, Shelley Bond, commented: “Due to the continued success of the Northern Design Awards, we took the decision to move this year’s event to the breathtaking Devonshire Dome, our biggest venue to date. We were also delighted to welcome more leaders in their field, including our host for the evening, Red or Dead founder Wayne Hemingway, Linda Barker and HRH Princess Katarina of Yugoslavia, onto the stage to present the hugely prestigious awards.”

Shelley added: “We’ve added new categories and were delighted with the quality of the entries into this year’s awards. Hundreds of the region’s most talented designers, architects and retailers enjoyed a lavish evening at the Devonshire Dome, celebrating the fruits of their hard work and dedication.”

The awards, which took place on 21st November, built upon the success of last year’s show stopping ceremony during which more than 350 guests enjoyed a glittering evening celebrating the very best of the northern design scene at The Monastery in Manchester.

BIID Member Fiona Watkins, judged the awards on behalf of the BIID. "I'm so happy that I was asked to represent the BIID and to be associated with such a prestigious event as the ND Awards. I'm sure we are just scratching the surface in our search for talent as northern based designers and practices display such passion, aptitude, inventiveness and creativity for their craft. The ND awards continue to inspire and challenge and will flourish year on year as these awards truly celebrate the best of Northern Design".

Wayne Hemingway, who judged the 2013 awards, said: “I am thrilled to be a part of such an exciting event which celebrates the very brightest northern design businesses.”

Following a dazzling performance by ‘Spark’ (a troupe of highly skilled L.E.D drummers), guests enjoyed a fabulous gala dinner, followed by award presentations from the panel of judges and event organiser, Shelley Bond.

Once the awards had been presented, OK! Magazine was on hand to photograph the glamorous guests before they made their way to the dance floor to celebrate an extremely successful year for the northern design scene.

The judging for the Northern Design Awards has historically been overseen by a respected panel of judges, all of whom are experts in their fields. This year’s panel featured Linda Barker, George Clarke of BBC’s ‘Restoration Man’ and ‘Amazing Spaces’, Wayne Hemingway, Nick Munro and Jan Constantine.

They were joined on the judging panel by HRH Princess Katarina and internationally renowned designer, George Bond, plus the influential Alison Vance and Noel Farrer.

Shelley Bond concluded: “The Northern Design Awards reinforce our commitment to breathtaking design, cutting edge style and quality craftsmanship in the north and I am delighted with how we are moving forward.

“This event celebrates the north’s tremendous optimism and passion for the future. Following this year’s show-stopping awards, we’re already hard at work planning the 2015 Northern Design Awards and will be revealing more about our plans for next year over the coming months.”

The scale of this year’s Northern Design Awards reflects the organisers’ investment in the north’s burgeoning design scene, paving the way for another glittering event in 2015.