The Guardian has today (Monday, 24 October) launched its re-branded award scheme, with a focus of creative uses of technology.
The 2012 Guardian Awards for Digital Innovation has new categories including ‘best new website’, ‘tech guru of the year’ and the ‘best new app’.
Called the 2012 Megas, the scheme has adapted “to celebrate and recognise creative achievements and inspiring entrepreneurial spirit within the field of technology”, the Guardian said in a release.
The announcement said:
The 2012 Guardian Awards for Digital Innovation, which began in 2008 as the MediaGuardian Innovation Awards, will focus on cutting-edge digital accomplishments, in line with Guardian News & Media’s digital-first strategy, announced earlier this year. For the first time, one of the winners will get the rare opportunity to guest-edit the Guardian’s MediaGuardian website for a day.
Chair of the judging panel Dan Sabbagh, Guardian News & Media’s head of media & technology, said in the release:
These awards have championed a variety of digital innovations since 2008. Our past winners are testament to the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit of the UK’s digital scene, and with more free-to-enter categories than ever before, I’m looking forward to hearing about the wide range of inspiring projects that are out there. Offering one winner the opportunity to guest edit the MediaGuardian website is a new move for us, and I’m sure this will result in some fascinating issues being covered on our website once the winners are announced next year.
The judging panel for the awards includes Wired editor-at-large Ben Hammersley and TV presenter Aleks Krotoski.
The closing date for applications is 5pm on Friday, 20 January. The winners will be announced in March 2012 at a presentation ceremony in London.
The new categories are:
Free to enter
- Tech guru of the year (sponsored by Creative Industries Knowledge Transfer Network)
- Young innovator of the year (sponsored by Wired)
- Best startup business (sponsored by Taylor Wessing)
- Best startup leader / CEO
£200 per entry
- Best new website
- Best new app
- Best digital campaign – communications, marketing & PR
- Best use of technology for social change
There is more information at Guardian.co.uk/megas, including a list of previous winners.