BT SPORT INDUSTRY AWARDS CELEBRATE UK AS GLOBAL SPORTS HUB
Tonight, the BT Sport Industry Awards re-established the UK’s position as the centre of the international sporting landscape, as 1,750 of the industry’s most influential names came together for Europe’s largest commercial sport awards.
There was a significant increase in the number of global campaigns that were celebrated on the night in a year that saw Brazil host the FIFA World Cup. It was the world’s most popular sport that helped adidas secure the coveted Brand of the Year Award, sponsored by Pinsent Masons. Football was also on the agenda in the highly competitive international category, proving the UK sits at the heart of the global sport industry, as Best International Marketing Campaign, sponsored by visitlondon.com, was won by Samsung’s Galaxy 11.
Further underlining the remarkable depth and breadth of award-winning work across the UK industry, there were winners from rugby, skeleton, badminton, para-sports, cycling, motorsport, sailing, BMX, Commonwealth Games and horse racing.
Elsewhere, Synergy secured a well-deserved first title as Agency of the Year, sponsored by Colouration Sport, following an impressive year of results and new business wins, while Badminton England’s record participation levels helped claim Governing Body of the Year, sponsored by The Daily Telegraph.
Ahead of a huge year for rugby, O2’s long-term partnership with England Rugby was rejuvenated to win Best Sponsorship of a Team or Individual, sponsored by Kantar Media, with Rugby World Cup 2015’s Too Big To Miss awarded Best Integrated Marketing Campaign, sponsored by Battersea Evolution.
In the individual Awards, 20-time Champion Jockey and lifelong Arsenal fan AP McCoy rounded off his first week of retirement by accepting the Outstanding Contribution to Sport Award, sponsored by CWM Cyclone Promotions, from Arsenal legend Thierry Henry and broadcaster Clare Balding. McCoy received a standing ovation from the packed audience at Battersea Evolution.
Sir Keith Mills received the Barclays Lifetime Achievement Award for his success across the London 2012 Games, International Inspiration and Invictus Games, amongst many other roles including his work with Tottenham Hotspur and America’s Cup in the last 15 years that have led to a major and lasting impact across sport.
UNICEF ambassador Eddie Izzard was delighted to present UNICEF and The Commonwealth Games Federation with the Leadership in Sport Award, sponsored by Nolan Partners, after orchestrating a remarkable and innovative Opening Ceremony that helped raise over £5m to put children first across the Commonwealth.
Nick Keller, chairman of the Sport Industry Group, added: “The work rewarded tonight has been selected from an incredibly diverse shortlist and the breadth of sports the winners represent prove the consistently high level of work on offer across the industry.
“Taking the judges to visit everyone in the Agency of the Year category also helped us experience the energy of the industry, especially amongst the young people. We can’t wait to see this enthusiasm with the Sport Industry NextGen, in partnership with Barclays, later this year.”
The judging process for the BT Sport Industry Awards involved 83 key industry figures and 36 hours of intensive judging, fully overseen by Deloitte, the Independent Scrutineers of the BT Sport Industry Awards. For the first time, a selection of the Judging Panel also went on the road, visiting all six of the shortlisted Agency of the Year candidates to experience the culture of each organisation in its everyday environment.
BT is the Headline Partner of the BT Sport Industry Award. Official Partners include Barclays, Deloitte and Eurosport. For more information on the event visit www.sportindustry.biz, and follow @SportIndustry #BTSIA.
