The Guardian Awards for Digital Innovation 2012 were announced last night (22 March) in the high tech surroundings of the Energy Hall at London's Science Museum. Now in their fifth year, the awards recognise digital communications and technological innovations that are pushing the media world forward. Guardian columnist (and avid Twitterer) Grace Dent hosted the event, which saw awards presented across 8 categories. Read on to find out more about this year's winners, and the potential they have to change the shape of the media industry forever.
Tech Guru
Winner
Michael Acton Smith, Moshi Monsters.
Michael Acton Smith is CEO, Creative Director and founder of online games studio Mind Candy - publisher of global kids' phenomenon, Moshi Monsters.
Runner Up
Alexander Ljung, Soundcloud.
Young Innovator
Winner
Omar Tayeb, Blippar
Omar Tayeb, CTO and co-founder of Blippar is wholly responsible for its world-beating image-recognition technology, as well as building campaign content for major global brands
Runners Up
Christopher Bull, Selective Media
Jamal Edwards, SBTV
Best Digital Campaign
Winner
The Way I See It – Alan Sugar Hardback Campaign
Agency: Guided Collective
Client: Pan Macmillan
The world's first Twitter book signing with Lord Sugar and his million plus Twitter followers. Fans could tweet a rant @Lord_Sugar and watch his live personal response.
Runners Up
Kaiser Chiefs Bespoke Album Creation Experience
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy
Client: Fiction Records
National Trust MyFarm
Agency: Public Zone
Client: National Trust
Best Use of Technology for Social Change
Winner
Airtime
Agency:
Client: Sourcefabric
Airtime is software that allows multiple people to run a radio station over the internet. Designed specifically for independent media, it's open source and free.
Runners Up
Beatbullying
Agency: Frank PR
Client: Beatbullying
Slavery Footprint
Agency: Unit9 and MUH•TAY•ZIK | HOF•FER
Client: Call & Response and the US State Department
Best Website
Winner
Motilo
Agency: LBi
Client: Motilo
This site allows consumers to connect with their friends anywhere in the world and shop together in real time for luxury fashion items.
Runners Up
Duedil
Client: Duedil
Hugh's Fish Fight
Agency: KEO Digital
Client: Channel 4
Best App
Winner
Do Some Good
Agency: Indigo Innovation
Client: Orange
Do Some Good enables people to directly volunteer for a whole host of charities on their mobile, in five minutes or less, so even the busiest of people can now give back at a time and place that suits them.
Runners Up
Ladybird Classic Me Books
Client: Penguin
Nike Training Club
Agency: AKQA
Client: Nike
Totoya
Client: Carnation Group
Best Startup Business
Winner
Swiftkey
SwiftKey's innovative technology understands how words work together across multiple languages, thanks to complex modelling of almost a trillion word combinations.
Runners Up
Duedil
Zoopla
Best Startup Leader / CEO
Winner
Alex Chesterman, Zoopla
Zoopla.co.uk has grown from nothing to become the UK's 2nd most-visited property website, attracting over 11 million visits per month in under 4 years.
Runners Up
Alistair Crane, Grapple
Victor Malachard, Adfonic
