Mainframe Awards Hit the Five Year Mark

By The Mainframe Team

Created to highlight the digital and creative community in Derby & Derbyshire, the Mainframe Awards will be celebrating their fifth year in April 2022.

10 Categories To choose from

We have tried to make the Awards as accessible as possible with ten open categories to choose from allowing anyone from the broad spectrum of creative industries to take part.

Make & Trade
Putting Derby & Derbyshire on the Map
Best Digital/Creative Upscaler
Emerging Digital Creative Star (under 25)
Creativity for Good
Best Digital/Creative Start Up
Digital Disruptor
Mainframe Unsung Hero
Best Local Network
Digital/Creative Ambassador of the Year

You can enter up to two categories giving you the best chance to show the jusges your skills and achievements.

Why Take Part

There are so many reason to take part in awards both for you and your business. From the opportunity to look back and plan forward to improving your credability and attracting new opportunities to improving employee moral.

This Year's Judges

Each year we bring together an amazing group of people who are excelling in their own fields to judge the Mainframe Awards and 2022 is no exception.

Judge - Nicki Capewell

Nicki Capewell

Job: Founder of Pedddle & Tresstle

Category: Make & Trade

Judge - Paul Simpson

Paul Simpson

Job: CEO at Derby City Council

Category: Putting Derby & Derbyshire on the Map

Andrew Liddell

Job: Development & Partnerships Manager at Creative UK

Category: Best Digital/Creative Upscaler

Judge - Phil Basi

Phil Basi

Job: Programme Leader Media Production & Principal Lecturer TV Production at the University of Derby

Category: Emerging Digital/Creative Star (under 25)

Kerry Andrews

Job: Executive Director at the Level Centre

Category: Creativity for Good

Rajita Shah

Job: Relationship Manager - Creative Media (Midlands), Art’s Council England & Owner, Miraj Films

Category: Best Digital/Creative Start Up

Chris Hotham & Keith Cox

Job: Directors at Bloc Digital

Category: Digital Disruptor

Daniel Poole

Job: Head of Development at Derby Theatre

Category: Mainframe Unsung Hero

Stephen Goddard &

Chevalier Philip Brooks-Stephenson, KL

Job: Co-Founders at KuKu Connect

Category: Best Local Network

Don't Take Our Word For It

We've had forty winners to date and they've all felt the value of being taking part. Here are just a few winners words from previous year's:

It was a great honour and opportunity to be involved and linked with lots of creative people and businesses around the Derby and Derbyshire area, and show our appreciation to the great talent and businesses we have in our local area. Being nominated for the award was a privilege alone and hopefully, more people can be involved next year and get the recognition they deserve.

Kamran Hussain

Thank you for the interest in my work and for the judges kind comments. I hope that being involved in these very positive awards, brings the ideas of hand carved woodenware to the local scene and new groups of people.
Its a joy to carve wood.

Paul Adamson

Absolutely thrilled to have been named Best Digital/Creative Start-Up. After what has been a crazy year with some huge highs and real lows, the awards were just what we needed to not only reconnect with the lovely Mainframe community but to make us reflect on the challenges we have overcome to get here! To have been shortlisted alongside such an amazing line up of impressive businesses in the first place was a real honour so to have actually won an award means we can finish this year on a high.

Erica Horne

Creativity and Culture play a vital role in making positive change and supporting wellbeing on a personal, community and global level. The last year has highlighted this even more and creatives have committed to supporting and connecting with communities, despite funding challenges and insecurity about what lies ahead. So many companies and artists are worthy of a Creativity for Good award which makes winning feel even more meaningful to us.

Jen Sumner

Still Time To Take Part

This could be your year!

The deadline for the Mainframe Awards 2022 is Monday 31st January

Totally Free
Just 500 words
Add anything you'd like to support your submission
Enter up to two categories
Nominate yourself, your colleagues, you community

Need some tips on how to write an amazing awards entry? Check out this post.

TBH_logo_pink-3 Mainframe is an initiative that aims to bring together a community of digital and creative business across Derby and Derbyshire, enabling real business growth and jobs. Mainframe is part of The Big House project, a collaboration providing sector specific support across the D2N2 area. The Big House aims to make it easier for digital creative business to understand and access the free help available in the region.

For more details about the free business support available to creative and digital businesses in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire through The Big House project, visit www.bighouse.org.uk.

This project is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund 2014 - 2022