Entries open for Creative Edinburgh Awards 2015

This year Creative Edinburgh is celebrating its third birthday Picture: Creative Edinburgh

Nine awards are up for grabs, celebrating the outstanding practice, innovative thinking and genius of the Edinburgh residents.

With a network of over 1.800 Creative Edinburgh is a membership organisation that helps creative businesses and individuals create, collaborate and stay connected.

The categories have been revamped to make it more accessible to a wider range of individuals and are now made up of: City, Collaboration, Commercial, Creativity, Independent, Leadership, Social, Startup and Student – more details on each category available below.

A massive crowd showed up to 2014s awards Picture: Creative Edinburgh

The awards are specially designed and produced by Scottish designer Karen Mabon.

This special event will also feature special performances; including music by Edinburgh based DJ duo Kitchen Disco, as well as a host of other performers, for which tickets are available now.

Executive director of Creative Edinburgh Janine Matheson said: “Our members are at the heart of everything that we do at Creative Edinburgh. This year, we will incest all profits from ticket sales towards creating new opportunities for our network.”

For consecutive years running, the headline sponsor is FreeAgent as well as a separate drinks sponsor, Belgian beer brand Heverlee.

Winners at the 2014 Creative Edinburgh Awards Picture: Creative Edinburgh

FreeAgent CEO Ed Molyneux said: “The Creative Edinburgh Awards is a fantastic initiative that recognises the creativity and talent in our city, and we’re delighted to be sponsoring them again. Last year we saw some amazing organisations and creative individuals nominated for these awards, so I’m really looking forward to seeing more impressive talent again this year.”

Head of Brand Marketing at Heverlee, JP Murphy has stated: “Heverlee has a long standing relationship with originality, so the ability to support and celebrate Edinburgh’s creative talent is something we’re very proud of.”

The deadline for submissions is Friday 23 October, 12 noon.

AWARD CATEGORIES

The City Award

This category is looking for an outstanding creative contribution or activity that has promoted Edinburgh nationally or indeed, internationally, or work that has incorporated or utilised an Edinburgh city space or cultural idea specific to the city.

The Collaboration Award

This category is looking for an outstanding creative collaboration between two or more organisations or individuals.

The Commercial Award

This category is looking for an outstanding commercial creative contribution or activity from an agency, partnership, organisation, collective or company.

The Creativity Award

This category is looking for a one off creative work or initiative, but the judges will have to consider it outstanding to win. Financial gain need not be the primary motivator in this category. In other words, it could simply be ‘art’ or a creative work undertaken to explore or express new ideas or talent.

The Independent Award

This category is looking for an outstanding contribution or activity from a professional individual. To enter you must be a registered creative business, sole trader or freelancer.

The Leadership Award

This award recognises an outstanding individual for their leadership and contribution to their sector, or the creative industries as a whole.

The Social Award

This category is looking for an outstanding creative contribution or activity that benefits or contributes to a group or interest.

The Startup Award

This category is looking for an outstanding creative contribution or activity from a newly registered company (less than 3 years).

The Student Award

This category is looking for an outstanding student creative contribution or activity from a full or part time student engaging in a creative discipline.