UKGA 2023 celebrates innovation and creativity

Last night (Wednesday, October 4th), companies from the UK wide-format industry donned their glad rags for a black tie celebration of innovation, creativity, and skill at the UK Graphic Awards 2023.

Held in the magnificent Birmingham Town Hall and hosted by ITV weather presenter, Emma Jesson, the evening saw 14 awards handed out across various categories such as Branded Interiors, Exhibitions, Live Events, and Retail.

The ceremony also paid tribute to young and upcoming talent within the industry with the Rising Star Award; and also championed green projects with the Green Award, a change from the 2022 Green Award which championed companies’ overall sustainable efforts.

During the evening, a silent auction took place to raise funds for the Ukraine war, specifically for land mine clearing efforts.

The Gold Award for Branded Interiors went to Vision Sign and Digital for the Arc Project which the company overcame many obstacles over the course of a month to produce.

The Gold Award for Construction went to Octink for its Battersea Power Station project with the judges particularly fond of the use of black and white images across the interior and exterior.

The Graphical Tree took home Gold in the Exhibitions category for its Felipe Pantone project at the Saatchi Gallery. The judges said they have “never seen creativity like it”.

For the Leisure and Hospitality Award, it was Envision Media who took home gold for it’s Jockey Club Race Days project which involved a combination of different printing and installations across various elements.

The Gold Award for Live Events went to Service Graphics for its production of graphics for Eurovision 2023 in Liverpool. The judges were particularly impressed by the use of colour throughout all elements.

For the Museums and Galleries category, Wild Visual Communications took home Gold for its Talisker Distillery Experience project due to the use of lighting, the complex installation, and the variety of surfaces incorporated.

Kolorcraft was awarded the Retail: In-store Gold Awards for its Waitrose Summer Food Festival project which used a variety of colours and print materials throughout.

The Gold winner of the Retail: Windows category was The Graphical Tree for its Harvey Nichols – Christmas Windows 2022 project with judges impressed by the effective use of multiple materials and layering.

With competition described as being incredibly close, the 2023 winner of the Rising Star Award was Reece Talbot of Signbox with judges describing Talbot as “a fantastic example of what the industry can provide to young people in terms of a career and innovation opportunities”.

Taking home the Highly Commended Award for the Rising Star category was Lauren Raftery of FaberExposize UK with the judges saying “Lauren’s success demonstrates how building relationships can be rewarding personally and financially”. Raftery was one of two FaberExposize UK employees shortlisted for this award with Mychael Bottomley also in the running.

For the Roll-out Award, Semaphore took home Gold for its Transport For Wales – Placemaking Campaign and Metro Branding launch. Judges said the scale and scope of this entry across multiple surfaces gave it the edge over other entries.

Taking home Gold for the 2023 Green Award was MacroArt for its ICE – Sustainability In The Real World Of Exhibitions with judges pleased to see the way data was collected and results reported.

MacroArt was also the recipient of the Wide-format Printer of the Year: 30+ Employees Award with judges describing this as a “hotly contested category”. However, it was the company’s dedication to bringing young people into the industry and sustainable focus that gave it a slight edge.

The winner of the Wide-format Printer of the Year: Under 30 Employees Award was Imageco with judges also praising its commitment to sustainability and the way this is embedded within its operational values and employee culture.

Finally, the Best In Show Award went to The Graphical Tree for its Felipe Pantone At The Saatchi Gallery project with the judges saying the unusual design and creativity coupled with flawless execution gave the entry a slight edge.

Commenting on this project, The Graphical Tree said: “The design may be bamboozling, but it’s also visually interesting, attention-grabbing, and importantly memorable. For us, it’s a privilege to play a part in producing some show-stopping graphics, ones that the audience will no doubt remember for a long time after exiting the gallery. What is art for after all, if it doesn’t provoke feeling and memory.”

Hosted each year, entries for the UK Graphic Awards is free and judging is carried out by an international jury of experts from the wide-format industry.

If you have any news, please email carys@linkpublshing.co.uk or join in with the conversation on Twitter and Linkedin.