Allianz Arts & Business NI Awards 2014 Shortlist Announcement

The excitement is building as Arts & Business Northern Ireland announces the eagerly awaited shortlist for the Allianz Arts & Business NI Awards 2014.

The awards pay tribute to a total of 22 short listed partnerships competing for first prize in five awards categories. In addition there have been six local arts persons shortlisted for the prestigious Arts Individual of the Year Award. A further four individuals shortlisted for the esteemed Business Individual of the Year Award and 17 arts organisations shortlisted for the Arts Award which is accompanied with a cash prize of £2,000 sponsored by Allianz.

This year the relatively new Business of the Year Award has a shortlist of three truly deserving companies who have made an outstanding contribution to the arts.

The difficult task of shortlisting the best examples of excellence in business and arts partnership from this year’s nominations rested with six judges from both worlds of commerce and culture.

Winners will be revealed at the Allianz Arts & Business NI Awards ceremony on Thursday 6th February 2014 in the Ulster Hall, Belfast.

Mary Trainor-Nagele, Chief Executive, Arts & Business NI commented: “Allianz’s sponsorship of these Awards is critical in helping A&B NI inspire and celebrate inspiring partnership between commerce and culture. A huge thank you must also go to our judges, their expertise is invaluable.”

Sharon McTaggart, Operations Manager, Allianz said: “Each year the standard of entries in our Allianz Arts & Business NI Awards continues to rise and this year, yet again, we have been overwhelmed by the diversity and ingenuity of all the projects and collaborations. These partnerships continue to harness all that is best in both the economic and cultural arenas. As more and more companies are focusing on the inclusion of a creativity driven segment to their business strategy we see that businesses, cultural organisations and communities all become beneficiaries. Congratulations to all the very worthy projects and partnerships who made the shortlist and we look forward to an exciting Allianz Arts & Business NI Award Ceremony in 2014.”

Nick Livingston, Director of Strategic Development at the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said “The Arts Council is delighted to pledge continued support to the Arts & Business NI Awards and commends all of those shortlisted businesses who have invested in our vibrant arts and cultural sector.  It is pleasing to witness the ever-increasing number of businesses which recognise the benefits the creative arts can bring to their organisation.  The sharing of knowledge, experience and skills through A&B NI, delivers significant advantages to both sectors, helping all to succeed and prosper.”

Awards Shortlist

Allianz Arts & Business NI Community Engagement Award
SHORTLIST
Kabosh & Ulster Bank
Millennium Forum & Richmond Centre
National Trust & Herbert Smith Freehills LLP
Ulster Orchestra & JTI
Wheelworks & Stratagem

Allianz Arts & Business NI Cultural Branding Award
SHORTLIST
Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival & Sunflower Bar
Oh Yeah Music Centre & Bushmills
The MAC, Ulster Bank, Deloitte & ABSOLUT Vodka
Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s & Ulster Bank

Allianz Arts & Business NI Sustained Partnership Award
SHORTLIST
Cahoots NI & Danske Bank
Grand Opera House & Co-Operative
Replay Theatre Co. & Joseph Brennan Bakeries
Ulster Orchestra & JTI

Allianz Arts & Business NI Young People Award
SHORTLIST
C21 Theatre Co. & Burke Shipping
Cahoots NI & Danske Bank
Lyric Theatre & PricewaterhouseCoopers
Ulster Orchestra & AES
Wheelworks & Stratagem

Allianz Arts & Business NI Employee Engagement Award
SHORTLIST
Alley Arts Centre & Café Fresco
Belfast Print Workshop & AV Browne
Happenstance Theatre & Edwards & Co Solicitors
National Trust & Herbert Smith Freehills LLP

Allianz Arts & Business NI Business Individual Of The Year Award
SHORTLIST
Lesley Bourke:
Danske Bank/Cahoots NI

Cathy Law:
Cathy Law Communications/Replay Theatre Co.

Dennis Monaghan:
Ballyvesey Recycling/The Talent Tribe

Christopher Neill:
Cleaver Fulton Rankin/Audiences NI

Allianz Arts & Business NI Arts Individual of the Year Award
SHORTLIST
Paul Bosco McEneaney:
Cahoots NI

Ali Fitzgibbon:
Young at Art

Karin Jeffrey:
Grand Opera House

Sean Kelly:
Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival

Paula McFetridge:
Kabosh

Claire Shaw:
Cinemagic

Allianz Arts & Business NI Arts Award
SHORTLIST
Alley Arts Centre
Belfast Print Workshop
C21 Theatre Co.
Cahoots NI
Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival
Grand Opera House
Happenstance Theatre
Kabosh
Lyric Theatre
Millennium Forum
National Trust
Oh Yeah Centre
Replay Theatre Co.
The MAC
Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s
Ulster Orchestra
Wheelworks

Allianz Arts & Business NI Business of the Year Award
SHORTLIST
AES
Edwards & Co. Solicitors
Stratagem

Allianz Arts & Business NI Awards 2014 Judging Panel
Wayne Nickels, Investment Advisor, Cunningham Coates
Dan Gordon, Actor, Arts & Business NI Board Member, Chair of Panel
Gillian Shields, Northern Ireland Public Relations Executive, Coca-Cola HBC
Jackie Entwistle, Strata Marketing Solutions
Gavin Walker, Managing Editor, Business First
Colletta Smith, BBC Business Journalist

The Arts & Business NI Awards are sponsored by Allianz. The partnership is now in its eighth year.