Last night saw the launch of the inaugural Northern Soul Awards 2017 at the Hilton Deansgate in Manchester.
The awards were created to celebrate and reward exceptional culture and enterprise in the North of England, including theatres, productions, venues, businesses, galleries and many other projects and companies. From restaurant start-ups and street food vendors to fringe productions, large theatres and pioneering arts companies, the great and good of Manchester’s thriving arts and business scene donned their glad rags (there was some extremely snazzy dressers out there!) and came out in force.
It was a night of great laughs, with host Lemn Sissay doing a brilliant job of entertaining the audience, our Editor Helen Nugent reading out the more memorable lines from our brilliant contributors, and an extremely unforgettable line delivered by The Team at Hull UK City of Culture 2017 (a stand-out winner for the Northern Soul of the Year award), “Come to Hull, it’s not s**t anymore.” As the night drew to a close, Manchester DJ, Clint Boon took to the decks and inspired revellers to throw some great shapes on the dancefloor.
It was also an evening of great poignancy. After a heart-breaking few months – where people showed their true grit, compassion, resilience and creativity – it was fantastic to witness so many winners give rousing speeches about the importance – and prevalence – of arts and culture in our fair region.
Prizes were awarded in 22 categories for the best venues, businesses of the year, productions and festivals, with a special award for the ‘Northern Soul’ of the Year. Entries were so strong that our judges awarded Highly Commended Awards in several categories.
Congratulations to all those who entered, were shortlisted and those who won. It was a room packed full of truly Northern Souls.
Here’s our fabulous shortlist in full, along with the winners in each category.
EXHIBITION OF THE YEAR
Winner: Museum of Science and Industry – Wonder Materials: Graphene and Beyond
Highly Commended: HOME – Rachel Maclean: Wot u 🙂 about?
Peoples History Museum – Ideas Worth Fighting For
Castlefield Gallery – Inside Out
The Lowry – Syzygy
Women in Print
GALLERY OF THE YEAR
Winner: The Lowry
Highly Commended: Castlefield Gallery
MUSEUM OF THE YEAR
Winner: Lion Salt Works Museum
People’s History Museum
SMALL THEATRE OF THE YEAR (1-200 CAPACITY)
Winner: Hope Mill Theatre
53two
LARGE THEATRE OF THE YEAR (200+CAPACITY)
Winner: The Royal Exchange Theatre
Contact Theatre
Opera House Manchester
Palace Theatre Manchester
The Dukes
The Lowry
FRINGE PRODUCTION OF THE YEAR
Winner: Hope Mill Theatre – Parade
53two – When Both Sides Surrender
Cats Pyjamas Productions Ltd – Love Me Do
JB Shorts – Bi-annual Festival of Short Plays by TV Writers
Peggy Productions & Oldham Libraries – Boomtown Gals
People Zoo Productions – The Trial
Producing Participatory Public Art – LIFE BOAT
PurpleCoat Productions – The Merchant of Venice
The Horsfall at 42nd Street – HIDDEN
THEATRE PRODUCTION OF THE YEAR
Winner: The Dukes – The Hobbit
53two – When Both Sides Surrender
HOME – Ghosts
Hope Mill Theatre – Hair
Theatre in the Quarter presents THE LOST BOY
CINEMA OF THE YEAR
Winner: The Dukes
ODEON Printworks
MUSIC FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR
Winner: The Met presents Ramsbottom Festival 2016
Harrogate International Festivals
illumiNaughty – the leading light in indoor festival of music art and performance
Mouth of the Tyne Festival
The Rossendale 60’s Festival 2017 – The True Spirit of the 60’s
ARTS FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR
Winner: Harrogate International Festivals
Buy Art Fair
illumiNaughty – the leading light in indoor festival of music art and performance
Just So Festival produced by Wild Rumpus
Manchester Science Festival produced by the Museum of Science and Industry
Mouth of the Tyne Festival
Queer Contact Festival produced by Contact
Rochdale Literature and Ideas Festival
Tmesis Theatre Company – International Festival of Physical Theatre
Walk the Plank, Manchester Day 2016 – Eureka!
COMEDY BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
Winner: Dulcet Sounds Event Management
Frog and Bucket Comedy Club
Gag Reflex
SMALL MUSIC VENUE OF THE YEAR (1-500 CAPACITY)
Winner: The Met Bury
Low Four – An Old Granada Studios Space for Music
LARGE MUSIC VENUE OF THE YEAR (500+ CAPACITY)
Winner: Royal Northern College of Music
Victoria Warehouse
NORTHERN PUBLISHER OF THE YEAR
Winner: Comma Press
Carcanet Press
The Modernist Society
RESTAURANT / DINING VENUE OF THE YEAR
Winner: Manchester House
Gusto Restaurant and Bar Manchester
INDIQUE – Unique Indian Cuisine
Mowgli Street Food
The Metropolitan West Didsbury
Yard and Coop – The Home of Buttermilk Fried Chicken
BAR/PUB OF THE YEAR
Winner: The Pen and Pencil
The Metropolitan West Didsbury
STREET FOOD BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
Winner: Northern Soul Grilled Cheese
Highly Commended: The Hip Hop Chip Shop
INDIQUE – Unique Indian Cuisine
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR (1-50 EMPLOYEES)
Winner: Wild Rumpus
AKA North
illumiNaughty – the leading light in indoor festival of music art and performance
KMS Media
Maynineteen Ltd
Northern Soul Grilled Cheese
Pennine Cycles
SKV Communications
Weber Shandwick Manchester
LARGE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR (50+ EMPLOYEES)
Winner: N Brown Group PLC
TransPennine Express
LGBT BUSINESS AWARD
Winner: Contact
Manchester Pride
VENUE OF THE YEAR
Winner: The Lowry
53two
HOME
Royal Northern College of Music
The Met Bury
The Printworks
Victoria Warehouse
NORTHERN SOUL OF THE YEAR
The Team – Hull UK City of Culture 2017
Images by Chris Payne
