Sport Industry At The Forefront Of A Socially Conscious Business World
The bravery of US gymnasts, QPR’s response to the Grenfell tower tragedy, improving accessibility for all society and supporting the LGBTQ community were key moments highlighted at the sport industry’s biggest night of the year.
The evening was attended by the likes of Sir Mo Farah, Johanna Konta, Sir Ben Ainslie, George Groves, Brian O’Driscoll, Casey Stoney, Jordan Nobbs, David Weir, Chris Eubank Jr and Snr, Elise Christie, Tanni Grey-Thompson, Kate and Helen Richardson-Walsh, Ellie Simmonds, Heather Knight and Jonny Bairstow.
The very best work from across the industry was recognised and celebrated in front of a sold out room of industry peers and stars from sport and beyond at the 17th BT Sport Industry Awards on Thursday evening.
In a year dominated by the voice of the athlete, former gymnast Rachael Denhollander, the first woman to publically accuse former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar of sexual abuse, was named the first recipient of the Integrity and Impact Award founded by Dow Jones Sports Intelligence.
QPR and QPR in the Community’s response to the tragic Grenfell Tower fire was also recognised with the Leadership in Sport Award in association with Nolan Partners. In an emotional moment on-stage, the award was collected by representatives of the club and community, including co-chairman Tony Fernandes; CEO of QPR in the Community Trust, Andy Evans; Shahin Sadafi, one of the survivors of the disaster.
Meanwhile, Sir Mo Farah was presented with the Coutts Outstanding Contribution to Sport Award by fellow knight of the realm and four-time Olympic Gold Medallist, Sir Ben Ainslie.
On collecting the award, Farah said: “It’s a real honour to be receiving the Outstanding Contribution Sport Award here this evening. I’m delighted to be here, standing here in front of so many other amazing athletes, too. We all know that success is really about the hard graft and the sacrifices behind the scenes – and it means a lot for that hard work to be recognised here tonight. I hope that this award, and tonight’s event will also inspire the next generations of athletes, too.”
Parallel London, a fully accessible fun run and free family festival, was a double winner on the night, picking up the Diversity and Inclusion Award in association with BT Sport and Participation Event of the Year in association with Miller.
Stonewall and TeamPride’s Rainbow Laces was named Campaign of the Year in association with Smart Group in recognition of their work encouraging everyone involved in sport to show their support for LGBT equality and inclusivity.
M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment and WeAreFearless. were named Agency of the Year and Young Agency of the Year, respectively. Anthony Joshua’s journey, chronicled by Lucozade Sport in Nobody Ever Moved Forward Standing Still was named Film Content of the Year in association with Sela Sport, while in another new award for 2018, ICC Women’s World Cup Organising Committee was presented with the Best Use of Analytics, Data or Research Award in association with TransferMate Global Payments.
Check out the full list of winners here.
Tim Shriver, chairman of Special Olympics and member of the Kennedy Family through his mother, Eunice – the founder of Special Olympics, also took to the stage alongside Special Olympics athlete Daniel Wolff, to mark the 50th anniversary of the programme. As the official charity partner of the event, a text to donate opportunity was also launched. To donate to the Special Olympics, Test SOIR18 to 70070 followed by £5 or £10.
Nick Keller, chairman, Sport Industry Group, commented: “2017 was the year in which sport’s voice resonated more than ever, being heard far beyond the field of play, hitting the front pages and setting the agenda for conversation and debate from Westminster to the White House.
“As we all strive to adapt to a more complex world we come to understand the precious commodity we have with sport. As more and more companies recognise the necessity of serving society above and beyond the quest for profit, we are seeing sport becoming a place to connect with customers, employees and governance in a deeper and more meaningful way.
“This was certainly reflected in the work that was presented to the Judging Panel this year, and a huge congratulations to everyone that made the shortlist this year, in addition to those taking home a trophy this evening.”
The BT Sport Industry Awards are the largest commercial sports awards in the world, and took place at Battersea Evolution in London, on Thursday 26th April 2018. Bringing together sports stars, celebrities, senior decision makers, influencers and global media, the industry’s most anticipated night of the year celebrated the very best work from across the sector.
The famous trophies were awarded on-stage in front of a sell-out crowd of 1,700 guests at the star-studded event, held annually in London.
BT is headline partner of the BT Sport Industry Awards. Coutts, Dow Jones Sports Intelligence, EY and Sela Sport are official partners. Find out more about the BT Sport Industry Awards at sig-staging.ypstagingserver.com/awards
