Join us in applauding our future designers

Each year we celebrate the incredible creativity, innovation and hard work of our graduating students with a series of special awards. These awards not only honour outstanding individual achievements but also highlight emerging talent across various disciplines within the School of Design and Creative Arts. 

Our 2025 Degree Show Awards

• Innovation Award – awarded to projects with great commercial potential 
• Innovative Prototyping Award – awarded to projects that has recognised effectiveness in design evaluation, materials, energy, sustainability, and related technologies (a combination of) 
• Design for Social Value Award – awarded to projects that are most clearly responding to mitigating a key societal issue of the future 
• Regenerative Design Award – awarded to a design solution that uses whole systems thinking to create a resilient and equitable product 
• Excellence in Image Making Award – awarded to projects that are clearly excelling in animation, illustration and graphic design 
• Film & Animation Award – awarded to projects that show excellent film and animation skills 
• Edward Sharp Prize – student’s work is purchased through the prize fund and will become part of the University’s collection and be displayed around the University campus as agreed with the Vice-Chancellor’s Office 
• Yanina Temple Colour Award – Yanina Temple was an Art & Design Foundation Tutor who specialised in Textiles & Fashion for 30 years, she was an enthusiastic supporter of the mixing, exploration and use of colour, she never wore black and loved colour in all its forms. She retired in September 2020. This award is in her honour and those chosen for this award demonstrate her same passion for colour 
• John Mack Materials Award – awarded for creative experimentation and engagement with diverse materials and workshop processes 
• Diverse Voices in Textiles – In partnership with The Clothworkers’ Company, this award pays tribute to distinguished textile practitioners who have otherwise been under-represented within curriculums and the history of textiles. This award serves to recognise textiles finalists who are Black, Asian or from another Ethnic Minority; those who identify with the LGBTQ+ community; those living with a disability or impairment, or those tackling broader social and cultural contexts of the discipline through a critical approach to textiles practice 
• Rosy-Chetwyn Award – awarded in memory of Rosy, one of our Textiles technicians who sadly passed away too young. This award honours someone who reflects her values of joy, positivity and colour 

Our Sponsored Awards

• Potclays Award – awarded for innovative use of materials, exemplary design and planning skills originality of final work 
• Leicester Print Workshop Award – an award that supports and recognises graduating printmakers  
• Modern Painters New Decorators Award – an award that recognises innovation and creativity and exceptional artwork 

Congratulations to our award winners

Graphic Design BA (Hons) 

Edward Sharp Prize: Soo Bin Park 

Thank you to Birmingham Design Festival, Pickle Illustration, Conran Design, Andy Khatouli and This is Keane, who contributed towards choosing the nominees for the following awards: 

Design for Social Value Award: Luke Walkingshaw  

Excellence in Image Making Award: Jasia Pang  

Innovation Award for Graphic Design: Maciej Kowalewski  

Film & Animation Award: Harvey Diamond & Tom Armstrong  

Design BA (Hons) 

Thank you to IBM IX, Sainsbury’s and HMRC Policy Lab, who contributed towards choosing the nominees for the following awards: 

Regenerative Design Award: Anneliese Harris 

Design for Social Value Award: Elizabeth Cummins 

Innovation Award for Design BA: Nathan Jesani-Cee 

Industrial Design BA (Hons) 

Thank you to DCA, Procter & Gamble, IBM IX and PriestmanGoode, who contributed towards choosing the nominees for the following awards: 

Regenerative Design Award: Theo Dormer 

Innovation Award for Industrial Design: Kaylee Bullock 

Product Design and Technology BSc (Hons) 

Thank you to JLR, Native Design and DCA, who contributed towards choosing the nominees for the following awards: 

Innovation Award for Product Design & Technology: Devon Tyso 

Innovative Prototyping Award: Owen Barber  

Textile Design BA (Hons) 

Thank you to The Clothworkers Company for partnering with us for the following award: 

Diverse Voices in Textiles Award: Marissa Noel & Ellie Siree 

Edward Sharp Prize: Emily Hayes 

Thank you to Dulux, Dunelm and A.W.Hainsworth, who contributed towards choosing the nominees for the following awards: 

Innovation Award for Textiles – Colour: Kirsten Blair  

Innovation Award for Textiles – Application: Jenny Blakey 

Innovation Award for Textiles – Material: Maria Varney 

Fine Art BA (Hons) 

Leicester Print Workshop Award: Lucy Barker 

Modern Painters, New Decorators Award: Amelie Dobson 

Potclays Award: Rebecca Matthews 

Edward Sharp Prize: Amelie Dobson 

Access Group Award: Phoebe Ainslie 

Thank you to Nottingham Contemporary, CVAN East Midlands and Charnwood Arts, who contributed towards choosing the nominees for the following award: 

Innovation Award for Fine Art: Mya Kelley 

Art and Design Foundation Studies 

Yanina Temple Colour Award: Maya Cawdell, Maariya Ravat, Rosa Cruz and Cass Linkevicius 

John Mack Materials Award: Tamzin Ainsworth, Angus Lindsay, Sarah Ridgway and Saskia Ferraro 

Explore our design programmes and discover how you can become a part of our vibrant community of future designers by visiting our website.