The .net Awards 2011: in pictures!
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Twas the night the web design world went ROCK: check out our exclusive photos!
Thursday 24 Nov: the great and the good of web design gather at the iconic Madame JoJo's nightclub in London’s Soho for the annual .net Awards ceremony, in association with BaseKit. Every year .net does something different and this year is no exception: a special rock themed night featuring Higher-on-Maiden, Guns 2 Roses, and Conquest of Steel, with Opera's very own god of metal, Chris Mills, on drums. Throw in some pyrotechnics, a free bar and some eye-raising outfits, and you have an explosive mix.
Thanks to our sponsors Dedipower, Jabwebhosting.com, and BaseKit, and to UBelly for helping us put up a great party! Check out their video highlights and photos, too.
The crowd gathers...
The leading lights of web design arrive at the venue, bedecked in specially created .net rock-themed posters, and start knocking back JD & Cokes to the sounds of Alice Cooper, Poison and Motorhead.
All fired up!
She's a firestarter, a twisted firestarter. Performer Sophia Landi warms up the crowd with some quality fire-eating and power tool wielding.
.net's editor-in-chief Dan Oliver
Let’s not forget this is about web design. Our editor-in-chief Dan Oliver kicks off proceedings with a speech of welcome.
James Turner wins BaseKit competition
This year every reader had a chance to win a .net Award of their own, in a special design competition sponsored and run by BaseKit. Our victor is James Turner. He's dead chuffed.
Big mouth strikes again
A rowdy crowd, a free bar, passions running high – there’s only one man who can take charge of this rabble. Boagworld presenter Paul Boag takes to the stage to sum up the web design year and start handing out the gongs.
Web App of the Year: GitHub
The competition for Web App of the Year was stiff, but in the end there can only be one winner. Roberto Tyley, the man behind the Agit Android client, picks up the trophy on behalf of GitHub.
Social Campaign of the Year: Jack Draws Anything
Social Campaign of the Year goes to the youngest winner in .net Awards history: six-year-old Jack of "Jack Draws Anything" fame. Sadly it’s now well past Jack's bedtime so his dad, Ed Henderson, collects it on his behalf. Nice shades, Ed.
Innovation of the Year: jQuery Mobile
One of the most popular wins of the night. Anne-Gaelle Colom collects the award for Innovation of the Year on behalf of jQuery Mobile.
Developer of the Year: Paul Irish / Open Source App of the Year: Modernizr 2.0
Don't bogart that stage, man! Paul Irish is crowned Developer of the Year, having already stepped up earlier to collect the Open Source App award for Modernizr 2.0.
Mobile App of the Year: Reeder
Reeder’s creator Silvio Rizzi picks up the gong for Mobile app of the Year. In your face, BBC and Google+!
Mobile Site of the Year: Facebook
It takes a brave man to wear a shirt with a collar to a rock night. That man is Simon Cross from Facebook, who collects the prize for Mobile Site of the Year.
Online Game of the Year: Angry Birds Chrome
Characters from the Angry Birds invade the stage and tussle over the Online Game of the Year award. Paul Boag remains calm under fire.
Best API Use: Instagram
The award for best API goes to Instagram. Instagram's number one user and all-round web design genius Mike Kus collects the trophy on their behalf.
Young Developer of the Year: Paul Davis
Twenty-year-old dev Paul Davis makes most of the people in the room feel very old, as he sweeps up the prize for Young Developer of the Year, sponsored by Jabwebhosting.com.
Redesign of the Year: Mailchimp
Mailchimp have won Redesign of the Year (sponsored by BaseKit). Those expecting a big cuddly chimp to clamber onto the stage are mildly disappointed, as Ron Lewis, creative director, and Aaron Robbs, senior designer, come up instead.
Designer of the Year: Sarah Parmenter
Designer of the year is a three-way fight between Meagan Fisher, Mike Kus and Sarah Parmenter. And the winner is ... Sarah Parmenter!
Agency of the Year: Clearleft
They’ve done it again! Clearleft, 2009 winners of Agency of the Year, taste victory again in 2011. Natalie Downe, Paul Annett and Cennydd Bowles represent. The category was sponsored by Dedipower.
Higher-on Maiden
They're like Iron Maiden but younger! Higher-on Maiden make the building shake with blistering axe solos and thunderous basslines.
Iron fibre
The official Iron Maiden tribute band motor through the band’s back catalogue, from Running Free to Fear of the Dark, and everything in between.
"Scream for me, Soho!”
A note-perfect performance, and the crowd are loving every minute of it.
Ed-bangers
Editor-in-chief and deputy editor Tom May get into the spirit of things.
Not a bow-tie in sight
This ain't your average awards ceremony, but who wants to wear a dinner jacket anyway?
Ready to rock
L-r: Jake Smith; Robert Ryan; .net's Dan Oliver; Opera's Bruce Lawson, Chris Mills and Patrick Lauke
Mercury rising
If there'd been a prize for best costume, Microsoft's Martin Beeby would have walked it. But there wasn't. So he didn't. Also pictured: Alex Ball of Microsoft and Sara Allison, editor of Ubelly.com.
Guns 2 Roses
Hat's amazing: "Slash" takes to the stage with Guns 2 Roses.
Welcome to the Jungle
"Axl Rose" sings his lungs out as the official Guns N Roses tribute act belt out a series of rock classics.
