2021 Winners

Leading designers turn out in force for a celebration of northern talent 

Hundreds of designers attended the Northern Design Awards at the Concorde Exhibition & Conference Centre at Manchester Airport on Friday 26th November for an evening dedicated to celebrating northern design talent.

The event organisers expressed their delight at having the opportunity to bring together leading lights of the design world under one roof again after having to make the awards virtual due to the pandemic in 2020.

Director of Events, Shelley Mears, said: “It was so rewarding to see this year's event come together and it has absolutely been worth the wait!”

The winners of the 2021 Northern Design Awards were chosen by judges including Linda Barker, former BIID President Elect Susie Rumbold, and George Bond.

The awards are amongst the most established in the UK, and have been held at a series of stunning venues across the north of England over the past 18 years, attracting many of the design world’s most recognisable figures. Linda Barker, who has helped to bring interior design into the mainstream throughout her career, said: “No longer are our creatives in the grip of London elitism - this event demonstrates that those in the north are every bit as important and vibrant as the capital's fat cats!”

Shelley Mears said that this year’s awards ceremony had left the organisers, as well as the nominees, feeling optimistic after a turbulent period for the industry, saying: “It was marvellous to see people gathering and introducing themselves to new contacts - it's what the awards are all about. Many will go on to work together and that's just fantastic.”

The awards, which were launched with a small event in 2003, have gone on to attract the attention of a host of well-known designers, who’ve highlighted how important it is to celebrate the success of the northern design scene. This year’s awards were supported by sponsors including Havwoods International and The Cheshire Magazine.

A list of this year’s winners has been published on the Northern Design Awards website and organisers will reveal details of next year’s event over the coming months.

Shelley Mears thanked all of the guests at this year’s awards, including the winners and judges, and thanked the Northern Design Awards sponsors for supporting the growth of the awards and helping to put talented northern design firms on the map.

We're delighted to present this year's official photographs, now live on our website. Feel free to download and share, you can view them here.



2021 Commercial Awards

2021 Residential Awards

Best Interior Design Project < £150k

Worldy Loft
The Spacemaker

You can view the finalists here

Best Kitchen Space > £50k

Eclectic Manchester Kitchen
Diane Berry

You can view the finalists here

Best Amazing Space

Cedar Manor
Calderpeel Architects

You can view the finalists here

Best Interior Design Practice

Design Emporium

You can view the finalists here