Digital Leaders announces the Digital Leaders 100 winners for 2020
Last night at the 8th Digital Leaders 100 Virtual Awards ceremony we met this year’s winners, with an audience of all 100 finalists as well as sponsors and special guests. The attendees mingled virtually in the #DigiLounge after the ceremony to celebrate and congratulate this year’s winners.
The Founders Award for 2020 was carried off by entrepreneur and angel investor in amazing startups like the jetsuit company “Gravity”, Professor Adam Beaumont.
The Overall Winner and #1 on the list was Elemental Software, who won the award in addition to the HealthTech Innovation Category. Elemental Software are a social subscribing business that has launched a remote support solution designed to ensure vulnerable community members are mobilised, contacted, connected and supported during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Smart City of the Year saw very strong competition, but ultimately went to Sunderland City Council.
Both the top individual awards went to women this year.
Lucy Watts MBE, won Digital Leader of the Year for her work in digital spaces for people with disabilities and life-shortening illnesses.
Academic Reem Talhouk was named Young Digital Leader of the Year for her work in refugee settlements in Lebanon looking at the use of digital technologies, such as blockchain, to improve food security and public health.
The 8th Annual Digital Leaders 100 list highlights the latest champions of digital transformation across the UK. All 12 UK regions are represented in this year’s list, reflecting the national reach of the Digital Leaders Community. Outside of London and the South East, the strongest regions were Scotland, the South West, Yorkshire and the North West.
The independent list recognises 100 people, organisations and programmes across the UK who are leading the way in digital transformation in all sectors. Previously, the list has featured industry names such as: Martha Lane-Fox, Mike Bracken, Liam Maxwell, Seyi Akiwowo, Kevin Cunnington and Eileen Burbidge.
The 100 finalists that make up the list competed for the public vote in one of 10 categories. The top three in each category were then met by the judges to pick a winner in each category. This year’s DL100 list is made up of individuals and organisations with 42 private sector, 36 from the public sector, 18 from the non-profit sector and 4 from academia.
DL100 Overall Winner 2020: Elemental Software
Digital Leader of the Year: Lucy Watts MBE
Young Digital Leader: Reem Talhouk
Smart City of the Year: Sunderland City Council
SME of the Year: SnapDragon Monitoring
AI Innovation of the Year: Crisp
Digital Skills or Inclusion Initiative of the Year: Lancashire Digital Skills Partnership
Cross-Sector Digital Collaboration of the Year: Essex + Herts Digital Innovation Zone (DIZ)
Digital Public Service Innovation of the Year: Tell Us Once – DWP Digital
Tech for Good Initiative of the Year: stem4 – mental health apps for teenagers
HealthTech Innovation of the Year: Elemental Software
5G Innovation of the Year: Appyway – WM5G congestion solution
Founders Award: Prof. Adam Beaumont
Leading by example, the DL100 list has a 50/50 gender split, recognising the diversity in digital transformation roles and the leading women across the industry. This is a figure not seen commonly on many industry lists.
10 UK regions are represented in this year’s list, reflecting the national reach of the Digital Leaders Community. Outside of London and the South East, the strongest regions were Scotland, the North West and Yorkshire and Humberside.
“We are once again proud to see the incredible recognition of leading female role models in the DL100 where there are no awards based on gender. As a list that is nominated from our extensive Digital Leaders network, we’re always eager to see new names and faces featured on the list. There are few tech based awards that can claim they have successfully gathered a list with 50/50 representation!”
This year’s list for Digital Leaders and Young Digital Leader included: Leeds Festival’s Stuart Clarke; Chief Executive of Wigan Council, Alison McKenzie Folan; Apps for Good CEO Heather Picov; Quantum Black’s Yetunde Dada; as well as the two winners.
“The Digital Leaders 100 list 2020 once again highlights the progress in digitally transforming the UK. Our community of Digital Leaders have shone a light on the many hidden heroes, quietly getting on with the nation’s digital transformation. It is fabulous to see such a strong list from outside London this year reflecting our own inclusive national programme and the growing importance of digital transformation on companies irrespective of size or sector.”
