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The Spider Awards

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Pictured: The Digital Hero Award went to Cork husband and wife duo, Dan and Linda Kiely.

Ireland’s digital industry gathered at The Round Room in The Mansion House in Dublin last night for the 25th annual Spider Awards

The Spiders is the longest running digital awards programme in Ireland and celebrates the achievements of individuals and businesses that not only adapted, but excelled amidst a global pandemic. In all, 21 awards were presented in front of an audience of 400, with Dublin’s Tribe Digital named Large Agency of the Year, Belfast’s Part Three Digital taking the top prize in the Small Agency category, and Cork’s power couple, Dan and Linda Kiely, named Ireland’s Digital Heroes.

For the first time since 2019, the Spiders returned as an in-person ceremony this year, with the event sponsored by Dmac Media, Centre of Excellence in Universal Design, Skoda, Skillnet Ireland, DMG Media and Acast. The evening, which was hosted by Spiders Managing Director, Tracey Carney, also included a fundraising element, with the organisers partnering with UNICEF to support the work they are doing in Ukraine.

Over the past couple of years, the Spiders – like many other events, globally – had to adapt to a changing society. The judging panel evaluated nominations across 20 categories on the theme of ‘Driving Digital, Emerging Stronger’ and they had no easy task on their hands, due to the volume and talent of this year’s nominees. 

New Awards

In addition to the regular line-up, two extra accolades were added this year, in the form of Best Remote Team and the Customer Continuity Award. These awards were introduced to celebrate companies or individuals who achieved great results and emerged stronger during the global pandemic. The National Council for the Blind was named the Best Remote Team, while Flipdish took home the Best Customer Continuity title.  

 

Large Agency of the Year

Pictured: Winners of the Large Agency of the Year, Tribe Digital. L-R: João Rosa, Maria Cunningham, Eoin McKenna

Scooping the top prize at the ceremony, Tribe Digital was named Large Agency of the Year and was applauded for its digital strategy across a number of campaigns carried out within the last 12 months, with a major emphasis on creativity, development, delivery and client experience.

 

Small Agency of the Year

Pictured: Winners of the Small Agency of the Year, Part Three Digital Ltd. L-R: Hannah Bryans, Jess Orr Downey, Co-Founder & Director, Part Three Digital

Belfast-based Part Three Digital Ltd won the Small Agency of the Year title. Spearheaded by Hannah Nelson and Jess Orr Downey, the company proved that digital businesses can not only survive, but thrive in challenging times, with the digital marketing agency experiencing exponential growth over the last couple of years.

 

Digital Hero Award

The Digital Hero Award went to Cork’s husband and wife duo, Dan and Linda Kiely. The pair were recognised as leaders in their field and were lauded for their innovation, imagination and determination to succeed.

Dan Kiely said, “We are absolutely thrilled to receive the Digital Hero award – it’s an incredible honour for Linda and I to get the recognition for outstanding contribution. We’ve always been relentless in what we do, and a big part of our success has been as a result of our agility and always keeping the mindset of a rapidly scaling company. We set out with a big dream to redefine our industry and to work in partnership with the most innovative and disruptive companies in the world – and to mirror that same digital innovation and disruption ourselves. We absorbed a lot from customers like Google, Stripe and Airbnb.”                                                                                                                                                                   
Linda Kiely added, “We hope that our story inspires others and is proof that Irish companies truly can have global ambitions and impact – and determination in the midst of economic challenges to emerge stronger. Investing in people is absolutely paramount. I firmly believe that the success that we’ve had, and the reason we are here today, is down to our people.”

The way in which companies and individuals have had to digitally adapt business and work models during the COVID-19 pandemic was a focal point at the awards ceremony. The event recognised and celebrated the creativity and achievements of businesses nationally, particularly applauding those who prevailed triumphantly in spite of Covid-19. 

 

The full list of award winners are as follows:

 

Pictured: Tracey Carney, Managing Director, Catalyst Media

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Tracey Carney, Managing Director, Spiders Awards said:

“It is wonderful to be standing here before you all this evening, and returning to live events, after two years. It is even more special to be here in the Mansion House as we celebrate the Spiders’ 25th anniversary. Tonight we recognise excellence and the outstanding creativity of Ireland’s digital ecosystem. We applaud all of you who are the driving force behind it, and who have ensured we are emerging stronger than ever, from what has been the biggest digital transformation any of us have ever seen. The digital industry in Ireland has not only survived but thrived over the last two years. Tonight, we celebrate the best of the best in Ireland’s digital industry.”  

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