The best of British talent and skills was honoured at the British Video Association's Annual Awards ceremony in Old Billingsgate, London, on Thursday. In the year that Britain hosts the Olympic Games and marks the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, this celebration of British video entertainment achievements was a timely reminder that, while times are tough, the UK video entertainment market was still worth over £2.3bn in 2011 and punches well above its weight on the world stage. The sell-out event was hosted by the stand-up comedian Miles Jupp.

It was a great night for Warner Home Video, who dominated the night as Retail Distributor of the Year and picked up three further awards with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows-Part 2, the final chapter of the best-selling franchise of all time (having sold over 41 million discs in the franchise). The title earned Warner's the Marketing Initiative of the Year (Box Office over £10 million category) and Retail Title of the Year (Film) and while HMV online users voted the final Harry Potter as Best British Title of the Year (Film).

HMV online visitors also voted BBC Worldwide's Frozen Planet - The Complete Series Best British Title of the Year (Non-film).

This year the highly prized Marketing Initiative of the Year for Film award was divided into four categories, according to box office takings. The winners were: Revolver Entertainment won two of them, for Fire in Babylon (up to £1 million Box Office) and Anuvahood (up to £1 to £3 million Box Office category), in what was an especially good night for them too, as Revolver's latter campaign also scooped Creative Initiative of the Year. Universal Pictures (UK) won with Senna in the £3 to £10 million Box Office category, with Warner Home Video taking the prize in the £10 million+ Box Office category for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.

British stars and marketing excellence were also recognised through Distributor Marketing Awards for George Harrison - Living in The Material World from Lionsgate Home Entertainment, Sarah Millican - Chatterbox Live from Channel 4 DVD, Arrow Films' The Killing - Complete Series One, Universal Pictures' Barbie Princess Charmschool, 20th Century Fox's Star Wars: The Complete Saga and Sony Pictures' Moviextras campaign.

Tesco's was rewarded for its 'Get the Physical, Get the Digital' initiative, promoting its new service which allows Tesco Clubcard customers to automatically get a digital copy of any title credited to their Blinkbox account so they can view it seamlessly on connected devices as soon as they buy the physical copy in-store or online [an alternative to DECE's UltraViolet], while HMV picked up the Bricks and Mortar Retailer of the Year for the third year running.

In the online environment competition grows each year to fulfill viewers' demand for new ways to obtain video entertainment. Amazon, iTunes and LOVEFiLM were all successful, winning 2012 Online Retailer, Online Digital Service and Rental Service of the Year, respectively.

The BVA award for Supplier/Agency of the Year went to marketMe and this year's Best British Authored Disc was won by StudioCanal's Submarine authored by Dubbs|Eyeframe.

"The judges found a phenomenally high quality of entries this year and the difference between winners and highly-commended was wafer thin," said Lavinia Carey, Director General of the BVA. "This is a reminder of the importance attached to the video sector, without which much of our favourite content would never get made or reach such wide audiences, whether on dedicated players, connected devices or standard television screens and that so much of its success comes down to British talent and ingenuity."

A BVA Special Award was presented the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) "to mark their achievements in adapting to industry's needs over the video industry's relatively short life in this their centenary year," said the commendation.

The Industry Initiative of the Year award was given to the Industry Trust for IP Awareness for its copyright awareness campaign, 'Moments Worth Paying For,' "another British success story in cross-sector collaboration for the benefit of the entire audiovisual industry." Liz Bales, Director General of the Industry Trust, talked to DVD Intelligence at the launch of Moments Worth Paying For, an education campaign to promote a positive attitude towards copyright and creativity, in February of last year. See video interview here.


FULL LIST OF AWARD WINNERS

Industry Initiative of the Year: 'Moments Worth Paying For' Campaign, Industry Trust for IP Awareness
BVA Special Award: British Board of Film Classification
Marketing Initiative of the Year - Catalogue (Campaign): 'Moviextras' Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Marketing Initiative of the Year - Catalogue (Product): Star Wars: The Complete Saga Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Marketing Initiative of the Year - Film over £10 million Box Office: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 Warner Home Video
Marketing Initiative of the Year - Film £3 - £10 million Box Office: Senna Universal Pictures (UK) Ltd
Marketing Initiative of the Year - Film £1 - £3 million Box Office: Anuvahood Revolver Entertainment
Marketing Initiative of the Year - Film up to £1 million Box Office: Fire In Babylon' Revolver Entertainment
Marketing Initiative of the Year - Music: 'George Harrison - Living In The Material World Lionsgate Home Entertainment
Marketing Initiative of the Year - Specialist: Sarah Millican - Chatterbox Live Channel 4DVD
Marketing Initiative of the Year - Television: The Killing - Complete Series One Arrow Films
Marketing Initiative of the Year - Childrens': Barbie Princess Charm School Universal Pictures (UK) Ltd
Creative Initiative of the Year: Anuvahood Digital Campaign, Revolver Entertainment
Supplier/Agency of the Year: marketMe
Bricks and Mortar Retailer of the Year: HMV
Online Retailer of the Year: Amazon.co.uk
Rental Service of the Year: LOVEFiLM
Online Digital Service of the Year: iTunes
Retailer Initiative of the year: Tesco / Blinkbox Initiative - 'Get the physical, Get the digital'
Best British Title of the Year - Film: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 Warner Home Video
Best British Title of the Year - Non-Film: Frozen Planet - The Complete Series BBC Worldwide Consumer Products
Best British Authored Disc: Submarine StudioCanal, Dubbs|Eyeframe
Retail Distributor of the Year: Warner Home Video
Retail Title of the Year: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 Warner Home Video

Story filed 05.05.12