After months of deliberation, the hotly contested Good Web Guide Awards, in partnership with headline sponsor, themission, came to a glittering close on Wednesday 20th November at The Royal Institution in London. The event, which was attended by the cream of the country’s online talent, is held annually to honour the very best and most innovative websites, apps and blogs of the year. It rewards excellence in every digital category, covering the luxurious to the philanthropic; the experiential to the ethical; and the stuff of aspirational lifestyle through to that of transformative every day use. The event also bestows the most coveted award of the evening: the Website of the Year.

themission Good Web Guide Awards 2019 were presented by legendary Sky Sports Rugby presenter, Alex Payne, who presided over the ceremony with aplomb and ensured it went with a bang. The Awards are greatly anticipated in digital circles, always garnering much social media activity and buzz – and, indeed, 2019 was no different.

As the presentation got under way, The Good Web Guide’s Arabella Dymoke said, “Tonight is a celebration of talented people across a range of fields who are dedicating their lives to achieving the exceptional in the digital world.”



AND THE WINNERS ARE

The Good Web Guide Awards were set up both to recognise excellence and with the driving belief in creating a level playing field for the established all the way through to the start-up. All shortlisted entries were put to an esteemed assembly of digital experts, who took into consideration quality of design, usability, content and product or service. These venerated judges included the luminary likes of Hello! Magazine’s Rosie Nixon through to blogger, Not Such A Model Mum. Ginnie Chadwyck-Healey to influencer, Sarah Tasker. Another such expert judge, Conde Nast’s Education Editor Tori Cadogan reflected on, ‘a tough decision given such a brilliant field,’ a sentiment that was echoed by every judge through every category. On one thing they were united: the competition was fiercer than any other year preceding.

WEBSITE OF THE YEAR

The Website of The Year, the most prestigious award of the evening, went to AnyJunk, 2019’s extremely worthy winner. Voted one of the UK’s 100 most exciting, fast-growth companies and winner of ‘UK Business of the Year‘ at the British Chamber of Commerce Awards 2017, AnyJunk has reinvented bulky waste collection with technology and has grown to become the UK’s largest operator, undertaking around 2,000 clearances per week.

On hearing of the company's win, founder and CEO, Jason Mohr had this to say, 'We are super happy and proud to win. The Good Web Guide Awards are about celebrating websites with simple user journeys that deliver great value services and products customers can trust. So winning Website of the Year is not only a fantastic recognition of all the hard work the team has put into the AnyJunk site, but also – on a more practical note – should definitely help reassure new visitors about the credibility of our solution! '

Judge, Natasha Courtenay-Smith, CEO of Bolt Digital, said, "People think an online business or online success is about sitting behind a laptop, never seeing a product or talking to a customer. The best use online solutions to solve real world problems alongside the things that really matter such as excellence of service, speed of service, great customer relationships and quality solutions to real world problems. AnyJunk have bought together their digital platform to solve a real pain point for households across the UK and bought in excellent customer service and fast solutions at the same time. A worthy winner."

APP OF THE YEAR

This was awarded to Bob Books, the go-to destination for personalised photobooks, calendars or wall art for cherishing precious moments. There is no need for photos to fester on your mobile when there is such a simple solution to hand; turn them into beautiful photobooks in a few simple steps. Judge, Kinvara Balfour, director, writer and producer said, "The app and website explain clearly and simply what the business offers, and how the viewer/potential customer can engage with that service within one or two downward scrolls or clicks."

BLOG OF THE YEAR

New for 2019, this award recognises the huge talent in the blogosphere with Kate Watson-Smyth's award-winning interior design blog, Mad About The House, winning the top prize. Arabella Dymoke commented, "In today's world, so many bloggers have forgotten their roots and devote all their time to Instagram. Not so with Kate Watson-Smyth who is consistent across all platforms, with a great podcast as well, co-hosted with Sophie Robinson, The Great Indoors. If you're in need of some interiors inspo, you now know where to head, Mad About The House, Kate has all angles covered."

PEOPLE'S CHOICE

After frenetic voting, Spacemasks, the self-heating eyemasks, with endorsements from the likes of Grazia, Vogue, Tatler, The Times, won the most votes for this award, as voted by the public. Arabella Dymoke said, "We're big fans of Spacemasks at The GWG and it was lovely to see what a loyal following Harriet has, who took up her cause and voted for Spacemasks, with the votes rising at a hurtling (even meteoric) speed."

CATEGORY WINNERS

LUXURY

Jessica McCormack
Jessica McCormack is a London based diamond jeweller known for her distinctive aesthetic merging traditional Georgian techniques, modern and antique diamonds with contemporary design.

FASHION

Dundas London
The Dundas shirt is the perfect way to dress down stylishly – designed to combine easy going style with classic British tailoring.

BEST FASHION BLOG: wearsmymoney
Kate Hiscox's fashion blog with weekly edits on trends or clothes that have caught her eye.

BEST LIFESTYLE BLOG: Menswear Style
An independent daily online men’s fashion, male grooming and men's lifestyle magazine which has quickly grown to be one of the leading digital publications in the UK.

CHILDREN

The Modern Nursery
An award winning, aspirational and social lifestyle store showcasing contemporary nursery décor, furniture and toys for the modern family.

BEST FAMILY/CHILDREN'S BLOG: Sara and Catherine's Tales
A personal lifestyle blog where Sara shares her adventures with her children, Catherine and Harvey, and the daily excitement of living in London.

HOMES & GARDEN

Marian Boswall
Marian Boswall Landscape Architects is a leading design practice with a reputation for creating beautiful places, often in historic or sensitive settings.

BEST INTERIORS BLOG: Mad About The House
Kate Watson-Smyth's blog needs no introduction for interior addicts. Her award-winning blog, Instagram account and podcast are full of design inspiration.

FOOD & DRINK

Borough Kitchen
Catering to the urban at-home chef to provide everything that’s needed for entertaining, from the kitchen to the table.

BEST FOOD BLOG: Nourish Your Glow
A lifestyle resource for conscious, health-driven individuals seeking inspiration, advice, tips, tricks, and solutions on how to get the Glow from Within.

TRAVEL & LEISURE

GoApe
From tree-to-tree crossings, 3km zip treks, nets 30 feet above the forest floor and heavy duty all-terrain Segway on spectacular off-road trails, GoApe has all the adventure boxes ticked.

BEST TRAVEL BLOG: Eat Sleep Love Travel
Follow Vicky and Chris, a couple from Yorkshire as they work their way around the world. To date, they've visited 75 countries and the list is growing.


PROPERTY

Sq. One Real Estate
Sq. One Real Estate is a property consultancy, offering a very different viewing experience for both the B2B and B2C markets.

USEFUL

Anyjunk
AnyJunk is reinventing bulky waste collection with technology and has grown to become the UK’s largest operator and undertake around 2,000 clearances per week.

BUSINESS/CORPORATE

Elixirr
Elixirr is a different type of consultancy helping clients change the game in their industries.

STARTUPS

Storcx
Storcx is the go to personalised money pooling website, enabling everyone to attain luxuries they have always wanted by clubbing in together for a present, event or holiday.

EDUCATION

British Council: Learning Time with Timmy
The British Council and Academy Award®-winning Aardman animation studios bring you Learning Time with Timmy. This innovative learning experience includes courses, apps and a video series to help children aged two to six learn English.

HEALTH & BEAUTY

Votary
Created by British make-up artist Arabella Preston, Votary’s luxurious products harness the natural power of plant oils and active ingredients.

ETHICAL

Dilli Grey
Dilli Grey is an ethical lifestyle collection of Indian-inspired, artisanal clothing and homewares - creating beautiful, considered products in a mindful way.

SMALL BUSINESS

Department Store for the Mind
The Department Store for the Mind designs homeware, gifts, stationery and prints that enable a deeper human connection.

BEST USE OF TECHNOLOGY

My Bespoke Room
Gives easy access to professional bespoke room design at an affordable price via its team of qualified and professional interior designers help you create your perfect home, in your style and in your budget.

CHARITY

MacIntyre
Provides learning, support and care for more than 1,200 children, young people and adults who have a learning disability and/or autism, at more than 150 locations across England and Wales. The diverse range of services includes registered care homes, supported living, outreach, accredited training schemes and lifelong learning services, as well as a residential special school and further education provision.

BEST USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA: Joint winners

Jessica McCormack
Jessica McCormack is a London based diamond jeweller known for her distinctive aesthetic merging traditional Georgian techniques, modern and antique diamonds with contemporary design.

Tatty Devine
Go-to brand for original and fun statement jewellery!

20 November 2019