This year, the Dutch Creative Heroes Award will be handed out for the first time. These awards, which celebrate the power of creativity and put the human factor in the limelight, differ from most awards by looking further than the end result of a creative process. Instead, they focus on the process and the people behind new concepts and sustainable innovations. Are you a Creative Hero or do you know someone who is? You can sign up until 15 April 2017.

Another award?
The initiative of the awards lies with Guus Van Maarschalker (DesignConnector) and Materia’s own Jeroen Van Oostveen. Both of them entertained the desire to create a platform for entrepreneurs and designers from the Netherlands, to celebrate the human factor in the collaboration between creative professionals and the industry. This desire became a reality in the form of the Creative Heroes Award.

While there are many design awards already, the concept of the Creative Heroes Award is a little different. It focuses on the people behind the product and the process leading up to it, as well as the final product.

Creative Hero
According to the organisers, a Creative Hero is someone who creates inspiring works that solve a social problem, and reflects vision, entrepreneurship, and skill. This person can be anyone, from the inventor to the financier.

The awards
In this biennial event, awards will be handed out in three main categories: product, architecture, and interior. Each main category has three awards: best creative, best organisation, and best collaboration, with a focus on innovation, technology, design, and creativity. In addition, there is a ‘Next Generation’ category, in which prizes will go to the best young talent, the best start-up and the best co-creation.

From all the entries, the jury selects five nominations per category. The twelve winners will be in the limelight on 29 June during a festive award ceremony in Amsterdam.

To guarantee the quality of the award, the projects will be scouted and judged by an independent jury of experts, with as chairwoman Gesina Roters (DAY Creative Business Partners). However, it is also possible to submit your own or someone else’s project.

Participate
Are you a Creative Hero or do you know someone who is? You can enter with your own project, or sign op someone who you think deserves to be in the limelight. It is possible to participate until 15 April 2017, by signing up via the website of the Creative Heroes Award. Participation is free.

Amongst the jury members is Materia’s own material expert Els Zijlstra.

Illustrations: Filip Heyninck