The winners of the Media Isle of Man of Man Awards for Excellence will be announced on Thursday night at a much-anticipated awards ceremony at the Villa Marina.

This year was a bumper year for entries, and there was such a diverse range of companies, individuals and community organisations represented that it made for an especially difficult task for the panel of judges.

Although the Awards are organised and hosted by Media Isle of Man, the judging process is completely separate and independent.

And, as you can see from the roster of judges, they represent all sectors of the island economy and are highly respected in their fields.

The judging process is simple and transparent. The judges are paired off and each pair will be allocated two categories to judge. They will individually mark the entries in these categories on a number of set criteria and then they will get together to decide their top choices in each category.

On the final judging day each pair of judges will put their results to the full judging panel to be discussed and the final result decided.

If it should happen that any judge has even the slightest involvement with any of the entries in a category, they are asked to leave the room while it is finalised and, just like everybody else, they will not know the result until awards night.

Fiona King, who is the psychological therapist at Hospice, was paired with Barclays chief, Graeme Sullivan.

Fiona said: ‘Judging in pairs is robust, and is always interesting as it introduces a different perspective. We score each entry independently and objectively against each category criteria before thrashing it out. 

‘This provides a vital sense-check and ensures that we have thoroughly considered and can support our evaluations - prior to presenting our ultimate findings to the judging panel as a whole.’

One of the categories Fiona and Graeme judged this year was New Business of the Year.

She said: ‘In this category we received quite a number of entries that are very new start-ups. Others were notable as they were started – and survived through - the Covid epidemic, which is testament to the commitment and determination of those involved.

‘We both felt that these entries captured the entrepreneurial spirit of the Isle of Man, and demonstrated passion, initiative, and the willingness to take a risk – embodying the enterprise that greatly benefits and enriches our island community.’

Deb Byron, board member at Digital Isle of Man and Isle of Man Chamber of Commerce, is the most experienced member of this year’s panel: this will be her 17th year judging the awards.

She said: ‘Being part of an independent judging team provided a unique opportunity to understand and appreciate the excellence that exists in the island.

‘The awards are a fantastic way to showcase the island’s range of talent and innovation and it has been fascinating to once again see the quality and breadth of entries.

‘It was also great to see a further increase in the number of entries, which is testament to how important the Awards for Excellence are to businesses and individuals in the island.’

Here is what the other members of the judging panel had to say:

Craig Wolstencroft, managing director MMC

‘This is my fourth year as a judge for the Awards for Excellence and over that period, it’s been a pleasure to be involved and to witness the diversity in business in the island.

‘Two things really stand out for me: one the total passion that sits behind many of the business owners running their own businesses, day in and day out, in what have recently been very difficult trading conditions since Covid.

‘The second is that the judging process behind the awards holds all the integrity that you would expect from the island’s leading independent news provider.

‘We have a panel of local individuals, it’s a mix of business owners, entrepreneurs, and business leaders that work in some of the best-known brands in the island.

‘Most of all it’s their experience in business and their independent thinking that enables them to make the final decision on who should win the awards.’

John Knight, chief executive, Hospice Isle of Man

‘It has been really engaging to be a part of this year’s AfE judging, particularly as the number of entries has been so high.#

‘The quality and diversity of entries has made it a real test to arrive at a winner in each category.

‘The sessions that judging panel members attend ensure that a rounded view of each application is presented and then interrogated. All round a great experience and a privilege to be a part of.’

Guy Templer, Coomer Developments

‘I love judging the Awards for Excellence as I get to learn about so many businesses and organisations that I would never normally be exposed to.

‘I am always humbled the diversity of ventures on our little island and by the many extraordinary achievements in our community every year that often go unreported or overlooked.

‘The Awards for Excellence is a wonderful way of bringing the everyday heroics of our island community into the light.’

Tracey Leahy, managing director, MannVend

‘The judging panel is made up of captains of industry from a broad range of sectors. Judges are paired up and given two categories to review and the process is strictly confidential. 

‘Judges only have access to their own categories to avoid any conflicts of interest and judges often “secret shop” the applications for verification.

‘As a judge it is a really interesting exercise and you learn a great deal about businesses and organisations in the island.

‘There are some fabulous success stories and this year we received the highest number of applications which shows the value of the Awards in our community.’

Jason Bissell, board member Digital Isle of Man

‘The Awards for Excellence is a real gem: the people, business and community of the Isle of Man come together to shine and judging was almost impossible with so many shining examples of excellence in action.’

Gillian Christian, director John Rimmer Advocates

‘The entries this year have been truly exceptional. As a judge reviewing such a wide ranging number of entries it is amazing to get insight into some of the businesses that are providing services in the Isle of Man that I’ve previously not known about and yet are doing incredible things both on and off the island.’

Stephen Bradley MBE

'An amazing range of innovative and creative businesses from the imaginative start up to world class global operations - inspiring stuff.'

Charli Dimelow, Heron & Brearley

‘I was a newbie to the judging panel this year, and I have loved being a part of helping celebrate the best of the island.

‘I strongly believe the Isle of Man has a considerable amount to offer in all the categories and having the opportunity to read through each and every application was a privilege.

‘The judging process was certainly a learning curve and with so many great candidates it was important to be fair and detailed in the varying categories.

‘I was proud to be in a room full of people who had put so much time and energy into reading and researching so many Manx companies, each discussing and discovering companies and people we may never have heard of before, all deserving recognition in different ways. 

‘The winners of each category should be especially proud as the competition this year was incredible and to be at the top of their category they had to really be outstanding in that area.

‘Congratulations to all who put themselves forward and to those who didn’t win this year, believe me when I say, it was close and so many of you have the opportunity to continue to excel and champion the categories defined in the awards.’