I Love MCR Awards: the city brand launches Manchester awards with community at its heart

November 2023 will see the launch of I Love MCR’s inaugural awards show hosted at the brand-new entertainment destination, DieCast Manchester.

We’re delighted to introduce to you the I Love Manchester Awards, where we will be shining a spotlight on the ordinary and extraordinary individuals and organisations who make the city an incredible place to live. 

Our unique awards event is set to champion people and celebrate civic pride in a stylish contemporary ceremony that evokes our brand values.

For more than a decade, I Love MCR has been the unwavering voice that champions our remarkable city, building up enough credibility to award inspirational and exceptional people. 

Every penny donated towards the night and raised through the raffle will go directly to the I Love MCR Foundation, which helps to raise vital funds to help improve the lives and prospects of people across Greater Manchester. 

The I Love MCR Awards is billed to be the biggest Manchester awards event the city has ever seen.

This will be a night that will live forever.

The venue, DieCast Manchester, is a brand-new 5,000-capacity entertainment destination in Piccadilly. 

Located between Store Street and Ducie Street – just behind Piccadilly Train Station – it’s the latest creative concept from the team behind Ramona and the Firehouse. 

Taking over Manchester’s largest city centre factory, which is over 250,000 square feet, the original building dates back to 1870 and forms an integral part of the fabric of the industrial city’s history.

Opening in the summer of 2023, the I Love MCR Awards will also be your chance to see the ‘epic’ new venue in all its glory.

Do you have a most-loved coffee shop or community hub? Do you have a most-loved restaurant or family experience? The awards nominations are now open and aim to recognise individuals, organisations, projects and groups that have positively contributed to the community. 

To provide some guidelines and help with criteria we have created a list of keywords the judges will be looking for. 

You don’t need to include all of these in your nomination, the below are just some pointers to help guide you with the nomination process.

The following criteria will be used to assess nominees:

Innovation and Creativity: The nominee should have introduced an innovative approach to address a community need, solve a problem or improve community well-being.

Impact: The nominee should have made a significant impact on the community. This could have been through a one-off event or their continuous efforts.

Collaboration and Partnership: The nominee should have demonstrated collaboration and partnership in their community work. This could be through working with other organisations or individuals.

Sustainability: The nominee’s work should be sustainable, i.e., it should have the potential to continue and grow over time without their direct involvement.

Volunteerism: The nominee should have volunteered their time and expertise to help improve their community.

Leadership: The nominee should have shown leadership in their community work, taking a lead and inspiring others to do the same.

Community Connectedness: The nominee should have demonstrated a commitment to building and maintaining strong connections, relationships, and networks within their community.

Inclusivity and Diversity: The nominee should have shown an inclusive attitude and a willingness to work with all members of their community, regardless of race, religion, gender, or other personal beliefs.

Positive Role Model: The nominee should be a positive role model for others in their community, inspiring others to work for the greater good.

Excellence: The nominee should have demonstrated excellence in their community work, setting a high bar for others to follow.

There will be a shortlisting process by a judging panel and a live public vote pre-event (50/50 split) for all nominations with a winner for each category announced live on the event evening. 

The shortlist in each of these categories will be determined and informed by mid-September 2023. 

If you are shortlisted you will be contacted by a member of the events team to inform you about the next steps.

The award categories include: 

♥ Most-Loved Community Organisation
♥ Most-Loved Community Leader
♥ Most-Loved Community Hub
♥ Most-Loved Charity
♥ Most-Loved Marketing & PR Agency
♥ Young Person of the Year
♥ Most-Loved Restaurant
♥ Most-Loved Pub
♥ Most-Loved Bar
♥ Most-Loved Chef
♥ Most-Loved Hotel
♥ Most-Loved Entertainment Hub
♥ Most-Loved Family Experience
♥ Most-Loved Cultural/Arts Venue
♥ Most-Loved Live Event
♥ Most-Loved Property Developer
♥ Most-Loved Fashion Icon
♥ Innovator of the Year
♥ Emmeline Pankhurst Award
♥ Manchester Worker Bee Award

Nominations now open

If you’d like to nominate someone, please click here.