Jonathan Boyd, a jewellery graduate from Glasgow School of Art was chosen from 2,000 graduates at New Designers Part 1 as runner up for the New Designer of the Year Award. 

Another two graduates, Saori Okabe and Sarah Wasim, also won awards along with jeweller Abigail Percy, who has just completed her first year in business.

Jonathan, who received a prize of £500, was selected as runner up for the BD New Designer of the Year Award.  The judging panel said “He has a strong narrative, unusual combination of process and material and is well crafted.” 

Talking about his success he said “I feel honoured and priviledged to be compared to so many great designers and really want to thank the judges for this opportunity. I plan to take a year out to expand my portfolio and new work and hope to apply to the RCA next year.  The prestige of this award is fantastic – especially to be considered amongst all this great work.”

The British Jewellery Association Award for One Year On prize was won by Abigail Percy, who graduated from Glasgow School of Art last year.  The judges said “Abigail’s work incorporates many different techniques – carving, painting and metalwork. It is beautifully made to a very high standard and is both innovative and commercial.”  She receives a year’s free subscription, access to business and publicity services and coverage in the September issue of Jewellery in Britain.

Saori Okabe, a graduate in textile design from Edinburgh College of Art won the New Designers Cole & Son Award for Best Wallpaper Design, and will receive £1,500 worth of wallpaper production plus two weeks work experience in Cole & Son Studio.

The fourth Scottish award winner was Sarah Wasim, a textiles graduate from Glasgow School of Art who won the New Designers Embroiderers’ Guild/Coats Crafts UK Award.  She receives £1,000 and a three month £2,000 placement with Coats Crafts UK.

The winners were presented with their awards by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown at the opening of the show.  In his address he said "In today’s global economy – where capital and labour are so mobile, where goods and often services too can be produced anywhere – for countries like Britain, it is the power of our creativity, the power of ideas and innovation, of design adding value that will enable us to find our comparative advantage and make the difference between economic success and economic failure, between prosperity and falling behind."