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The waiting is over. The winners of the inaugural Medway Culture and Design Awards can finally be revealed.

More than 100 nominations were received for various awards celebrating the best of Medway’s growing creative talent.

The glitzy awards ceremony was held on Thursday evening at Rochester’s Corn Exchange.

Each winner received a bespoke trophy designed and crafted by Tim Meacham, course leader at the University for the Creative Arts with the help of staff and students.

They were designed to reflect the water inspired theme of the awards, featuring individual droplets of water taken from different locations along the River Medway encased in acrylic cubes - and kept in a fridge on stage before presentation.

It was a tricky decision for the judges - who included Tim Luckhurst, professor of journalism at the University of Kent; acclaimed architect and urban designer Sir Terry Farrell and the Dean of Rochester, the Very Rev Adrian Newman.

The awards celebrated all areas of culture and design including New Media, Music and Medway’s Best Kept Secret.

Big winners on the night included an Outstanding achievement prize for sculptor Paula Groves while the recently restored Slip 3 - The Big Store, at Chatham’s Historic Dockyard impressed judges to win the Heritage Award.

Chatham born designer Zandra Rhodes recorded a special thank you video message from her Bermondsey apartment after being awarded the Lifetime Achievement award. You can see the edited highlights of her interview, courtesy of Spaghetti Weston Productions by clicking the video link above.

The Vines in Rochester and the Strand Mural had been the early favourites in the People’s Choice Award thanks to votes by Medway Messenger and Extra readers.

But prize finally went to Riverside Country Park - beating The Stand shadows by a single vote after the audience poll was counted in.

Medway Council’s Festivals, Arts and Theatres Manager Mandy Thwaites said the awards, which are expected to become a bi-annual event, had been a great success.

She said: “These awards have shown the range of creative talent in Medway. The ceremony itself highlighted the emerging talent at Medway’s universities and the will amongst local artists to get involved and promote their scene.

“I’m looking forward to the great work I’m sure the coming years have in store for us. Medway’s cultural future looks very bright."

More reports and pictures in next week's print editions.

Results

• New Media

Winner

Simon Williams, independent director, cameraman and editor, specialising in the arts

Commendation

Medway Renaissance Concept Branding project - Ben Carroll, Sam Coomber and Simon Caddick from the University for the Creative Arts

• Fashion and Design

Winner

Rudiger Leopold, UCA graduate 2007

• Music

Joint winners

City of Rochester Symphony Orchestra

Roger Sayer, Director of Music at Rochester Cathedral

• Literature

Winner

Zara Carpenter, full time writer with three books published to date - Chatham Girl, Reflections of a Dancing Bear and the Medway Festival Fringe

• Heritage

Winner

Art in Churches 2007, public art project on the Hoo Peninsula co-ordinated by Tim Meacham

Commendations

The Guildhall Museum

The Royal Engineers Museum

• Visual Arts

The Hei People Public Arts Project 2007 by Finnish artist Reijo Kela

• Performing Arts

Winner

Loop Ed Dance Company, Chatham

• Partnership Working

Winner

New Art Centre, Chatham

Commendations

Chinese Peace Flag Project

HeART Medway

• New Building

Winner

MHS Broadside - the HQ of mhs homes, Chatham Maritime

Commendation

The Gillingham Building, University of Kent

• Design

Winner

The Diocesan Office at St Nicholas Church, Rochester

• Heritage

Joint winners

Slip 3, The Big Store at Chat

Selale Restaurant, High Street, Chatham

Commendation

The Arch, Rochester High Street

• Regeneration

Winner

Rochester Riverside Crane

Commendations

New Art Centre, Chatham

The Pilkington Building at the Universities at Medway

• Best newcomer

Winner

Made in Medway - Bianca Donnelly, journalist and fashion stylist and art director Steve Rowland

Commendations

Margherita Gramegna

Mark Barnes’ Museum of Tales

• Medway’s Best Kept Secret

Winner

Shadowplay - Strand Mural : Wendy Daws and Mark Barnes

• People’s Choice 2008

Winner

Riverside Country Park, Rainham

• Outstanding Achievement

Winner

Sculptor Paula Groves

Commendation

Aidan Dooley star of the Edinburgh Fringe and Tom Crean - Antarctic Explorer

• Citizenship Award

Michael Peevers, founder of the Medway Industrial Archeology Group

• Lifetime Contribution

Fashion designer Zandra Rhodes