Media Design School took top honours at the Westpac Auckland Central Business Awards last night for Excellence in Innovation. The school was recognised for delivering high-quality education for emerging digital design sectors in response to industry demand. The annual awards, which are presented by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, recognise business excellence across eight categories including innovation, marketing, leadership, emerging business, service delivery, workplace safety, exporting and retail. This year, twenty-four Auckland companies and four individuals were named as finalists from 111 entries. Media Design School CEO Frances Valintine said the award was icing on the cake after a remarkable year for the school. “We have worked closely with industry to develop four cutting-edge degrees within the last 12 months, received international accolades for our student work, welcomed faculty from the world’s largest film and game development studios and watched our graduates enjoy sustained success at the top of their field,” said Valintine. “Particularly in New Zealand we are watching the film, animation, visual effects and game development sectors thrive and our graduates are in huge demand – even before they graduate. We will continue to build on our reputation for producing highly-skilled talent for these industries with even more innovative projects in the (near) future.”