At the MediaGuardian Awards for Innovation,

I was at the Millennium Dome last night at the first MediaGuardian Awards for Innovation, or Megas, as some funky Guardian person has christened them. The night kicked off with a performance by Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius pip “Thou Shalt always Kill” . I think they are better on Youtube

The awards, launched to recognize innovation across the media industry, received more than 400 entries from different sectors. I judged the PR campaign of the year that went to Weiner Sandwiches’ execution of a giant 87,500 square foot KFC logo in the Nevada desert – claimed to be the first brand logo visible from space. I thought it had gone to Sputnik PR’s Cadbury Gorilla campaign – but that is another story. It was an achingly cool evening with gallons of free booze showering the pasteurized cream of the media world. I am sure the Megas will be become a huge future hit but I think it must alter its judging format if it’s really going to be able to champion innovation. If not, it will become just another Haymarket style money generating, back slapping piss up. The event felt like it could become a platform for the usual suspects to kick start their award machine teams to focus on yet another gong from an industry backslapping carnage. Who needs another self-congratulating scheme to sell tables in a smart location for top dollar?

Bore of the night was the blogger who tried to storm the stage, he was a hairless, bespectacled geek who politely asked to borrow the microphone – v radical. Evidently he was striking a pose for all three independent blogs on the award shortlist who did not win. The genius presenter, Hardeep Singh Kohli did a sparkling job of putting him down, perhaps the funniest moment of the night.

But hey, I had a great night and shared the tube home with the wonderful human Julien Henry to hear outstanding top flight gossip.