Microsoft, Avon and Radiohead Among the Finalists for 2011 UK.COM Awards

Microsoft, Avon and Radiohead Among the Finalists for 2011 UK.COM Awards

LONDON, February 8, 2011/PRNewswire/ -- Global leaders Microsoft, Avon, and Radiohead are among the finalists
chosen for the 2011 UK.COM Awards (http://www.uk.com). The Awards, which
recognize websites using domain names with the ending .UK.COM, also
acknowledged well-known British-based companies including Pineapple Dance
Studios, the Michelin starred restaurant Sketch, and live music venue Koko.

The 24 finalists in four categories represent some of the most inventive
business and creative endeavours that 2011 had to offer. The overall winner
will be revealed at the end of the month, receiving a GBP5000 prize for
either the business or the business's charity of choice.

An elite panel of technology, media and entertainment experts will judge
the finalists, including TV Presenter and Internet Entrepreneur, Sarah Beeny,
MyVoucherCodes Founder, Mark Pearson, BBC Click's website guru, Kate Russell,
and Managing Editor of Vitesse Media, Nick Britton.

Ben Crawford, CEO of CentralNic, a London-based domain name registry and
parent company of UK.COM, said: "We are delighted that such esteemed
organizations have selected UK.COM domain names as the web addresses for
their smartest ideas and most creative executions. Judging from the quality
of the applicants, it seems more likely than ever that the facebooks and
twitters of the future may be germinating right here in the UK."

The finalists are:

Best business idea using a UK.COM domain

Avon for http://www.avon.uk.com
Barking Mad for www.barkingmad.uk.com
DS Smith Plc for http://www.dssmith.uk.com
Made for http://www.made.uk.com
Sandbag for http://www.sandbag.uk.com
Tea Party for http://www.teaparty.uk.com

Best creative idea using a UK.COM domain

Art 2 Art UK for http://www.art2art.uk.com
Chris Weston Wildlife Photography for http://www.chrisweston.uk.com
Live and Unsigned for http://www.liveandunsigned.uk.com
Microsoft for http://www.lifeacademy.uk.com
More Than Words for http://www.morethanwords.uk.com
Pineapple Dance Studios for http://www.pineapple.uk.com

Best design, content, functionality of a business website using a UK.COM
domain

&Co The Cultural Marketing House for http://www.andco.uk.com
Kick Fitness and Lifestyle for http://www.kick.uk.com
Resource Media for http://www.resource.uk.com
Sketch for http://www.sketch.uk.com
Suck UK for http://www.suck.uk.com
UniForm for http://www.uniform.uk.com

Best design, content, functionality of a creative website using a UK.COM
Domain

Koko for http://www.koko.uk.com
Orchestral Manouevres In The Dark for http://www.omd.uk.com
Radiohead for its official merchandise site http://www.waste.uk.com
Spooky for http://www.spooky.uk.com
Troika Art Studio for http://www.troika.uk.com
We Love Design for http://www.welovedesign.uk.com

About UK.COM

Launched fifteen years ago, .UK.COM domains (http://www.uk.com) are
continually gaining in popularity as they offer the desirable .COM ending
combined with the national identifier, UK. Currently sold through over 1500
registrars, .UK.COM is the preferred British domain extension and can be
purchased from leading registrars such as Blacknight Solutions, Daily
Internet, Domainmonster.com, GetDotted.com, GlobalGold, Hostroute, InterNetX,
Namesco and Networking4All.

About CentralNic

The only registry to launch two new domain extensions in 2010, CentralNic
(http://www.centralnic.com) manages a growing number of domain extensions,
including .UK.COM in the United Kingdom, .US.COM and .LA in the United
States, .EU.COM in Europe, and .CN.COM in China. The longest-running global
domain registry in the world, CentralNic is the Registry Service Provider of
choice for new TLDs requiring proven secure and stable technology, global
distribution, expertise in domain sales and marketing, and even financing -
with special programs for .brand domains, IDN domains, and not-for profits,
as well as a joint venture with Network Solutions to enable new TLDs.

Contact:

Lexi Lavranos
Marketing Director
CentralNic
+44(0)8700-170-900
lexi@centralnic.com

Source: CentralNic

Lexi Lavranos, Marketing Director, CentralNic, +44(0)8700-170-900, lexi@centralnic.com

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