More than 450 people attend the 10th annual Mersey Maritime Industry Awards at Liverpool Cathedral to hear the winners revealed with Jim Graves a popular winner of the Maritime Ambassador Award. Tony McDonough reports

Mersey Maritime welcomed more than 450 guests for its 10th annual Industry Awards at Liverpool Cathedral.

Winners chosen from a record number of entries for the MMIAs were revealed during the evening, presided over by journalist and TV presenter Lucy Meacock who recently left ITV Granada after more than 30 years.

Ruth Wood, chief executive of Mersey Maritime, addressed the audience after flying back from a trade mission to Boston and New York where she helped Metro Mayor Steve Rotherham promote Liverpool city region to potential investors.

She said: “For over two decades, Mersey Maritime has championed the world-class businesses and organisations across the North West’s thriving maritime sector. I’d like to congratulate the worthy nominees and winners for their success at this year’s awards .

“For the last 10 years these awards have been a testament to the exceptional standards and world-class expertise on display within the Liverpool city region’s maritime community.

“Maritime is the foundation industry for so much else in the regional economy and makes one of the most significant financial contributions of any sector – more than £5bn in business turnover and supporting nearly 50,000 jobs. 

“But our significance isn’t just on paper, we have a dynamic and forward-looking ecosystem with world leading business across every aspect of what maritime means – ports, shipping, engineering, leisure marine and maritime professional business services.”

Also addressing the awards, via video screen, was new Maritime Minister Mike Kane. He congratulated all the finalists and paid tribute to the “dynamism and vibrancy” of the maritime industry in the city region.

Of the 12 awards handed out on the night the most popular winner was Jim Graves, recipient of the Maritime Ambassador Award.

Jim, an experienced seafarer, is an inspirational figure in the local sector. He is the founder of Merseyside Adventure Sailing Trust (MAST), a charity which has offered thousands of young people to embark on life-changing voyages aboard tall ships.

MAST was named as the chosen charity of the night with guests raising more than £5,000 to support their vital work which focuses on the future of the industry and our young people.

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Award submissions came from right across the maritime sector. A rigorous judging process, which included expert assessment and an industry-wide vote, saw a record-breaking 3,000 votes cast.

Among the winners was iconic Birkenhead shipyard Cammell Laird Shipbuilders and Shiprepairers which scooped the Business of the Year Award. Diamond sponsors were Kays Medical, Liverpool John Moores University, and the Manufacturing Technology Centre, alongside other category sponsors. Full list of winners:

• Business of the Year sponsored by Kays Medical – Cammell Laird Shiprepairers & Shipbuilders
• Diversity Champion Award sponsored by Peel Ports Group – National Oceanography Centre
• Employer & Future Skills Award sponsored by the University of Liverpool – Atlantic Container Line/Grimaldi Liverpool Agency
• Logistics & Trade Excellence Award sponsored by Maersk – Maritime Transport
• Maritime Ambassador – Jim Graves, MAST
• Maritime Campaign of the Year sponsored by Connected Places Catapult – Peel Ports Group / Global Ports Holding
• Maritime Personality of the Year sponsored by the MTC – Ian Hughes, Hughes Subsea Services
• Net Zero Champion Award sponsored by Liverpool John Moores University – Bibby Marine
• Positive Impact Award sponsored by Cammell Laird – Denholm Logistics Group
• Rising Star Award sponsored by Royal Navy – Kieren Davis, Atlantic Container Line
• SME of the Year sponsored by SeaKing Group – Seacon (SG)
• Technology & Innovation Award sponsored by Brookes Bell – Liverpool John Moores University