Hero & Icon Award winners announced this week

The ceremony, which follows the Peach Network 2020 conference, will also see one of the market’s outstanding leaders presented with a coveted Icon Award, for inspirational achievement.

Hero Awards nominations for 2009 are:

Newcomer: Bill’s Produce; Miller & Carter; Wahaca

Breakthrough Brand: Cote; Jamie’s Italian; Taybarns

Evolution Award: JD Wetherspoon; McDonald’s; Pizza Express

Consumers’ Choice: Carluccio’s; Nando’s; Prezzo; Wagamama

Leadership: JD Wetherspoon; McDonald’s; Mitchells & Butlers

The Webmaster's Award will also be given to the company that has done most to make use of the internet – not just in marketing, but recruitment and training.

The Hero and Icon Awards are organised annually by Peach Network with the aim of spotlighting and celebrating the individuals and businesses that are making a real difference.

Said Peach Network's Peter Martin: "We all need heroes to look up to and emulate, people and businesses that can inspire with their qualities of creativity, determination, leadership, and not to mention, on occasion, daring and style.”

The awards, apart from Consumers Choice, have been judged by previous Icon Award winners John Barnes, Tony Hughes, Ian Neill and Gerry Ford, with Peter Martin in the chair. The Consumers’ award is decided by the choice of 2,000 consumers independently researched by Harris Interactive.

The awards are supported by Coca Cola, Royal Bank of Scotland, Coffer Corporate Leisure and the National Skills Academy for Hospitality.

Click here for the winners of the Hero & Icon Awards 2008.