The awards were hosted in the most glamorous manner, with the refectory being transformed into a magical experience!

The mostly enjoyable meal (Ed: I hate whipped cream!) was followed by the much anticipated awards. And here follows the categories and results!

The SU Innovation & Enterprise Award - Presented by Ben Lucas, Swansea University
Highly Commended: The Waterfront Newspaper, for the election coverage
Winner: SIFE Swansea, engaging with the community using new technology
Jon May, President said: “We very much appreciated getting through to the national competition and we look forward to next year as well. Thank you very much!”

Best Student-led Event - Presented by Russell Wade, Ents Manager, Students’ Union
Highly Commended: Multicultural Week, Shoreline for The History Boys, Debating Society, English Society for World Book Night
Winner: Chemical Engineering for the Frank Morton 2012
Dan Eade, President said: “Thank you so much to the Students’ Union as we’re quite a small department in comparison to other universities who usually host it.”

Outstanding Contribution to Student Media - Presented by Kay Byrne, Editor of The Waterfront
Highly Commended: Roisin O’Connor from The Siren, Danny Matcham from AU Media and the Waterfront, SUCS for supporting Student Forums, Lucinda Reid from Waterfront Fashion.
Winner: Jon May from the Waterfront Newspaper and the Media Society
Jon May, student editor said: “Thank you so much to Becca Taylor and the rest of the Waterfront team; it’s been an amazing year.”

Best Student-led Campaign - Presented by Mahaboob Basha, International officer
Highly Commended: The Living Wage
Winner: LGBT+
Rachel Hodgson and Ian Morgan, Students’ Union LGBT officers said: “I just to thank everyone for the support. We’ve had such a good response from all the students so thank you very much!”

Outstanding Contribution to Student Politics - Presented by Luke James, outgoing President of the Students’ Union
Highly Commended: Mitchell Theaker, Ian Morgan, Zahid Raja
Winner: Steven Marshall (Ginger Steve)
Steven, Postgraduate officer said: “I won’t say too much tonight, I’ve already said it all in student forums but thank you for tonight and I just try and get things done for the better of all students every day and everyday we’ll keep fighting for what’s right for every student. Thank you!”

Community Engagement Award - Presented by Charlotte Britton, Welfare officer and Irene Mann
Highly Commended: SIFE Swansea, Islamic Society, Catholic Society
Winner: English Society for the Brynmill Community Library
James Crofts, President said: “Thank you all my friends and everyone who helped. And thank you to Irene, Florence and Hilary who gave us some gone off milk when were there for tea once!”

Interval – With the Choral Society

Student Staff Member of the Year - Presented by Michael Simmons and Susan from the Students’ Union
Highly Commended: Josh Hayman an SU Technician and JCs Bar Staff, Sion Durham from JCs Bar, Phil Cardle from the Wonky Sheep, Mitchell Lewis from JCs Bar
Winner: Rhodri Lewis
Rhodri Lewis, Students’ Union staff said: “I’d like to thank Russell and Simmo for giving me the opportunity to do everything I have this year and hopefully they’ll let me do it again next year. Cheers, thank you very much!”

A gaffe made by Tom Upton just before the Society-based awards, whilst complementing the Performing Arts societies: “Sometimes I’ve had a very very challenging day and you leave work, normally with Rosie and you think ‘we haven’t achieved anything’” which drew a few chuckles from the audience and a slightly red-faced Rosie Hunnam, Societies and Student Development officer.

Best New Society – Presented by Sarah Hughes-Davies, Director of Student Support Services
Highly Commended: Eastern European Society, St John Links, Pagan, Swansea Gamers Corps.
Winner: Chinese Society
A representative from the society said: “Thank you so much to SU staff who gave us so many [sic] support during this year”

Most Improved Society – Presented by Rosie Hunnam, Society and Student Development
Highly Commended: Conservation & Ecology, Shoreline Theatre, SIFE Swansea, Physics Society
Winner: Gym Gym (The Welsh Society)
A representative took to the stage with Glesni Morgan, a member of the Society Sub-Committee and said: “This wouldn’t have been possible without our amazing committee” followed a thank you in the native tongue.

Society of the Year – Presented by Tom Upton, Societies and Services officer
Highly Commended: Shoreline Theatre, St John Links, English Society, Dance Society
Winner: Choral Society
Sarah Carr, President said: “When we started, there were rehearsals of a good ten of us, but now we have regular members of about forty to fifty”

Ben Lockwood Award – Presented by Stuart Rice, Union Manager
Nominee and Winner: Ian Morgan
Ian Morgan, LGBT (open place) officer said: “I don’t really know what to say right now. The LGBT campaign has literally changed my life … thank you very much; I don’t know really what to say!”

Individual Contribution Awards – Presented by outgoing Women’s Officer Eleri Jones

• Rob Abrams, Environment and Ethics officer
• Chris Bovis, “SU Keen Bean”
• Sarah Carr, Choral Society President
• Ceinwen Cloney, St Johns Links President
• James Crofts, English Society President
• Ffion Gwyne, Shoreline Theatre
• Owain Harries, Welsh Affairs Officer/Swyddog Materion Cymraeg
• Josh Hayman, Societies and Services-elect
• Mathew Jones, Swansea Gamers Corps
• Tom Lake, Swansea University Computer Society
• Steven Marshall (Ginger Steve), Postgraduate officer
• Natasha Oldham, Students’ Union society staff
• Hannah Parry, History Society President
• Mitchell Theaker, Swansea City Council Cabinet Member

Two other students won awards, but we could not verify their names at the time of publication.