Mills leads London 2012 awards rush

Dubbed the 'Oscars of the Sports World', the Sport Industry Awards are the biggest celebration of commercial excellence in UK sport.

Minister for Sport Richard Caborn presented the award to Sir Keith in recognition of his work on the London bid for the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.

Now Deputy Chairman of the London organising committee, Sir Keith was Chief Executive during the Bid.

Judges said: "If Lord Coe was the face of London 2012 then Sir Keith Mills was the bid's heart and soul.

"His positive approach and upbeat manner rubbed off on everyone who worked with him and played a major role in securing an unprecedented legacy of sporting development for the UK as a whole and its capital city in particular"

London 2012 also won a special award for Outstanding Contribution to UK Sport

Finally, London 2012 won 'Sports Brand of the Year', with judges saying: "In a short space of time, London 2012 went from being seen as a lost cause to a rallying point of national pride.

"It managed to reinvent itself as a symbol of hope and achievement. It took an innovative stance on the impact that an Olympic Games and would have on the UK's youth, something that set London's bid apart from it's rivals.

"There really could be no other brand in 2005 that could have beaten London 2012 to this award."

28 April 2006