Global leaders Microsoft, Avon, and Radiohead are among the finalists chosen for the 2011 UK.COM Awards. 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 £5000 prize for either the business or the business’s charity of choice.

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

Best creative idea using a UK.COM domain

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

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

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

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

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

About UK.COM
Launched fifteen years ago, .UK.COM domains (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 becoming 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.