Tonight's celebration marks the 10th running of the THE Awards, a decade in which higher education has undergone huge changes but has always risen to the challenges it has faced.

Our awards recognise the talent, dedication and innovation demonstrated by individuals and teams - wherever they work in the sector - who have ensured that our universities and colleges have prospered.

It's a night to applaud the winners, but also to reflect on the extraordinary breadth and depth of our higher education sector, which continues to be the envy of the world.

Our sincere congratulations go to all those shortlisted and to all our winners tonight and over the past decade.

- John Gill, editor, THE

The winners were announced on 27 November 2014, view the photos of the ceremony in our Flickr album .

Below are the shortlists and winning entries, and here you will find an e-book profiling all the winners .

Watch the highlights video

University of the Year

Sponsored by Santander

Birkbeck, University of London

Edge Hill University (winner)

University of Glasgow

Haper Adams University

Institute of Education, University of London

Swansea University

Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community

Sponsored by Communications Management

Lancaster University

University of Manchester (winner)

Plymouth University

University of Ulster

University of the West of Scotland

University of Worcester

Research Project of the Year

Sponsored by arma

University of Dundee

Durham University

University of Liverpool

University of Nottingham (winner)

University of Reading

Swansea University

Excellence and Innovation in the Arts

Guildhall School of Music and Drama

King's College London

Norwich University of the Arts (winner)

University of Sunderland

Swansea University

University of Winchester

Outstanding Support for Early Career Researchers

Sponsored by Vitae

University of Bristol and Newcastle University (in collaboration with Kyoto University)

University of Exeter

University of Glasgow

University of St. Andrews and University of Dundee

University of Sheffield (winner)

University of Strathclyde

Outstanding Contribution to Innovation and Technology

University of East Anglia

University of Essex

University of Exeter

University of Glasgow

Harper Adams University

University of Salford (winner)

Most Improved Student Experience

Sponsored by Scientia

University of Bradford

Cardiff Metropolitan University (winner)

University of Chichster

University of Kent

Robert Gordon University

University of Surrey

Outstanding International Student Strategy

Sponsored by Password English Language Testing

University of Exeter

University of Nottingham

University of Sheffield (winner)

University of Sunderland

Outstanding ICT Initiative of the Year

Sponsored by Jisc

University of Aberdeen and Partners

Bournemouth University

De Montfort University

International State Crime Initiate (Queens Mary, University of London, University of Ulster and King's College London)

University of Leeds

The Open University (winner)

Outstanding Support for Students

Sponsored by Capita

University of Birmingham

Coventry University

University of Leicester

Nottingham Trent University (winner)

The Open University

University of Salford

Outstanding Employer Engagement Initiative

Sponsored by Communications Management

Nottingham Trent University

Plymouth University (winner)

Staffordshire University

University of Sunderland

Swansea University

University of the West of England

Business School of the Year

Sponsored by Amity University

School of Management and Business, Aberystwyth University

Henley Business School, University of Reading

Northampton Business School, University of Northampton

The Open University Business School

Salford Business School, University of Salford (winner)

Sheffield Business School, Sheffield Hallam University

Widening Participation or Outreach Initiative of the Year

University of Edinburgh

Henley Business School, University of Reading

Kingston University

Newcastle University

The Open University

University of Sheffield (winner)

International Collaboration of the Year

Sponsored by SGH Martineau LLP

University of Glasgow

University of Greenwich (winner)

Imperial College London

Northumbria University

St. George's, University of London

University of Wolverhampton

Entrepreneurial University of the Year

Sponsored by NCEE

Anglia Ruskin University (winner)

University of Central Lancashire

University of Chester

Kingston University

Teesside University

University College London

Outstanding Contribution to Leadership Development

Sponsored by The Leadership Foundation for Higher Education

University of Cumbria

De Montfort University

Durham University

Edge Hill Univeristy

University of Stirling

University of York (winner)

Most Innovative Teacher of the Year

Sponsored by The Higher Education Academy

Tina Chowdhury, Queen Mary University of London

Michal Garapich, University of Roehampton

May McCreaddie, University of Stirling

Ian Noonan, King's College London

James Pickering, University of Leeds (winner)

Melanie Stephens, University of Salford

The Lord Dearing Lifetime Achievement Award

Sponsored by Veredus

Mike Shattock (winner)