The award is made for his pivotal role in higher education and in the rise of the creative industries since 2008.
The award recognised the growth of UAL (where Nigel is Vice-Chancellor) under his leadership and also for Nigel's sector leadership as founding chairman of Advance HE and founding director of the Creative Industries Federation.
With 19,000 students, UAL is now ranked Top 2 for Art and Design in QS World University Rankings 2019, a UK Top 30 research institution in REF 2014, Top 40 in the Guardian League Tables 2020, a UK top 10 recruiter of international students, and the UK’s main awarding body in art and design. It is a UK top quartile university by turnover.