A Birmingham animation company, which combines hand-crafted puppetry with cutting-edge digital tech, was tonight named “Creative Industries Innovator of the Year” at the 2025 Innovation Awards.
Second Home Studios was handed the prestigious accolade, after a year-long process of voting and judging, at a finale awards dinner attended by 500 people at Eastside Rooms in Birmingham.
With over 20 years’ experience in stop-motion, 2D, 3D and mixed-media production, Second Home Studios’ work ranges from children’s series and commercials to educational films and creative campaigns, often blending craft techniques with new technologies.
Alongside collaborations with broadcasters, brands and universities, Second Home Studios nurtures local talent and tells stories with imagination, warmth and impact with the aim of showcasing the creativity thriving across the West Midlands.
Combining physical creativity with high-tech digital
Second Home Studios re-imagines a traditional animation studio by combining hand-crafted creatives with cutting-edge production methods in a flexible, full-service environment.
Rather than purely digital visuals, they specialise in stop-motion, model-making, puppetry and detailed physical sets alongside 2D/3D animation.
Their approach emphasises constant innovation by pushing boundaries in style and technique. They blend analogue craft, including stop-motion puppets and physical set pieces, with digital finishing.
By doing both, they create uniquely tactile, character-rich animations that stand out in a crowded market. This craft-intensive mindset enables them to deliver emotionally engaging, bespoke narratives.
Innovation Awards are open to businesses, organisations and individuals across the UK
Dr Richard Fallon, CEO of the Technology Supply Chain (TSC) membership organisation, which runs the annual Innovation Awards, said: “Congratulations to Second Home Studios. We had more entries than ever before this year, and the competition for each category was stronger than it’s ever been.
“Each winner can be justifiably proud and can look forward to ongoing support from the 5,000-member TSC network as they chart their course to future success.”
The Innovation Awards recognise, celebrate and reward the businesses, organisations and individuals who are dedicated to innovation.
The awards are open to innovative individuals, businesses and organisations – including universities, local councils and catapults – based in the UK.
