Dublin Port Company, Grant Thornton, Farmgate Café and McGarrell Reilly were among the winners in several categories at the 28th annual Allianz Business to Arts Awards.
Announced last night, the awards recognise businesses, artists and arts organisations that develop creative partnerships and bring businesses and the arts into mutually beneficial relationships across society.
They aim to showcase a diverse range of creative partnerships incorporating architecture, dance, design, film, music, literature, theatre and visual art.
Over €8.5m was spent on arts sponsorships submitted.
Grant Thornton and National Concert Hall won the Best Large Sponsorship award - over €50,000 value - for the "Female Conductor Programme", while the Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards, in association with TileStyle, was tops in the Mid-Size Sponsorship category.
Cork's Farmgate Café and the Munster Literature Centre bagged the Best Small Sponsorship - under €15,000 value - award last night.
Meanwhile, Dublin's Algorithm and James Earley won the Best Use of Creativity in the Community award last night, while Axonista and the Irish Film Institute secured the Best Creative Staff Engagement award.
The McGarrell Reilly Group and Alva Gallagher received the Jim McNaughton Perpetual Award for Best Commissioning Practice and Dublin-based SUBSET got the Allianz Community Art Prize.
Theatre company Fishamble won the DAA €5,000 Arts Award, while Belfast-based Catherine Creaney was awarded the Jim McNaughton/TileStyle €10,000 Artist's Bursary.
Avolon and the Royal Hibernian Academy secured the Best Long Term Partnership award, while Dublin Port Company won the Judges' Special Recognition Award for Portfolio of Investment.
Andrew Hetherington, chief executive of Business to Arts, said the winning partnerships are proof that businesses in Ireland are increasingly looking to arts and culture to address business opportunities and societal challenges.
Sean McGrath, CEO of Allianz Ireland, said that the significant mutual benefits derived by both business and arts organisations through their innovative collaborations is very impressive.
"Of growing importance within this powerful initiative are the community and wider societal benefits enjoyed by us all when business and arts organisations partner to achieve some truly amazing results.
"By showcasing what is achieved, the annual Allianz Business to Arts Awards remind us that we are all winners of this truly extraordinary process of collaboration," Mr McGrath added.
