Near You Now’s hyperlocal news service on the London24 site has been nominated in the hotly-contested Best Digital Innovation category at the prestigious 2015 News Awards. The service, the result of a collaboration between Near You Now and the University of Sussex’s Text Analysis Group, enables Londoners to automatically receive a personalised selection of local news stories and information updates based on wherever they happen to be in the capital at that moment.

The News Awards, formerly known as the Newspaper Awards, are dedicated to celebrating the best in news media print, technology and business innovation. This year’s event will be held at Lancaster Terrace, London on 29th April.

“We are delighted to be nominated together with our partners at London24 for Best Digital Innovation alongside some of the biggest names in the UK media industry,” said Anthony Sheehan, founder of Near You Now. “It is further validation of our approach to delivering the most relevant local news for every visitor to publishers’ sites and apps.”

An interview with Anthony appears on the ‘Innovators’ page of the latest South East Business magazine, in which he discusses his background, the development of Near You Now’s platform, and how the environment at the Centre has helped as the business has grown.

“The relationship between the university and the Centre has proved invaluable in taking the business forward,” he says. “It makes this an ideal base for a business like ours.”