TOP PERFORMERS OF 2002: Production Company of the Year - Gorgeous.

In winning Production Company of the Year for two consecutive years, thanks to a stunning contribution by Frank Budgen, Gorgeous has shown the title is no curse.

A glance through some of Campaign's 2002 news stories leaves you in no doubt about the worthiness of our production company winner. 'Gorgeous takes top prize at BTAA night'; 'Gorgeous cleans up at British Television Craft Awards'; 'Gorgeous wins Cannes Palme D'Or after four of its ads scoop gold Lions'.

Meanwhile, Frank Budgen was voted Best Commercials Director at the IPA's Best of the Best awards and topped the list of the world's best directors in our Campaign/Campaign Screen production report, with Tom Carty named as one of the year's best newcomers.

So, it seems that the 'curse' of winning Production Company of the Year (the industry myth that the winner will subsequently suffer a downfall) has been broken, this being the second consecutive year that Gorgeous has won the title.

2001's win was helped by the outfit proving to critics that it was more than a shop window for Budgen and Chris Palmer. It was a proper grown-up company that was capable of spotting and nurturing other talent to produce a broad spectrum of work.

This budding talent came in the form of Peter Thwaites and Tom Carty and both the directors' careers blossomed last year. In the economic climate, that is something to be applauded.

Thwaites built on his reputation with amusing work for Aristoc through Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy; the impressive launch of T-Mobile; the wry Toyota ads 'salesman' and 'newspaper' featuring rebellious adults; and the Thornton's 'effect' campaign.