Vice City up for design award

Grand Theft Auto is to be recognised. And I don't just mean when you walk into the lounge and spot your en-laws crowded round the TV with a six star wanted rating.

According to the BBC, GTA: Vice City developer Rockstar North, along with jewellery and chandelier designers and Apple's Jonathan Ive will make up the shortlist for the new Designer of the Year award.

The inaugural award, launched by London's Design Museum, will earn the winner £25,000 and will be announced in June. Of course, 25 grand is small change to a company whose game sold 1.25 million copies in under six weeks, but to be held in the same regard as more traditional designers is high praise indeed.

An exhibition of the work of the four nominees will be staged at the Design Museum from March 1st to June 29th, 2003.

"The four nominees have all made fantastic contributions to the world of design," according to one of the jurors, fashion guru Paul Smith. "And their work in 2002 was exceptional."

Vice City's credentials require little explanation around here, but since you're no doubt interested, it goes up against some very interesting competition, most notably Apple's Jonathan Ive, the London-born designer responsible for reinventing Apple's systems with designs for Macs, iPod and even the new bizarre blob-plus-LCD combo.

The others, Royal College of Art veteran Tord Boontje (the Blossom chandelier) and Solange Azagury-Partridge (designer of her own engagement ring, aw) will be shooting from the more traditional realms of design, but one feels 2002 may be given over to one of their e-contemporaries.