Just like the growing technology industry in North Carolina, NCTA stepped it up this year.

The North Carolina Technology Awards, aka the Beacons (and formerly known as the NCTA 21 Awards) were held last night in the Raleigh Convention Center. Nearly 800 people attended the gala event, and with 35 winners the crowd all seemed to have something to cheer about.

The diversity of the group was apparent everywhere you looked. With representatives from Asheville and small counties in the Appalachian Mountains, Charlotte, the Triad, the Triangle and Wilmington, the entire state was very well represented.

The winners, listed below, were also as diverse as they come. From big companies like Cisco to new shining stars like Stealz, every aspect of North Carolina technology was honored and represented. Seven individuals were also honored, and ranged from politicians to educators.

“We were very purposeful about our rebranding of the the NCTA 21 Awards this year,” said Brooks Raiford, NCTA’s President and CEO. “To honor companies for outstanding achievement with a ‘Beacon’ at the NC Technology Award gives us and the recipients an opportunity to make a stand about what’s cool across the entire state, and across industries both creating and using technology. North Carolina is leading the country not just from the top tier metros, but from various regions in the state.”

By honoring 35 winners instead of the previous 21, The Beacon Awards provided more companies and individuals to demonstrate their leadership. And yet, the crowd size was approximately the same as it has been in the last couple of years. The difference is, according to Raiford, that many more startups and one-person companies were honored, and small companies can’t afford to buy full tables for their teams.

“We were so honored to win a 10 Startups to Watch award, and yet also be a finalist in several categories with huge names like Google and Cisco,” said Julie Thomas, CEO of DocsInk, a Wilmington-based medical technology company. “We are already getting excited for next year. This event was really energizing.”

Wilmington sported three of the 10 Startups to Watch, and two winners of additional categories: Banking and Finance, nCino; and Technology Executive of the Year, Brett Martin, CEO of CastleBranch. Five other companies from Wilmington were finalists.

The western part of the state had one representative in the Startups category (Tapity), and four additional winners from Charlotte and vicinity in other key categories. Ashville and the Mountain area had two, including an award for Senator Ralph Hise as Public Leader. The Triad was all well represented by Small Footprint’s Civic Good award.

The core remains in the Triangle, with Durham having four Startups and four winners in other categories; Raleigh/Morrisville as home to two Startups and six category awards; and Chapel Hill with the education category award.

From Cary came Carolina Advanced Digital, Inc.’s Vice President of Engineering, Jennifer Minella, for Tech Woman of the Year.

What may be most interesting was the diversity not just of location, but of size and stage of the companies. Historically the winners may have been disproportionally large household names, at least in our region. But those who were selected by the double-blind process were a good mix of size, stage, location and industry.

In all, the NCTA NC Technology Awards were a snapshot of what is good about the technology industry in all of North Carolina. That it is diverse and growing is good for the State as a whole.

The 2014 winners are:

• Software Company – Netsertive
• Communications Technology Company – ERC Broadband
• Industry Driven Company – Jackrabbit Technologies
• Innovative Product – Cree
• Best Consumer Web Company – Stealz
• Digital Marketing Company – Bronto Software
• New Media/Digital Company – Automated Insights
• Best Place to Work – Skookum Digital Works
• Fast Growth Small Company – Windsor Circle
• Fast Growth Large Company – AvidXchange
• Business Value – Cisco
• Civic Good – Small Footprint
• Customer Service – Sageworks
• eCommerce – ChannelAdvisor
• Education – Lea(R)n
• Energy & The Environment – Infosense
• Finance & Banking – nCino
• Health & Wellness – Valencell
• Tech Exec of the Year – Brett Martin, CEO of CastleBranch
• Outstanding Achievement – Cecil Smith, CIO of the North Carolina Electric Cooperatives
• Public Leader – Senator Ralph Hise
• Private Sector CIO of the Year – A.R. Mullinax, Duke Energy
• Public Sector CIO of the Year – Jeff Stovall, City of Charlotte
• Technology Educator of the Year – Mark Edwards, Superintendent of Mooresville School District
• Tech Woman of the Year – Jennifer Minella with Carolina Advanced Digital

Top Ten Startups to Watch:

bioMason, Blue Gas Marine, Boss Key Productions, DocsInk, nCino, Next Glass, Organic Transit, Tapity, Validic, Windsor Circle.