The 2011 Mobile Research Conference will introduce its inaugural award ceremony, recognizing innovation in mobile marketing research, as part of the two-day event next month. The ceremony takes place on 18 April at the May Fair Hotel in London. Submission guidelines are available here. Entries will be accepted through 15 March.

The Mobile Research Conference itself is host to a slew of big brands, among them BskyB and HELLO!, all aiming to address the opportunities and challenges around engaging audiences and capturing insights via mobile phones.

Ipsos and Apollo Mobile will debunk the myth that mobile research is only good for short surveys with the mobile interactive research they conducted during the two-hour finale of TV show, X-Factor. Fiona Blades of MESH Planning will describe her 10 days with media giant BskyB on campaign scene investigation during the UK general election.

HELLO! Magazine and Thinktank will show how videos submitted through readers’ mobile phones gave vivid insights into personalities, reading habits and brand relationships. The Nielsen Company will reveal the results of its digital ethnography study around FIFA World Cup 2010 fans, on engagement, media consumption, brand purchasing and awareness. And in his opening keynote, txteagle CEO Nathan Eagle will reveal how his company employed mobile-connected locals to provide Diageo, IBM and Microsoft with vital information about developing markets.

You can see the full event schedule here.