Mobile apps are set to be a key focus at next month’s GSMA Mobile Asia Congress, culminating in a series of awards recognising the best mobile apps in the region. Awards will be presented to firms judged to have developed the best mobile app in the gaming, entertainment, lifestyle and business sectors, as well as an award for best overall app and a judges’ choice award for best app. A separate award will go to the best mobile handset or device.

In the running for best overall mobile app is Skype’s VoIP app, Herocraft’s Farm Frenzy, Rovio’s Angry Birds, WhatsApp Messenger, Twitter, and Shazam Encore. The judges award will be contested by Awesome Note, Twitterific, Google Maps, Dianping, Angry Birds, Google Goggles and Facebook. A full list of nominees in each category can be found here.

App winners will be selected based partly on app store data collected from across 27 countries in Asia (via data provided by Distimo), while the Judges’ choice and handset awards will be chosen by an independent judging panel of industry journalists, analysts, academics and commentators. Winners will be announced at a special event in Hong Kong on Wednesday 17 November.

In addition to the awards, the event will also be hosting a series of events and forums as part of ‘App Planet’ – the dedicated exhibition area and conference programme focused on apps. First launched at the GSMA Mobile World Congress last February, next month will mark the debut of App Planet in Asia. Highlights include a one-day developer conference specifically targeted at Apple iOS developers – Macworld Mobile – on Wednesday 17 November.

The GSMA Mobile Asia Congress will take place in Hong Kong on 17-18 November. Please visit www.mobileasiacongress.com for more information.