Midlander of the Year
Midlander of the Year is an annual award, recognising people deemed to have "made an outstanding contribution to the social, sporting, political or cultural life" of the English Midlands.
The original Midlander of the Year award was set up by the local brewers, Mitchells & Butlers in 1969 and sponsored by Bass until 1998.
Lately, it has been awarded by the regional television company, ITV Central, who re-launched the scheme in April 2001 with their news programmes profiling nominees throughout the year. Viewers vote to determine the sub-regional winners in the Central News West, East and South areas. A panel of judges choose the overall winner from that shortlist as well as selecting nine special category winners.
Winners
Overall
Previous overall winners include:- 1979 – Barrie Heath
- 1989 - Sir Alec Jeffreys
- 1992 - Phil Drabble
- 1995 - Jasper Carrott
- 2001 - John Towers
- 2002 - Stephen Westaby
- 2003 - Martin Johnson
2001 categories
The nine special category winners for 2001 were:- Arts: Peter Tod.
- Entertainment: Meera Syal.
- Sportsman: Martin Johnson.
- Sportswoman: Ellen MacArthur.
- Business: Perween Warsi.
- Enterprise: Mich Stevenson.
- Community: Rita Patel.
- Public Service: Malcolm Walker.
- Lifetime: UB40.
2003 categories
- Sporting: Paula Radcliffe, long-distance runner
- Lifetime: Robert Plant, Musician
- Birmingham University Lifelong Learning: Professor Tim Brighouse, retired Chief Education Officer, Birmingham City Council
- Community: Michelle Lewis MBE, Wheelchair Athlete
- Cultural: David Bintley CBE, Artistic Director, Birmingham Royal Ballet
- Innovation: Professor Mike Topping, inventor and academic
- Young Business: Karl George, Director, Andersons KBS
- Rural Enterprise: Izzy Warren-Smith, Senior Lecturer, Rural Economics and Management, Harper Adams University College
- Business Leadership: Tony Sealey, Chair, West Midlands Ethnic Minority Business Forum
- Arts Leadership: Professor Ray Cowell Vice Chancellor, Nottingham Trent University
2004 categories
- East Midlands Development Agency Innovation: Professor Sir Peter Mansfield from Nottingham University for services to medical science
- Community: Dr John Sentamu, the Bishop of Birmingham, for services to community relations
- Literary : Clare Morrall for services to literature & publishing
- Advantage West Midlands Entrepreneur: Shaun Hill for services to enterprise and food
- Business: Clyde Pile for services to developing the Afro-Caribbean business community
- Courageous: Sarah Brasil for saving lives in the face of great danger
- Entertainment: Ozzy Osbourne for services to music and entertainment
- Conservation: Molly Badham MBE, for services to conservation of endangered species
- Sporting: Henrietta Knight and Terry Biddlecombe for services to horse racing