The University of Birmingham’s Great Hall is to play host to the 2005 Midlands Media Awards.

The final of next year’s event – previously known as the West Midlands Media Awards – will be held at the new venue on April 21.

The University is a sponsor of the awards, which are organised by Birmingham Press Club, and is also home to Sky News in the Midlands and to the BBC’s new ‘Drama Village’, where filming starts in January.

Press Club chairman Andrew Sparrow said: “This year’s venue is very appropriate, given the connections that the university has with the local and national media.

“The Great Hall is actually one of the great unsung venues that Birmingham has to offer, but I am sure it will prove the perfect home for our event.”

Andrew Sparrow and Sue Primmer
at the Great Hall

Sue Primmer, director of communications at the University, said: “Great journalism is part of this region’s fibre.

“The Great Hall is part of our beautiful campus and will make a wonderful setting for the awards. It should be a great evening.”

The Midlands Media Awards, open to all forms of media, including newspapers, radio and television, aims to recognise and reward the achievements of local journalists and broadcasters during the past 12 months.

Among the award categories are: Newspaper of the Year; News Reporter of the Year (Daily and Weekly); News Photographer of the Year; Sports Photographer of the Year; Sports Journalist of the Year; Feature Writer of the Year; Business Journalist of the Year; Newcomer of the Year; Magazine of the Year; Scoop of the Year; and Headline of the Year.

There will also be an award for the ‘Irritant of the Year’, a special category to find the region’s most irritating individual or organisation. Previous winners of this have been the West Midlands Police press office, and Marketing Birmingham.