Birmingham’s entertainment district has celebrated its finest venues and businesses in style at the glittering annual Wonders of Westside awards.
The WOWs, hosted this year by ITV Weather presenter Des Coleman, took place last night (Sunday January 26) at the Pryzm Birmingham superclub at the Fiveways end of Broad Street.
Organised by Westside Business Improvement District (BID) and sponsored by Jelley’s Organic Vodka, the WOWs 2020 saluted the venues, bars, clubs, restaurants, hotels, organisations and businesses in and around Broad Street and Brindleyplace.
This year’s winners were Pushkar (Best Fine Dining), Hyatt Regency Birmingham (Best Hotel), Hampton by Hilton (Best Hotel Manager), Vodbull (Best Promoter) and Jurys Inn (Best Front of House).
Pryzm Birmingham was crowned Best Club, and other awards included Velvet Music Rooms (Best Bar Team), Steven Emmison of Velvet Music Rooms (Best Independent Bar Manager), Vietnamese Street Kitchen (Best Newcomer), Grosvenor Casino (Best Specialist Venue) and Arena Birmingham (Best Arts and Entertainment Venue).
Players Bar clinched the Best Promo Team title with other awards going to Barajee (Best Specialist Restaurant), Dave Alebon of The Brasshouse (Lifetime Achievement Award), O’Neill’s (Best Pub) and Del Villaggio (Best Restaurant Manager).
City Pastors were hailed Best Voluntary Team Leaders, and other award winners were Popworld Birmingham (Best Themed Club), Reflex (Best Club Manager) and The Rocket Club (Best Themed Entertainment Venue).
Mike Olley, Westside BID general manager, said: “Every year the WOWs just get bigger and better and this fantastic event really gives us the chance to celebrate in style the very best in entertainment that Birmingham has to offer.
“Our venues, bars, restaurants and hotels are genuinely world class and we’d like to congratulate all our nominees and especially everyone who won an award last night.
“They all do a fantastic job in attracting 25,000 people into the Westside area on a Saturday night and as many as 10,000 on a midweek student night – and with so many people flocking into the city centre, we can surely say that the biggest winner each year is Birmingham itself.”
Entertainment at the awards came from music legends Heatwave who enticed those gathered to pack the dancefloor.
They set the temperature soaring with a selection of modern funk hits alongside their seventies disco classics, and Belly’s Caribbean Grill provided a selection of mouthwatering dishes to refuel revellers in time for the WOWs 2020 afterparty.
By Gary Young, pictures © Jas Sansi.
