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 (as Central Television) 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: 1989 - Sir Alec Jeffreys 1992 - Phil Drabble 1995 - Jasper Carrott 2001 - John Towers 2002 - Stephen Westaby (heart surgeon at John Radcliffe Hospital) 2003 - Martin Johnson 2001 categories The nine special category winners for 2001 were: Arts: Peter Tod (theatre director, Birmingham Hippodrome). Entertainment: Meera Syal (writer and actress). Sportsman: Martin Johnson (rugby union captain of Leicester Tigers, England and the last British Lions tour). Sportswoman: Ellen MacArthur (round-the-world yachtswoman). Business: Perween Warsi (chief executive, S&A Foods). Enterprise: Mich Stevenson (chairman, Nottingham Galleries of Justice, National Ice Arena and Nottingham Waterside). Community: Rita Patel (Peepul Centre in Leicester). Public Service: Malcolm Walker (police officer, killed in service). Lifetime: UB40 (for services to popular music and the region). The 2001 judging panel comprised Carlton representatives, leaders from industry, education, regional government and community groups, and senior staff from the award's media partners which include the Birmingham Evening Mail, Birmingham Post, Burton Daily Mail, Century 106 (East Midlands), Coventry Evening Telegraph, Express & Star (Wolverhampton), Oxford Mail, The Sentinel (Stoke-on-Trent), Shropshire Star and Worcester Evening News. The panel was chaired by Roger Cadbury, Carlton's regional advisory council chairman. 2003 categories Sporting: Paula Radcliffe, long-distance runner (for services to international sport) Lifetime: Robert Plant, Musician (for services to music and young people) Birmingham University Lifelong Learning: Professor Tim Brighouse, retired Chief Education Officer, Birmingham City Council (for services to educational standards) Community: Michelle Lewis MBE, Wheelchair Athlete (for services to charitable fundraising) Cultural: David Bintley CBE, Artistic Director, Birmingham Royal Ballet (for services to the arts) Innovation: Professor Mike Topping, inventor and academic (for services to innovation and people with disabilities) Young