Rear of the Year was a British award for celebrities who were considered to have an attractive posterior. It was created by publicity consultant Anthony Edwards in 1976. Initially, it was awarded only to women, but in 1986 the first award was made to a man and from 1997 it was awarded annually to one woman and one man. By 2015 the award was generating a level of media coverage equivalent to £4 million (US$ million) Advertising Value Equivalent. The award was organised by Rear of the Year Limited until the company was dissolved in 2021. The last contest was held in 2019. History Edwards initiated the award as a way to promote specific brands of jeans. Barbara Windsor won the first award in 1976, which was presented as a one-off publicity stunt. Five years later it became an annual event with Felicity Kendal receiving the honours. The 1982 winner Suzi Quatro commented: "I’ve been told since I was about eight or nine that I had a nice bottom ... So, when I won the award, I was actually quite proud." The singer Lulu, who won the 1983 award, was later asked by a journalist if she felt that she had been the subject of objectification when she won the award, and replied: 'I think you're taking this all much too seriously'. On winning the award in 1985, Lynsey de Paul quipped "I would like to thank the organisers from the heart of my bottom". In 1986, the award was presented to a man for the first time (Michael Barrymore) and 1991 saw Marina Ogilvy, the daughter of Princess Alexandra, became the first royal recipient. A male award was given to Richard Fairbrass in 1994 and from 1997 the male award became a regular part of the annual event. The 2002 award to Charlotte Church attracted controversy as the winner had only recently turned 16 at the time. 2010 winner Fiona Bruce accepted the award and participated in a photoshoot, happily posing for pictures in tight jeans. However, she subsequently described the award as "the most hypocritical, ridiculous, ludicrous thing I’ve ever done." In 2014, Carol Vorderman became the first person to receive the award for a second time, joking: "I always suspected there were a lot of people out there who were glad to see the back of me. It now appears there were even more than I thought."