After almost 45,000 votes cast in the What's On Readers' Awards 2017, we're delighted to announce the group winners, as voted for by the public...

 

Best Kids Show

Disney On Ice​ presents Frozen - WINNER
The Birmingham Stage Company​'s Gangsta Granny - RUNNER-UP
Room On The Broom
Pins and Needles​' The Bear
The Snowman
Little Angel Theatre​'s We're Going On A Bear Hunt 

 

Best Midlands Amateur Dramatic/Operatic Group

Wolverhampton Musical Comedy Company - WINNER
Old Joint Stock Theatre Company - RUNNER-UP
Bilston Operatic Company
Bournville Musical Theatre Company
Get Your Wigle On
WBOS - Musical Theatre Shows

 

Best Midlands Classical Production

Welsh National Opera's Sweeney Todd - WINNER
Birmingham Opera Company's Dido 'n' Aeneas - RUNNER-UP
English Touring Opera's Don Giovanni
Sasha Regan's All Male HMS Pinafore
Welsh National Opera's Kiss Me Kate

 

Best Midlands Band

The Twang - WINNER
Ned's Atomic Dustbin - RUNNER-UP
Electric Swing Circus
Peace
Stephen Duffy & The Lilac Time

 

Best Midlands Large Theatre

Birmingham Hippodrome - WINNER
Wolverhampton Grand - RUNNER-UP
Birmingham Repertory Theatre
Royal Shakespeare Company
Regent Theatre & Victoria Hall
New Alexandra Theatre

 

Best Midlands Musician

Laura Mvula - WINNER
Scott Matthews - RUNNER-UP
Dan Owen
Libby Gliksman
Soweto Kinch

 

Best Touring Play

The Full Monty - WINNER
Of Mice & Men - RUNNER-UP
Gangsta Granny
Shawshank Redemption
The Woman In Black

 

Best Midlands Comedy Night

Comedy Carousel at Glee Club Birmingham - WINNER
Comedy at Henry Tudor House - RUNNER-UP
BLUE Giraffe Comedy Nights 
Can Comedy
Comedy 42 at Lichfield Garrick
Just the Tonic at The Comedy Loft - Birmingham

 

Best Pantomime in The Midlands

Wolverhampton Grand's Aladdin - WINNER
Birmingham Hippodrome's Dick Whittington - RUNNER-UP
Theatre Severn's Cinderella
Regent Theatre & Victoria Hall's Cinderella
Belgrade Theatre, Coventry's Dick Whittington
Lichfield Garrick's Sleeping Beauty

 

Best Midlands Chef

Glynn Purnell (Purnell's Restaurant) - WINNER
Adam Stokes (Adam's) - RUNNER-UP
Brad Carter (Carters of Moseley)
Luke Tipping (Simpsons Restaurant)
Richard Turner (Turners at 69)

 

Best Dance Production

Birmingham Royal Ballet's The Nutcracker - WINNER
Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty - RUNNER-UP
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater 
Vienna Festival Ballet's Snow White
Balletboyz's Life

 

Best Classical Orchestra/Choir

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra - WINNER
Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra - RUNNER-UP
Birmingham Bach Choir
Birmingham Contemporary Music Group
Birmingham Gay Symphony Orchestra
 

 

Best Touring Musical

Mamma Mia - WINNER
Mary Poppins - The Musical - RUNNER-UP
Hairspray (musical)
Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story On Stage
Blood Brothers
Jersey Boys UK

 

Best Midlands Street Food Vendor

Buddha Belly - WINNER
The Vegan Grindhouse by Vegan Vox - RUNNER-UP
Low 'N' Slow
Baked in Brick
The Bournville Waffle Company
The Meat Shack

 

Best Midlands Retail Shopping Centre

Bullring Birmingham - WINNER
intu Merry Hill - RUNNER-UP
Grand Central Birmingham
The Mailbox
Touchwood
Telford Shopping Centre

 

Best Midlands Music Festival

Shrewsbury Folk Festival - WINNER
Moseley Folk Festival - RUNNER-UP
Slam Dunk Festival
Birmingham and Solihull Jazz and Blues Festival
Lichfield Fuse Festival

 

Best Midlands Food Festival

Ludlow Food Festival - WINNER
Great British Food Festival - RUNNER UP
Shrewsbury Food Festival 
Lichfield Food Festival 
Foodies Festival 

 

Best Midlands Music Venue

Symphony Hall, Birmingham - WINNER
O2 Academy Birmingham - RUNNER-UP
Genting Arena
Barclaycard Arena
Regent Theatre & Victoria Hall

 

Best Midlands Comedy Breakthrough Artist

Sarah Johnson - WINNER
Tom Christian - RUNNER UP
Josh Pugh 
Masai Graham
Stu Woodings

 

Best Midlands Arts Festival

Birmingham Comedy Festival - WINNER
International Dance Festival Birmingham - RUNNER UP
Birmingham Literature Festival
Flatpack Film Festival 
Godiva Festival 
Artsfest (University of Wolverhampton) 

 

Best Midlands Independent Cinema

The Electric Cinema, Birmingham - WINNER
Light House Media Centre - RUNNER UP
The Old Market Hall
mac Birmingham
Red Carpet Cinema And Cafe Bar

 

Best Midlands Personality Of The Year

Doreen Tipton - WINNER
Julie Walters - RUNNER UP
Adil Ray (Citizen Khan)
Beverley Knight
Lenny Henry

 

Best Home Produced Show

Gangsta Granny (The Birmingham Stage Company) - WINNER
The Wind In The Willows (Old Rep) - RUNNER UP
Bring On The Bollywood (Belgrade Theatre, Coventry) 
Hamlet (Royal Shakespeare Company)
Singin' In The Rain (New Vic Theatre) 
The Exorcist (Birmingham Repertory Theatre)