The ceremony was held at ‘The Hawthorns’ the home of West Bromwich Albion FC. The aim of the awards ceremony was to highlight and reflect on the contribution, commitment and talents of young people in Sandwell.

The chair of Sandwell Youth Cabinet, Jessica Masaun, hosted the presentation evening with the assistance of celebrity Stefan Booth, who presented the awards to the talented winners. Stefan is famous for his acting roles in ‘Hollyoaks’ and ‘The Bill’, and is also known for his time on the first series of ‘Dancing on Ice’ where he finished as runner-up.

The ceremony consisted of 22 awards acknowledging a wide range of talents including the evenings special award for Sandwell's Brightest Star! Over a hundred nominations were received covering all the different categories. The entries were short-listed by the Youth Cabinet, which turned out to be a very difficult process as so many talented young people were nominated.

The evening started with an introduction to the awards ceremony, followed by a meal and entertainment provided by Westlife tribute act ‘Westlike’. Everyone was out of their seats and dancing along to hits such as ‘Uptown girl’ and ‘Flying without wings.’ The event gave young people the chance to let their hair down, have fun and meet new people.

As the presentations got under way, Stefan Booth was invited up on
to the stage and gave a speech congratulating the nominees and talked about the importance of believing in yourself. He said “How you present yourself in the world is very important. If you have integrity people will trust and believe in you. Gaining qualifications is also important; commit, raise your standards, be confident, believe
in yourself and you can achieve anything.”

The awards were given out to rapturous applause from the young audience, with each winner excited and proud to have their achievements recognised. Tariq Karim, Youth Involvement Manager, said “It has been an amazing night. The work and dedication that the Youth Cabinet have put into organising the Star Awards makes me feel very proud. It’s overwhelming to see that we have so many talented young people in Sandwell, who often go unrecognised, and hopefully tonight has helped to re-address that.”

Award Winners

Arts Awards

Team Arts - Black Is Beautiful youth theatre
“This group of young people feel passionate about sharing their life experiences and express their creativity through drama.”

Individual Arts - Joshua Whitehouse
“Joshua (pictured below) has an artistic ability that is rare. He is truly amazing, dedicated, hard working and a true inspiration.”

Team Performance - Dramatic Movements
“Performing for over three years, this group of young men represent dedication, excellence and outstanding achievements in dance.”

Individual Performance - Mohammed Karim
“Mohammed has performed in a number of competitions and has a talent that should be recognised, he is a truly gifted singer.”

Life Stars

Young carer - Ryan & Bradley Green
“These young men are carers for their mother who has a long term physical illness. They are both an inspiration to us all.”

Young Achiever - Suzi Jones
“Suzi has faced some difficult challenges in her life yet she is always focused and grasps every opportunity to learn new skills and gain new experiences.”


Community Stars

Young Volunteer - Daniel Osmond
“Dedicated, enthusiastic and will try anything to better himself and other disabled people.”

Dedication - Robert Walsh
“In seven years at school he has never had a day off and has 100% attendance.”

Voice Stars

Youth group - SHOUT!
“This group have achieved so much in respect of anti-homophobic bullying.”

Young voice - Alex Hudson
“An excellent ambassador for his school. He gives his time freely and is the driving force behind the bullying help society.”

School Council - Tividale Community Arts College
“The council have worked innovatively to develop their own website and involve the entire school in the process.”


Sports Stars

Sporting Team - Sandwell Girls Relay Squad
“This team has won both the regional junior title as well as the under 15 title.”

Sporting Individual - Megan Dixon
“Megan is a determined athlete and competes in the pentathlon.”

Heroic Stars

Young male - Ian Rudge
“Has overcome barriers relating to his Asperger Syndrome, Ian is now an independent, mature young man.”

Young female - Michaela Beresford
This young woman has coped with what life has thrown at her. Michaela hasn’t given up when life was hard and instead has worked extremely hard and is excelling in school.”

Brightest Star

Brightest Star Award - Kerry Payton
“Kerry (pictured above) is an exceptional young woman and parent who is dedicated to making a real change for young parents in Sandwell. The most remarkable thing is her dedication to making such a difference to her own life and the life of her children. Despite all that life has thrown at her, this young woman is a brilliant mother, a fantastic role model and an inspiration.”