Melton Times Sports Awards 2017: The big night is here

The anticipation is building as we get ready to announce the winners of the Melton Times Sports Awards for 2017.
Our Melton Times 2016 Sports Awards winners EMN-181101-163711002Our Melton Times 2016 Sports Awards winners EMN-181101-163711002
Our Melton Times 2016 Sports Awards winners EMN-181101-163711002

A record number of guests, sponsors and finalists are expected to pack out the banqueting suite at Melton Mowbray Market for tonight’s awards evening.

The doors will open at 6.15pm, with a pie and mash supper to be served at 7pm, and the awards to follow from around 8pm.

We are delighted to welcome a new face to our 13th annual awards tonight as BBC Radio presenter Melvyn Prior hosts the event for the first time.

After almost two months of nominations, judging and voting, three finalists have been shortlisted for each of our 13 awards.

Each contender will have a citation of their achievements read out as they approach the stage before the winner is unveiled.

The evening will culminate with our two blue riband awards - the Sports Personality and Junior Sports Personality of the Year – which have been decided exclusively by readers’ votes.

The awards were set up to give some richly-deserved recognition to grassroots sport in the borough and is open to all ages and sports.

They also serve to honour sports that are often overlooked, with tonight’s finalists representing a staggering 18 different sports from the mainstream to the minority.

“The night is a great way to remember and reflect on exactly what has been achieved over the last 12 months,” said Melton Times sports editor Chris Harby.

“It’s easy to forget just how strong a year it has been until you put it all together in one night.

“It’s a shame there can only be one winner in each category as there were so many amazing stories this year.

“Everyone who has made it this far deserves to be treated like a champion, and we hope they will leave us feeling just like that.”

* For those unable to join us tonight, the winners will be unveiled live via the @MeltonSport Twitter feed and published online at www.meltontimes.co.uk tonight (Thursday) from 10.30pm.

The full story and picture spread will be available on our website on Friday morning and, of course, in next Thursday’s Melton Times.

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