There will be no red carpet in Blantyre this year as organisers have decided to take a break from 2020’s Blantyre Oscars.
Residents in the town may be disappointed to learn that the popular, annual, glitzy event is taking a temporary reprieve in its fourth year.
Blantyre historian and event organiser Paul Veverka announced the news on his Blantyre Telegraph Facebook page this week and said: “As event organiser, and despite plenty of excellent candidates for local nominees, we’ve decided regrettably not to host the event in 2020, with commitments elsewhere taking precedence.
“The event takes several months to organise, a huge commitment for us and by our own admission, 2020 is already shaping up to be a busy year, requiring our attention in other local community start-up projects, work commitments and personal projects.
“To ensure Blantyre Oscars remains popular, with quality nominee videos, and continues to sell out, we’ll be turning our attention to it again at the end of 2020 and promise exclusively it will be back (with celebs) bigger and better than ever in spring time 2021.
“Meantime, we look forward to announcing new, interactive, significant fundraisers later in the spring, which we hope will directly benefit the Summer Gala.
“Thanks for your understanding.”
Guests in previous years at Blantyre’s Oscars have been surprised with some fabulous celebrity messages for the winners in each category – including Coronation Street’s Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoyne), Eileen Grimshaw (Sue Cleaver) and Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson); as well as John Challis (Boycie from Only Fools and Horses); former Superman actor Dean Cain; ex-model Linda Lusardi; Christopher Biggins; Tim Oliver; pop sensation Chesney Hawkes; and Eastenders’ Barry (Shaun Williamson).
The event also garners the attention of the Blantyre public, with thousands of people logging on each year to vote for the nominees.
Each year funds raised on the night are donated to a charity as well as some of the money being put towards the running costs of the town’s annual popular Summer Gala.
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