Tens of thousands of votes have been cast in a competition to celebrate Preston’s nightlife and retailers.
AdvertisementOrganisers say 80,000 votes have been cast in this year’s Preston It Smiles Better Awards.
More than 450 people and premises were nominated in the awards and a record-breaking number of votes were cast, up 300 per cent on the previous year.
BID manager Mark Whittle said: “This is the only scheme of its kind regionally that recognises its businesses in such a high-profile way and campaigns like this are so important to continually promote the businesses, and their staff, that we represent.
“It is testament to the quality of businesses we have here in Preston city centre and to the engagement the people of the city feel with them that we have had such a huge response to this competition.
“To receive so many nominations and then for more than 80,000 votes to come in is fantastic and really backs up the fact that these awards are something for Preston businesses to really be proud of.”
Some of the categories in the awards now go into a mystery shopping round.
Judges will visit the finalists ahead of the awards night at Evoque nightclub on June 9.
The full list of finalists
Bar of the Year
Popworld
Ships and Giggles
The Adelphi
Kuckoo
Rift & Co
Stratos
Hartleys
Forum
Club of the Year
MACs
Warehouse
Baluga
Popworld
Evoque
Cameo and Vinyl
Loftys
Attic
Restaurant of the Year
Turtle Bay
Nandos
Duk-Pond
Moka
The Olive Tree
EastzEast
Tinos
CoCos
Pub of the Year
The Adelphi
The Twelve Tellers
Yates
Hogarths
Old Black Bull
The Station
The Wellington
The Market Tavern
Entertainer of the Year
DJ Dave Shepherd (Popworld)
DJ Awsim (MACs)
DJ Ben Fuller (Warehouse)
DJ Mark Freejack (Evoque)
DJ Vince Williams (Evoque)
DJ Stephen Kershaw (The Adelphi)
DJ Jammie (MACs)
DJ Andrew Forster (Baluga/Loftys)
Leisure manager of the Year
Colin Harper (MACs)
Fran Toal (Turtle Bay)
Ryan Aldred (The Adelphi)
Michael Baxter (Popworld)
Leigh Sweetman (Evoque)
Dave Brown (Cameon and Vinyl)
Tom Havlin (Baluga)
James Rafferty (Rift and Co)
Retail manager
Tom Baker (Office)
Beverley Wilkes (Debenhams)
Warren Allmark (Hawkins Bazaar)
Heather Redgewell (Lush)
Joanne White (Strictly Cupcakes)
Danielle White (Adya Boutique)
Edward Madison (Fat Face)
Abi Green (Boots)
Multi retailer
Topshop
Debenhams
River Island
Fat Face
H&M
Ann Summers
Marks and Spencers
Boots
Best customer services
Luke Pennington (Subway)
Jill Newman (Age UK Lancs0
Jessica Jackson (Dancers Wardrobe)
Emily Thirling (River Island)
John Beaumont (Slaters)
Tom Cunningham (Debenhams)
Jimi Ling (Lush)
Joanne White (Strictly Cupcakes)
Independent retailer
CoCo Boo Boutique
That Comic Shop
Mystery Tea House
Mary and Milly
Strictly Cupcakes
Pearl/Nail Art
Action Records
Ted Carter
Outstanding Achievement Retail
Kaitlin Murphy (New Look)
Gwenda Liptrot (PDSA)
Ronnie Ridings (Pandora)
Lynn Perks (Debenhams)
Andrew Stringer (St George’s)
Stacey Wignall (Sains and Sinners)
Clarissa Parker (Costa – St Georges)
Wayne Ashworth (Original Art Shop)
Outstanding Achievement Leisure
Richard Simkin (The Guild Hall)
Gary Mehan (Baluga)
Rob Binns (Glovers)
Natalie Dubois (Evoque)
Tom Hothersall (MACs)
Chelsea Shepherd (Mundo Tapas)
Phil Bowers (Hartleys)
Kirsty Hodgeon (Stanley Arms/Market Taverns)
Customer Service Champion
Andrea Mellon (Duk-Pond)
Jenny Norton (Debenhams)
Sheree Wale (Popworld)
Jon Walling (Evoque)
Daisy Dutton (Boots)
Black Shields (Pandora)
Judith Davidson (Specsavers)
Margaret Mason (Margaret Mason)
Best Customer Service Leisure
Lauren Nutten (MACs)
Jon Walling (Evoque)
Sarah Hobson (The Adelphi)
Tom Havlin (Baluga)
Davie Whitehead (Hartleys)
Danielle McCabe (Rift and Co)
Gian Luca Cianni (Tinos)
Misty Rose (Yates)
A special recognition award will be presented at the awards ceremony to someone who makes an outstanding contribution to the city centre.