The motor industry personality, car retailer and carmaker of the year will take the three headline honours in AM Awards 2003 at the International Convention Centre, Birmingham, on February 27.

For a more than a decade, the Automotive Management and AutoTrade Awards - though run separately - were viewed as the ones to win in the UK motor retail and aftermarket sectors. The categories have now been revised, updated and increased to create an honours list which reflects the relaunch of the Automotive Management and AutoTrade titles as AM with its wider influence throughout the industry.

For the first time, there is an award for an industry personality who has made his or her mark in any automotive sector. Four new awards, recognising innovation, are open to companies in all sectors including one for policies designed to protect the environment. Nine other awards will honour the professionalism of car retailers and companies involved in aftersales.

The achievement of reaching the shortlist in this fiercely contested industry honours list will be spotlighted at the black-tie awards dinner, both on the big screen and in the programme. One outright winner will be announced for each category on the night, replacing the traditional Automotive Management gold, silver and bronze trophies.

Stephen Briers, acting group editor, AM/Sewells, says: “We have given a great deal of thought to the structure of the AM Awards and increased the number of categories from 12 to 16. “All our research indicates that executives attending our awards dinners like the presentation ceremony to be completed quickly - it is the focal point of an evening of business networking and entertainment.

“Enquiries from companies wanting to enter next year's awards started to reach us in the spring and we expect competition to become one of the first outright winners of an AM Award to be vigorous.”

Independent quality assessors will visit each shortlisted company and prepare a report for the panel of judges whose names will be announced later. An entry form with detailed criteria for each category will be available later this month. To receive an entry form (with detailed category criteria), or to reserve a table at the dinner, contact Sue White by phone (01733 468 272) or email (sue. white@emap.com).