Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight has earned the 2026 Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce President’s Award for helping to “reshape how the world sees Birmingham”.
President Andy Dawson (pictured) told 1,000 attendees at the GBCC’s awards dinner last night: “Wherever I travel in the world, whenever I tell a taxi driver that I’m from Birmingham, the response is always the same: ‘Peaky Blinders.’
“Tonight, we recognise a man whose storytelling has carried the spirit of Birmingham onto the global stage.
“From Small Heath to Hollywood, Steven Knight has never forgotten his roots.
“He has helped to reshape how the world sees Birmingham: a city of grit, talent, creativity, and opportunity. His work inspires millions.”
Knight, the Birmingham-born screenwriter, producer and director, brought global attention to his home city – with historical crime drama Peaky Blinders going on to be a worldwide success after first airing in 2013.
He brought the story back to its roots this year when a glittering film premiere of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man was held at the Symphony Hall.
Much of the movie was filmed on the streets of Birmingham and at Knight’s Digbeth Loc Studios in Digbeth.
Andy Dawson added: “Earlier this year, Birmingham took centre stage again with the Netflix premiere of The Immortal Man at Symphony Hall.
“And now he [Steven Knight] is busy writing the next James Bond film.
“It is my privilege to present Steven with the President’s Award in recognition of his outstanding work and commitment to championing the city.
“Sadly, being the busy man that he is, he could not make tonight, so I look forward to presenting him with his award in person, when I next see him.”
The GBCC president also issued rallying call to business leaders to support young people.
He highlighted the challenges facing young people in the region and urged businesses to do more to facilitate opportunities.
He said: “While this city is full of talent, too many young people are still struggling to find opportunity.
“And that should concern every single one of us.
“We live in one of the youngest and most diverse cities in Europe. Our young people are our future.
“Yet across this region, youth unemployment remains a real and constant challenge.
“The simple and uncomfortable truth is talent is everywhere – opportunity is not.
“I built my career in a different era. There were milk rounds, graduate schemes, predictable career pathways into work.
“Today’s generation faces a different reality – economic uncertainty, intense competition, and now the rapid disruption of AI in the workplace.
“Today, many young people are asking themselves: ‘Where do they even fit in?’
“Not because they lack the motivation or the ability to perform at their best, it’s because they aren’t given the opportunity to do so.
“And we make it harder. We ask for experience before giving people the opportunity to gain it.
“We rely heavily on networks and rooms that not everyone has access to.
“That is not just a social issue. It’s a leadership issue.
“Because great leadership isn’t just about delivering business results. It is also about creating opportunities for others, especially young people.
“So tonight, my challenge to every leader in this room is simple. What is one opportunity you could create for a young person next week, that they would not be able to access themselves?
“Because if every person in this room consistently opened the door of opportunity, we would not just change individual lives, we would change the trajectory of this region.”