When sculptor Sebastian Pedley was asked to create works of art which would symbolise the streetwise spirit of the town he knew what would fit the bill.

He created tiny figures made of pewter that carry miniature mobile phones.

They will be handed to the winners of an event to honour the best of Brighton and Hove, the Juicy Awards, at a ceremony this weekend.

The awards are for best cafe, bar, hotel, pub, restaurant, venue, nightclub, DJ, entrepreneur, new business, waiter and pub landlord.

The event is being organised by Gilly Smith and Lucy Shuttleworth, authors of the Juicy Guide to Brighton and Hove.

Sebastian, 29, of Denmark Terrace, Brighton, is working flat out to finish the figures, called Ju-C, in time for the star-studded ceremony.

He said: "It's a trendy little person and someone you are likely to see in Brighton. It could be male or female and has a casual, up-to-date look with really trendy little trainers. The character is also quite friendly and I hope that makes the awards unpretentious."

Sebastian, who is based at the Maze Studios in School Road, Hove, helped create the eye-catching interiors for bars and restaurants around Sussex including Skid Row and the Strand Restaurant in Brighton.

The sculptor and designer was chosen by Gilly and Lucy to create the awards, which are being sponsored by The Argus.

The friends pooled their love of the town to write The Juicy Guide to Brighton and Hove which promises to be an insiders' guide, written by locals for locals.

It features sections on commuting, the seaside, neighbourhoods, schools and reviews on clubs, bars and restaurants.

Gilly and Lucy, who are both 36 and live in Kemp Town, spent months living it up shopping, clubbing, eating and talking to friends to gather research for the publication.

A masked ball at the Old Ship Hotel on Sunday night will mark the launch of the Juicy Guide and the Juicy Awards, which are being billed as our alternative to The Oscars.

Designed to showcase the best of Brighton and Hove, the ceremony will include short films of the nominees featuring the smooth-talking voice of Mitch Johnson, of the BBC's Live and Kicking.

There will be raunchy dancing from the bare-chested Adonis Cabaret, tunes from the Dolly Mixers and spectacular light shows from Designate as part of the event, being organised by Zap Productions.

Local celebrities Carol Barnes, Albion striker Darren Freeman, actors Joe McGann, Judy Cornwell and Julie Graham are among the stars who will attend.

Gilly said: "We have taken the whole frame of The Oscars and given them a Brightonesque turn."

The Place To Be campaign for city status will give the award for best entrepreneur and The Argus will announce the winner of our search to find the best pub landlord in Brighton and Hove.

Check out the Juicy website at www.juicyguides.co.uk

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