The 21st Asian Achievers Awards, celebrating British Asian achievement across multiple fields, have announced 2023’s finalists during South Asian Heritage Month in the UK.
This prestigious event continues to recognize and honor the outstanding work of individuals within the South Asian community, who are making significant contributions to various sectors, including politics, business and civil society.
More than 500 nominations were received across all the categories for this year’s wards. Categories include: Arts And Culture, Business Person Of The Year, Community Service, Entrepreneur Of The Year, Lifetime Achievement Award, Media, Professional Of The Year Sports Personality Of The Year, Uniformed And Civil Service and Woman Of The Year.
SPOTLIGHTING SOUTH ASIAN EXCELLENCE
The Asian Achievers Awards spotlight the diverse talents of South Asians in the UK. This year’s shortlist includes accomplished figures from various backgrounds, breaking barriers and excelling in their respective fields. From the star of BBC One drama A Suitable Boy and Apple TV+ Shantaram, Shubham Saraf, to Anwar Uddin MBE, the first British-Bangladeshi player in English football history, and Bina Mehta, the first woman to hold the role of Chair at KPMG UK in its 15-year history, the shortlist represents the best and brightest in South Asian excellence across the country.
“We have community leaders, innovators and job creators that have added to the social, cultural and business fabric of the UK,” stated Liji George, Commercial Director, Asian Achievers Awards. Congratulations to all the shortlist and best of luck for the Awards.”
The judges for this year’s awards were also chosen to represent a wide cross-section of society from charity, public services, business, entrepreneurship and politics. They include Farzana Baduel (CEO and Co-Founder, Curzon PR), Shamil Thakrar (Co-Founder, Dishoom), former England cricketer and Yorkshire captain Azeem Rafiq, Chair of Unicef UK Shatish Dasani, Chair of the Police Federation for the City of London Mike Reed, and Mohammed Amin MBE, trustee of The National Warm Memorial.
INSPIRING TALENT
The awards ceremony, organised by global advisory firm EPG and supported by Market Financial Solutions (MFS), Axiom DWFM, Asian Voice, Gujarat Samachar, and others, is not just a celebration but also an opportunity to make a positive impact. The event is expected to raise over £150,000 for charity partner One Kind Act, reflecting the spirit of giving back within the South Asian community.
Nitin Ganatra (Eastenders), entrepreneur, philanthropist and documentary filmmaker, returns as the host of the evening. “The Asian Achievers Awards celebrate the best of the awe-inspiring talent we have in the South Asian community today. Every year I come to these Awards and am impressed by the standard of nominations and the quality of the shortlist. Just look back at the last two decades of winners and you’ll see the event has tracked the growth of our community for more than a generation,” stated Ganatra.
Joining him as the co-host is renowned Pakistani actress and model, Ainy Jaffri Rahman (Balu Mahi). “Everywhere we look in the South Asian community in Britain today, it is full of inspirational people. Some excel on screen, and others do it quietly in their local neighbourhoods. I’m pleased to be involved in the AAA to be able to celebrate these hidden gems, who I hope can inspire the next generation,” shared Rahman.
2023 ASIAN ACHIEVERS SHORTLIST
This year’s shortlist of finalists by category, include:
Art and Culture
- Archana Kumar
- Jasdeep Singh Degun
- Prathiba Parmer
- Shubham Saraf
Business Person of the Year
- Dr Dharminder Nagar
- Harren Jhoti
- Nisha Katona MBE
- Zeeshan Shah
Community Service
- Atif Ali
- Baljeet Chane
- Poulomi Desai
- Shalni Arora
Entrepreneur of the Year
- Nurdin Jivraj
- Rishi Patel
- Siddhi Mittal
- Tani Dulay
- Vaysh Kewada
Media
- Aditya Chakrabortty
- Anila Dhami
- Rubina Papani and Poppy Jay
- Shamim Chowdhury
Professional of the Year
- Bina Mehta
- Dr Nikki Kanani
- Dr Lalitha Iyer
- Professor KJ Patel
Sports Personality of the Year
- Anwar Uddin MBE
- Bhupinder Singh Gill
- Hamzah Sheeraz
- Naomi Dilip Dattani
Uniformed and Civil Service
- Asrar-Ul-Haq OBE DL
- HHJ Anuja Ravindra Dhir QC
- Murugesvran Subramanian
- Salman Desai KAM
Woman of the Year
- Dr Lalitha Iyer
- Ridwana Wallace-Laher
- Rukshana Kapasi
- Saloni Bhojwani and Samira Ann Qassim
The 21st Asian Achievers Awards are more than just an awards ceremony; they symbolize the strength, resilience, and diversity of the South Asian community in the UK. Congratulations to all the finalists, and best of luck for the Awards night on Friday, 15th September 2023, at the prestigious London Hilton on Park Lane. To find out more about the Asian Achievers Awards, click here.
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