The Asian Women of Achievement Awards, founded by Pinky Lilani CBE DL in 1999, celebrate multicultural Britain and the contribution of diverse cultures and talents to UK society. We put on a platform, the phenomenal Asian women across the UK and across industries, who are making a valuable and important contribution to British life. The awards play a key role in redefining the contribution of Asian women; and informing a new, positive, pro-diversity debate.
A life changing experience
The awards have led to the creation of numerous initiatives and projects designed to help women and improve opportunities for the next generation. The awards are not simply a night of recognition but a community and a programme of initiatives that offer the opportunity for candidates to meet like-minded women and build business contacts.
Our sister initiative, the Women of the Future Programme, enables opportunities through our Women of the Future Network and Women of the Future Ambassadors Programme.
Shortlist candidates from the AWA Awards are invited to become members of the Network and act as Ambassadors for the schools initiative. Please find below more information on these programmes.
Connected Programmes
An active network of high achieving women
Celebrating the UK's pipeline of female talent
Connecting students with role models and strengthening the pipeline of talent
A global forum for female leaders
What our candidates say
AWA has given me the platform and confidence to aim high and accept no less than the best from myself. I have made lifelong friends, confidantes and mentors since being shortlisted in 2008. In turn, I have gained the self-belief to mentor and advise the women around me. Sure, I'd still be a lawyer if I hadn't been part of AWA, but my purpose would have remained undiscovered. AWA lifted my gaze and for that I will be eternally grateful to Pinky and her fantastic vision.
Sharmila Mehta
Consultant Solicitor, Farrer & Co Finalist for the 2008 AWA Professions Award
When they say, 'everyone is a winner', became entirely true for me. I was one of the finalist in the Entrepreneur category in 2003. I didn't have to win to feel empowered. Just being a finalist opened many doors for me and certainly widened my horizons. I was on 'Woman's Hour', I was asked to sit on panels, and mentor other young entrepreneurs.
The Women of the Future Network encompasses so many divergent and vibrant women. Just being in their midst energises one and make one feel that anything is achievable.This is not always about business but also about friendship, comradery and fellowship. It has enriched my life.
Shernaz Engineer
CEO, Verity Appointments & Veracity Education Finalist for the 2003 AWA Entrepreneur Award
I knew that it was special being nominated for and winning the Asian Women of Achievement award for work in the Media. Getting recognition for your work from your peers, from business leaders from the wider business world is not only gratifying but is a huge confidence boost to do even better. I felt honoured but as I learnt the ethos and values of the awards embodied in the founder, Pinky Lilani, I felt an enormous pride that this award should be a celebration not just for me, but also for all Asian women who are achieving great things every day without recognition. I felt a huge responsibility to use this honour to support and mentor women to gain the recognition they deserve and to make a difference in the world.Winning the award was not only a wonderful launchpad for me personally and professionally, but it gave me the confidence and self-belief to do more, not just for myself, but for others and this is what makes these awards so special and unique. Since the award, I have continued to work in television production on successful shows and I have used my business skills on the West of England LEP board, helping to attract £90m of investment to the South West. I have also pursued my love for food by writing a book about spices and health – Spice Yourself Slim – and I founded a charity called '91 Ways to Build A Global City' which is breaking down barriers and building greater understanding between Bristol's 91 language communities. That work in changing people's lives was recognised by a Woman of the Year award and a nomination for the Inspiration Award for the Guild of Food Writers. I have also been selected to be a face of the Vibrant Economy for Grant Thornton for 2017.I don't think I would have been able to achieve any of this without the opportunity and confidence the AWA award gave me and I hope I can inspire and empower other women to believe they can achieve their dreams too.
Kalpna Woolf
Founder, 91 Ways to Build A Global City Winner for the 2013 AWA Media Award
I was so privileged to win the 2009 Public Sector award. I found myself feeling a greater sense of responsibility to live up to the award and reassess how I could pay back and support others. In my journey since I have sought to focus on three values – compassion, collaboration and confidence – and that these should inform and shape what I do and how I do it. Compassion means that I seek to understand and connect with people, placing trust at the heart of my relationships. The generosity of kindness flows from this. This essential oil fuels my professional and personal networks. Collaboration follows, what you put in is more than matched by what you get out of the relationships you invest in and those you help. And finally, confidence. The award reinforced this, strengthened my own determination and clarified my own sense of ambition. It inspired me to pursue the jobs I wanted, get them and then make them my own. But in doing so, I realised that others need to believe in themselves too, to find their path, so it gave me the confidence too to share my story and seek to empower others to believe in themselves.
Vicki Treadell CMG MVO
British High Commissioner, Malaysia Winner for the 2009 AWA Public Sector Award
It was an absolute honour to win the Chairman's Award at the Asian Women of Achievement Awards in 2015. It came as a complete surprise and I still remember that moment it was announced on the night as if it was yesterday. So, what does it mean? First and foremost , being publically recognised for my work has given me an inner confidence to realise my potential. Such an endorsement has empowered me to continue with my projects linked to health and community service. In a way, winning has been a blessing and opened so many doors and given me endless new opportunities. I have also met so many amazing people in many other fields – it is like I have inherited a new AWA family.
Jyoti Shah
Consultant Urological Surgeon, Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Winner for the 2015 AWA Chairman's Award
Since being the recipient of the prestigious AWA 2015 in the Sport category, my life has changed 360°, in a positive way. It has given me a platform to empower, inspire, and more importantly educate young women, make them realize that with hard work, sacrifice, dedication and commitment, dreams can and do come true – I'm living proof! The AWA awards exposed me to the rest of the world as a professional elite coach and broke the barriers I have encountered pursuing my dream. I have won Sky Sports Women 2015 Hellen Rollason award for inspiration, WeAreTheCity Sports Winner 2015 and I have been invited to speak at FIFA International Women Conference 2016. I have used these blessed opportunities to be the voice and cheerleader for all the young women who are dreaming of a bright future, but are suffering discrimination and lack of self confidence in silence.
Annie Zaidi
FA BAME, The FA Winner for the 2015 AWA Sport Award
I feel so very privileged to have won an AWA Award. The win has given me a renewed responsibility of being a role model. I want to use the award to help the young people I mentor to recognise that they too can achieve their goals. I also believe it will help me to strengthen my own voice within the communications industry I work in, to promote ethnically diverse cultures in businesses, something which is much needed. The award has pushed me out of my comfort zone and has started to change my life. Ultimately, it is a dream come true and something I will forever cherish
Deepa Shah
CFO, Hall & Partners Winner for the 2016 AWA Business Award
My Asian roots are based on a culture which celebrates and encourages women to not be too ambitious, to blend in with society. So for most of my life, I have been largely invisible – until winning the 2016 Asian Woman of Achievement, Entrepreneur Award.
The awards really did put me in the spotlight, helping me to recognise that I am an entrepreneur and that yes, I can achieve. It made me a very visible example for many other women and their young daughters to see as a beacon of hope that someone like them, an Asian woman, can succeed.
Since winning the award, I have been recognised as one of the 2017 Women to Watch inLuxury, and Tengri has grown to support 4,500 nomadic herder families in Mongolia, increasing their incomes by as much as 10 to 18 fold. The business has been recognised by Sustainia100 as a global sustainable solution, delivering against four United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
I am incredibly proud of this award and feel very privileged to be recognized in a way that has enhanced my self-belief. I believe I have a duty and responsibility to inspire and encourage other woman and young girls to make their dreams a reality.
Nancy Johnston
CEO and Founder, Tengri Winner for the 2016 Entrepreneur Award
We all know it takes a lot of courage, hard work, perseverance and in some cases luck to be successful in any industry. But we often forget one very important factor. It also takes a believer, a stepping stone.
A previous AWA award winner (and a complete stranger) Tanya Datta nominated me in January 2016 for the AWA Arts & Culture award. Against all odds and fierce competition, I was honoured with the award in May 2016!
Since then I've been invited to several schools and libraries, have received some very heart-warming messages from children and many lovely testimonials. I've also got many more school and library visits in the pipeline.
The Asian Women of Achievement awards, has been my stepping stone.
Creator, Dev and Ollie Books Winner for the 2016 Arts & Culture Award
"This is the 20th year of the Asian Women of Achievement awards, the most established and prestigious programme for Asian business leaders, community workers and cultural figures in the UK. When I started this project, my hope was to spotlight talented but often unsung Asian women. Today, our vision is that these awards should be the pre-eminent platform for celebrating the contribution of diverse cultures and talents to UK society."
PINKY LILANI CBE DL
Chairman, Asian Women of Achievement Awards
Founder, Women of the Future Programme
It is a privilege to be patron of these wonderful and important awards. They are a fantastic showcase of the phenomenally talented Asian women in the UK today and I encourage you to get involved in this year's campaign. Each year I am humbled by the wealth of talent showcased at the awards and the stories of achievement across British life.
HRH Princess Badiya bint El Hassan
I am delighted to be involved with these wonderful awards. The awards are a great way to celebrate the broad range of achievements of Asian women in Britain, and to encourage future successes. Winning and indeed being shortlisted for one of these accolades is a valuable credential.