101 leading British Asians
The Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, attended a gala event, which unveiled the GG2 Power List 101 honouring teenage activist Malala Yousafzai with the number one spot, on last night.
The Power List, compiled by The Asian Media and Marketing Group (AMG), features the top 101 most influential Asians in the UK, ranging from all walks of life. Now in its third year, the list honours some notable British Asians who hold power and influence not just in Britain, but also globally.
Malala tops this year’s list for her work in raising awareness for female empowerment. The teenager, who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize earlier this year, is recognised for her courage and bravery in the face of adversity. As a powerful and influential spokesperson, with the ability to reach out to global audiences as well as political decision makers, Malala’s top position on the Power List is certainly deserving.
The top ten of the Power List alone sees some distinguished names across different sectors including media and entertainment, politics and business. Last year’s number one, Labour MP Keith Vaz moved down from the leading spot in favour of Malala Yousafzai, and now comes in at number two. Representing the business and finance industry, the Hinduja brothers were awarded the number four position.
Perhaps most significantly, flying the flag for Asians who have made an impression in the international music scene, One Direction star, Zayn Malik features as a new entry at an impressive number seven. Notably, the pop phenomenon’s high position on the list sees him beating his Asian contemporaries like Nitin Sawhney and Jay Sean, after only three years in the industry. Music sensations MIA and Naughty Boy, who have made waves across the globe with their hugely successful number one singles, also join Malik as newcomers.
As well as the music sector increasing its representation, this year’s list sees a total of 28 new entries that clearly shift the balance of power amongst the industry’s stalwarts. These new entries sit alongside well-known faces in the community who have made phenomenal contributions to their areas of expertise. Economist and Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen is featured at number 15 on the list, while business philanthropist Lord Rumi Verjee comes in at number 22.
Honouring some of the most influential names in politics, the Power List sees a staggering 17 entries from the political field and notably, five of these entries are women. All the political entries are spread fairly evenly between the two main parties. Baroness Sayeeda Warsi and Labour MP Sadiq Khan both feature in the top twenty. They sit beside other leading Asian politicians such as Conservative MP Paul Uppal and Labour MP Virendra Sharma.
WINNERS OF THE GG2 LEADERSHIP AWARDS
Alongside the presentation of the Power List, the GG2 Leadership Awards were presented to leading ethnic members of the community who have made a considerable contribution to their respective fields.
The GG2 Hammer Award, which is given to individuals who have broken through the glass ceiling, was handed to Malala Yousafzai and her two friends Kainat Riaz and Shazia Ramzan. The three girls were handed the chief award for their exceptional bravery in standing up against Taliban rule in their village. Recovering from the cruel attack, the girls continue to campaign for women’s rights.
Rewarded for her courage and bravery in the face of the Woolwich attackers, Ingrid Loyau-Kennett was handed the GG2 Spirit in the Community Award. The GG2 Pride of Britain Award was given to the founding member and director of Operation Black Vote, Simon Woolley. Recognising the field of science, physicist Professor Tejinder Virdee, who has previously worked on the investigation of the Higgs Boson particle, was honoured with the GG2 Man of the Year Award. While the award for Woman of the Year was handed to Christine Lee for her success in establishing and managing the largest British Chinese law firm in the UK.
Both the GG2 Power List and GG2 Leadership Awards aim to highlight and showcase ethnic talent and leadership within the UK. The gala ceremony attracted a diverse and powerful audience of high achievers, who showed their support for ethnic achievement in the UK. Joining Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, other luminaries such as Keith Vaz MP, Sadiq Khan MP, Alok Sharma MP, Paul Uppal MP. From the entertainment sector, Adil Ray, Ace Bhatti, Preeya Kalidas, Goldy Notay, Ray Panthaki and Laila Rouass and presenters Gillian Joseph and Tasmin Lucia Khan were also in attendance.
Kalpesh Solanki, Group Managing Editor of the AMG Power List, says: ‘It’s fantastic to see so much ethnic success in Britain. There are a lot of strong, influential and powerful people whose hard work goes unrecognized. These awards ceremonies are highly significant as it’s incredibly important for us to keep recognizing and rewarding ethnic achievements in the country.’