The winners of 2023’s Burberry British Diversity Awards were revealed this week at Grosvenor House in London.
The major celebration welcomed more than 1,000 celebrities and influential business leaders as the awards honoured those inspiring change across diversity and inclusion. Music icon Eméli Sande wowed the audience with some of her greatest hits, while Labour MP Dawn Butler delivered a powerful speech on the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion. Hosted by June Sarpong OBE and Dr Ranj Singh, the event was attended by the likes of Suranne Jones, Denise Welch and several cast-members of the Netflix smash-hit Heartstopper as corporate, charity, community and celebrity icons won big at the glamorous event.
Multi platinum-selling music artist Paloma Faith presented a prestigious award to popular broadcaster Alison Hammond tonight. This Morning and Loose Women favourite Hammond led the winners after being recognised for her work highlighting racism, inequality and injustice on major broadcasting platforms and across her social media platforms as Media Champion in the Public Eye.
In recent years, Little Mix star Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Westlife singer Mark Feehily and Liverpool FC legend and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher have scooped gongs, with Hammond joining an exclusive list of iconic celebrity names.
CORPORATE DVERSITY CHAMPIONS
Airline giants Virgin Atlantic won Marketing Campaign of the Year for their Gender Identity Policy Campaign with data analytics leaders Kantar named Company of the Year. Deon Pillay, Head of Marketing and Operations at Legal & General Investment Management, was crowned Diversity Champion of the Year. Pillay has championed LGBTQ+ inclusion for ethnic minorities and supported numerous organisations in launching their LGBTQ Networks, acting as mentor and life coach.
Banking giant HSBC UK beat off stiff competition from Selfridges and University of Birmingham to lift the Diversity Team of the Year Award. Furthermore, Micro Rainbow won the prestigious Charity of the Year award, presented their award by lead sponsors Burberry.
Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, the co-founder of UK Black Pride, took the final prize of the night for Outstanding Commitment to Diversity. The main award honoured Opoku-Gyimah for her social and political activism across the UK and United States, after she was named on the list of 100 Great Black Britons in 2020.
PROMOTING DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION
The Burberry British Diversity Awards celebrate the individuals and organisations working to promote equality, diversity and inclusion, acknowledging milestones in business, media, politics and grassroots activism.
“I’d like to congratulate all of the deserving winners at this year’s Burberry-sponsored British Diversity Awards,” stated Burberry British Diversity Awards founder, Linda Riley. “The awards rightly recognise the organisations and individuals who are doing so much to champion diversity in the workplace. It is such an important strand of any business and the winners understand how vital it is. Diversity not only drives up standards and engenders a more cohesive culture but it also helps boost productivity and growth.
INSPIRING & DRIVING MEANINGFUL CHANGE
“We have come so far but we are witnessing a worrying increase in intolerance and hate crimes against minorities. That’s why we will continue to bang the drum for all things diversity and inclusion to make the UK a better place to live and work for everyone.”
“We are very proud to support the British Diversity Awards again this year, recognising those who are leading the way to a more diverse, equitable and inclusive world. We would like to congratulate the winners and to thank Linda Riley and her team at the British Diversity Awards for making this such a special event,” added Geoffery Williams, Global Vice President of Diversity Equity and Inclusion of Burberry. “We hope that this year’s awards will continue to further, educate, inspire and empower others to drive meaningful change, both in the workplace and beyond.”
2023’S DIVERSITY & INCLUSION CHAMPIONS
This year’s Burberry Diversity Awards winners include:
- Community Project of the Year: UK Black Pride, sponsored by Sedulo
- Head of Diversity of the Year: Cecil Peters at J.P Morgan, sponsored by 10X Banking
- Hero of the Year: Katie Neeves at Cool2BTrans, sponsored by Boots
- Diversity in Technology (Disability): Brain in Hand, sponsored by BT
- Marketing Campaign of the Year: Gender Identity Policy Campaign by Virgin Atlantic, sponsored by Denovo Legal Services
- Sustainability Champion of the Year: Sophie Platts at Entain Group, sponsored by Centrica
- Diversity Team of the Year: Inclusion Team at HSBC UK, sponsored by Haleon
- Charity of the Year: Micro Rainbow, sponsored by Burberry
- Inspirational Role Model of the Year: Hannah Awonuga at Barclays, sponsored by Lockton
- Outstanding Employee Network of the Year: Collabor8 at Santander Consumer Finance
- Outstanding Disability Network of the Year: Disability & Neurodiversity Employee Resource Groups – AMS, sponsored by EmployAbility
- Outstanding Ethnic Diversity Network of the Year: Empowered, Oliver Wyman
- Outstanding LGBTQIA Network of the Year: HSBC UK – Pride, sponsored by myGwork
- Social Mobility Initiative of the Year: Passport to Change by Virgin Atlantic
- HR Champion of the Year: Sharlene John at Selfridges, sponsored by Ruebik
- Company of the Year: Kantar, sponsored by National Grid
- Diversity Champion of the Year: Deon Pillay at Legal & General Investment Management, sponsored by Leathwaite
- Media Champion in the Public Eye: Alison Hammond, sponsored by Greene King
- Outstanding Commitment to Diversity: Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, sponsored by Attest
2023’S HIGHLY-COMMENDED
This year’s highly commended awards go to:
- Greene King Media Champion in the Public Eye: Ellie Simmonds OBE
- Sedulo Community Project of the Year: Bring The Power, Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games
- 10X Banking Head of Diversity of the Year: Lisa Waterhouse, National Grid
- Boots Hero of the Year: Anne Aslett, Elton John Aids Foundation
- BT Diversity in Technology (Disability): AccessAble
- Denovo Legal Services Marketing Campaign of the Year: Imagine a world…, CPB London
- Centrica Sustainability Champion of the Year: Amber Nuttall – EXTREME Hangout
- Haleon Diversity Team of the Year: DE&I Team, Clarasys
- Lockton Inspirational Role Model of the Year: Bobbi Pickard at Trans In The City & Emma Rawlinson from Atlanta Group
- Outstanding Employee Network of the Year: UpBringing, KPMG
- EmployAbility Outstanding Disability Network of the Year: Neurodiversity & Disability Employee Network, Direct Line Group
- Outstanding Ethnic Diversity Network of the Year: LEAD Network, London Stock Exchange Group
- myGwork Outstanding LGBTQIA Network of the Year: bp Pride, bp
- Social Mobility Initiative of the Year: Social Mobility Action Plan, Simmons & Simmons LLP
- Ruebik HR Champion of the Year: Sanchia Alasia, London South Bank University Group
- National Grid Company of the Year: London South Bank University Group
- Leathwaite Diversity Champion of the Year: Jennifer Tippin, NatWest
Check out the shortlisted finalists here.
RELATED ARTICLES
Check out last year’s Burberry British Diversity Awards winners here.
Diversity Power List honours UK’s 50 most inspiring diversity and inclusion champions. Click here to continue reading.
2022’s Inclusion Award Winners Revealed. Click here to continue reading.
Sign up for our newsletter
