The Inspirational Youth Awards was announced last month by BEvents, who run already established ceremonies such as the Birmingham Awards, Midlands Food Drink & Hospitality Awards, and Women in Tech Awards. This brand-new event will celebrate the outstanding achievements of inspirational young people across the region – and will be judged by an independent and influential panel.
Ammo Talwar MBE, who was recognised for his contributions to music and young people, and was commended by the Institute of Directors (IoD) for leadership in corporate social responsibility – will lead the judging day and will be joined by Anisa Morridadi, Founder of Executive Chair of Beatfreeks; Ellie Howard, Creative Director and Founder of 1709 Productions; artist and printmaker, Haseebah Ali; Hattie D’Souza, Director of People & Strategy at EAST VILLAGE.; Suzie Branch-Haddow, Vice Principle BMET College; Jerrel Jackson, CEO of Powered by CAN; Hannah Walton, Founder of One/Third Project; President of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce Future Faces and Multicultural Apprenticeship Ambassador for Pathway Group, Kasim Choudhry; and Chairman of The Legacy Centre of Excellence, Europe’s largest Black owned Arts and Business, Keith Shayaam Smith.
Speaking ahead of the judging day, Ammo Talwar comments:
“Young people have always been a driving force for innovation and counterculture. As Birmingham heads towards a legacy of the Commonwealth Games, it is essential that the youth are celebrated, supported, and showcased across the globe.”
The Inspirational Youth Awards are set to recognise 16-25 year olds across 21* categories, including Youth Activist of the Year, Young Leader of the Year, Young Carer of the Year, and Outstanding Contribution to the Community.
Organiser Anita Chumber, who is Director and Co-Founder of BEvents, added:
“We are so honoured to welcome such an esteemed panel of judges to oversee our first ever Inspirational Youth Awards. With more judges yet to be announced, we can’t wait to work with the judges to cast their eyes over the outstanding entries and shine a light on the unsung heroes in our region. We believe young people’s stories need to be told and their achievements celebrated which will in turn inspire future generations to play a positive role in raising aspirations and be empowered with the idea that each one of them can be a force for change in their lives and their communities. Stay tuned as we reveal more information in the countdown to the awards.”
Entries for the Inspirational Youth Awards are open until 27 March and once nominations close, members of the public will be encouraged to vote for their favourite nominees, which will account for 25 percent of the final decision during judging day.
