AR Rahman and Yash Chopra were among those rewarded at an event celebrating Asian achievement internationally.
The ~Asian Awards 2010 also saw over £100,000 was raised for for leading children’s charity Save the Children’s work in Asia.
The work will help Pakistan flood victims and help stop preventable child deaths across the continent from diseases such as pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, Christian Louboutin, Sonu Niigaam, Gurinder Chadha, Nina Wadia and George Alagiah were just some of the well known attendees.
Open to individuals born in or with direct family origin from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan or Bangladesh, The Asian Awards highlighted achievement across all disciplines of life from business to the arts, sport, culture and public service, rewarding success from across the world.
The winners were selected by a panel of judges chaired by Baroness Verma of Leicester.
Lady Verma said: “This remarkable event recognises the incredible talent of incredible people through a judging process that is open and transparent and carried out by well known people that are hugely respected in the own fields. I feel honoured to be associated with The Asian Awards.”
Gurinder Chadha OBE, one of the UK’s most successful film directors (Bend it Like Beckham, It’s a Wonderful Afterlife) presented Yash Chopra with the Outstanding Achievement in Cinema. Gurinder said: “Our Communities have taken enormous strides in all fields. It is vital we celebrate our success together and make sure we pat ourselves on the back. A victory for one is really for all.”
Over £100,000 was raised for Save the Children’s work delivering vital healthcare across Asia to help prevent the 8.8 million lives lost of children under the age of five every year and for the flood victims in Pakistan.
An auction helped raise funds, selling a series of money-can’t-buy-prizes including a pair of bespoke Christian Louboutin shoes originally designed for Kylie Minogue.
Speaking about her trip to India with Save the Children, Gurinder said, “Wouldn’t it be incredible if tonight we can raise over £80,000 – with this amount Save the Children will then buy, equip and run a brand new mobile health clinic for two years in West Bengal. This will provide 30 of the most under-served villages – and 50,000 people – with life-saving, basic healthcare.”
Justin Forsyth, CEO of Save the Children, said: “We were thrilled at the success of the event last night. Save the Children was delighted at being given the chance to portray the struggles that children are having to survive across Asia to such a large crowd of some of the continent’s most influential and well-known celebrities.
"We want to thank The Asian Awards and Gurinder Chadha for their support in giving children in Asia this platform, and for the vital funds that this event raised to help Save the Children deliver vital healthcare”.
Full list of winners: Outstanding Achievement in Arts and Design Abu Jani & Mr. Sandeep Khosla.
Outstanding Achievement in Television George Alagiah OBE.
Outstanding Achievement in Cinema Yash Chopra *Presented by Gurinder Chadha.
Outstanding Achievement in Music AR Rahman. *Presented by Diana Brightmore- Armour, CEO Corporate Banking, Lloyds Banking Group.
Outstanding Achievement in Sport Sachin Tendulkar *Presented by Paul Johnson, Deputy Editor Guardian News and Media & Nasser Hussain OBE Public Servant of the Year Zarin Patel *Presented by Baroness Verma of Leicester.
Lifetime Achievement Amitabh Bachchan Lloyds Banking Group Philanthropist of the Year Sunil Mittal (Collected by Eiesha Bharti Pasricha) *Presented by Truett Tate, Group Executive Director, Wholesale, Lloyds Banking Group.
Social Entrepreneur of the Year Professor Muhammad Yunus (Collected by Shiban Mahbub) *Presented by Ninan Chacko, CEO, PR Newswire.
Entrepreneur of the Year Vijay Mallya *Presented by Kamal Ahmed, Business Editor of the Sunday Telegraph & Gary Jones, CEO of Infiniti Lebara People’s Choice Award Sachin Tendulkar *Presented by Ratheesan Yoganathan, CEO Lebara.
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