In the annual sequence of the Women’s Awards activities, July is one of our busiest months. The first half of the month it’s all about shortlisting and the second half is over to the Judging Panel for their time commitment and dedication to reading and sifting through the numerous pieces of information submitted from those candidates shortlisted by the team.
As I write this note, I can confirm that the Judges have been sent their packs and shortlisted nominees are in the process of receiving their emails.
This year we’ve received a record 200 nominations. This is remarkable and is a showcase of the exceptional talent women across our sectors and communities are demonstrating. We sincerely appreciate every person who has taken the time to consider and nominate a high-achieving individual.
For those who have not been shortlisted through this competitive selection process, we know that this may be disappointing, but I would encourage you to celebrate the fact that you and the work you do has been and are being recognised by your peers. This in itself deserves celebration. Celebrate this recognition of you.
Following the intensive task of shortlisting the incredible number of nominations, here is the list of names in each category:
| Category | Region | Shortlisted Nominees |
| Art, Media & Music | East Midlands | Donna Briscoe-Greene Elena Davies Kerry Smith Megan Lupton |
| Outstanding B.A.M.E. Female Leader | East Midlands | Deepa Mistry Gina Samuel-Richards Ruma Ali |
| Outstanding Women in Care Services | East Midlands | Amelia Benskin Linda Neville |
Outstanding Women with Community Impact (Voluntary & Charity) | East Midlands | Amanda Leandro Deborah Knight Emma Sharpe Emma Shipstone Rehana Sidat Susan McEniff Trace Voss |
| West Midlands | Ameena Muflihi Veronica Kumeta | |
| Outstanding Disability Champion | East Midlands | Marguerite Haye Nicole Martin |
| West Midlands | Anuradha Rani Upplauri Jayne Townley | |
| Outstanding Woman in Education | East Midlands | Humera Hodgkinson Nusrat Hathiari |
| West Midlands | Anastacia Cooper Clare King Rebecca Richardson | |
| Outstanding Female Entrepreneur | East Midlands | Bhumika Parmar Estelle Keeber Fahimah Adam Julie Clark Laura Till Linda Neville Meena Kumari |
| West Midlands | Ellie Wilson Faye Speedie | |
| Outstanding Female LGBTA+ | East Midlands | Katie Neeves Xin Pan |
| Outstanding Female Leader in a Market Town | East Midlands | Dawn Edwards Lucienne Shakir Sensi Walters |
| Outstanding Woman in Professional Services | East Midlands | Debbie Moore Fahimah Adam Reena Bhalla |
| West Midlands | Ellie Wilson Yemi Oluseun | |
| Outstanding Senior Female Executive | East Midlands | Kerry Law Deepa Mistry |
| West Midlands | Carol Campbell Michelle Mills-Porter | |
| Outstanding Woman In STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) | West Midlands | Frankie Lewns Professor Alison McMillan Sarah Blackwell |
| Outstanding Male Supporting Female Leaders | East Midlands | Arif Voraji Martin Heatlie Niven Whatley |
Congratulations to all of our shortlisted candidates for getting through to the next stage. Do keep your eyes on your email as we will be contacting you shortly as we prepare for the Gala Dinner, Presentation, and Celebration event. We will be asking you to create two short videos.
In the meantime, if you’d like to get some feedback from some of the Winners and finalists who attended last year’s Women’s Awards visit our YouTube channel here are a couple of links:
The next important thing is to get your tickets early to ensure that you have a seat at what is going to be another amazing evening of celebrating the women of the East and West Midlands.
For us, it’s not only about taking home that trophy, but it’s also about raising your profile, awareness of your skills, abilities, and your passion. It’s also about being in the room with other amazing individuals (female and male), making the connections, and building relationships, that could be instrumental in helping you to progress and make the difference you want to make in your life and world.
I would like to encourage you to join us on Friday 22nd September 2023 at 7:30pm for the Dinner, Presentation Awards, and Celebration.
To secure your place at this prestigious event, please visit our ticket booking page at https://thewomensawards.com/buy-tickets/tickets-2023/. We encourage you to make early bookings as tickets sell out quickly.
I’m looking forward to meeting and speaking with you all
Sandra Pollock OBE,
Founder, The Women’s Awards.
