Sanjeev Bhaskar & Meera Syal, both stars of hit show 'Goodness Gracious Me', walked away with the two top Awards at the ASIA Awards 2001. The awards pay tribute to members of the Asian population who have made a substantial contribution to the British Community.

ASIA, which stands for Asian Success, Innovation and & Achievement is an awards event organised by the BBC to run alongside the annual Mega Mela. Members of the public vote for the two categories of Male & Female Personality of the year, won this time by Bhaskar & Syal respectively.

The winners were selected from hundreds of nominations sent in by members of the community, and were judged by a panel that included the Duchess of York, the Rt. Hon. Keith Vaz MP, Lisa Aziz, Yasmin Alibhai Brown, the Dreem Teem, Nina Wadia, and Lord Navneet Dholakia.

Nina Wadia, star of BBC hit comedy show Goodness Gracious Me who was a judge for these Awards said, "It is fantastic to see that there are so many wonderful individuals out there who are making a difference to peoples lives or making waves in their professions on a daily basis. I am truly privileged to be involved in these Awards which celebrate these extraordinary people for their inspirational achievements".

The winners for the third BBC ASIA Awards for 2001 are:

The Female Personality of the Year Award went to the multitalented actress, author and comedienne Meera Syal.

The Male Personality of the Year Award went to the immensely talented Sanjeev Bhaskar.

The Community Award went to The Newham Asian Women's Project which was established in 1986 to address the issue of domestic violence within the Asian community in Newham and provides a host of support services including safe housing, advice surgeries, counselling, education and career development opportunities.

The Achievement in Enterprise and Innovation was awarded to Sasha Dhillon who left school at 16 with three clear goals, to be a company director by 21, to establish her own company by 25 and buy a sports car in cash by the time she is 30. Now, aged 26, Sasha has already achieved the first two challenges on the list. Her company, Purple Pot became part of the fourth largest online advertising agency network in Europe after she sold 70% of the equity to French new media giant, Hi-Media.

The Achievement in Film Award was picked up by Bollywood blockbuster Mohabbatein, directed by Aditiya Chopra, starring film legend Amitabh Bachchan and heart throb Shah Rukh Khan. The film was shot on location at Longleat Estate in the UK. The film grossed £246,000 in the first three days of release, placing it firmly at No. 9 in the UK film charts.

The Media Award was scooped by the month long Channel Four documentary, 'Kumbh Mela: The Greatest Show on Earth' which explained the significance of this 12 yearly festival, where millions travel from around the world to seek spiritual enlightenment by bathing in the River Ganges.

The Music Award went to Nitin Sawhney, an incredibly talented musician whose fusion of East and West rhythms has gained him huge critical acclaim. His amazing talent has led him to work with the likes of Sting, who he is set to join forces with once again at London's Hyde Park in the summer.

The Achievement in Sport was awarded to RAFFI (Respect All Fans Football Initiative) which is a voluntary organisation comprising of a wide range of individuals who donate their time to provide a coaching scheme, enabling children aged 5-15 to develop their football skills and technique. The group aims to break down fears of racism both on the pitch and on the terraces, whilst also endeavouring to encourage the integration of Asian people into mainstream football.

The Young Achievers Award went to twelve year old Kavita Brahmbhatt who was born to deaf parents and mastered the art of sign language to become the ears for her parents. This remarkable young girl learnt to communicate with her mum and dad by sign language at the tender age of three. At the age of ten when Kavita's mother was about to give birth to her second child and unable to find a midwife who was able to sign, Kavita stepped in and assisted her mother during the birth of her sister who was born blind.

The Achievement in Arts Award was scooped by Akademi, who in 2000 put on an extravaganza of South Asian dance in an event called 'Coming of Age'. This unique spectacle brought together nearly one hundred dancers in to the South Bank Centre and attracted an audience of over 10,000 people.

The coveted Lifetime Achievement Award was awarded to BBC Delhi correspondent Mark Tully, and Professor Amartya Sen was also awarded a special commendation.

Born in Calcutta and educated in England, Mark Tully joined the BBC in 1964 and was the Chief of the Delhi Bureau from 1972 to 1993. He still lives and works in Delhi today. Among the major stories Mark has covered for the rest of the world are the Bangladesh War, Mrs Gandhi's State of Emergency, the execution of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and the Bhopal gas disaster.

Nobel Prize winner Professor Amartya Sen is an Asian scholar whose work has produced a new understanding of the catastrophes that plague society's poorest people.

An expert on welfare, he has helped the world understand what causes famine and how the poorest are treated in society. Professor Sen is also a leading scholar in women's issues and child welfare and mortality.

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