ASIAN WOMEN OF ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS 2006 SHORTLIST
(19 May 2006)

The Asian Women of Achievement Awards applaud and celebrate the commitment, dedication and determination of Asian women from all over the country and from all walks of life. The awards were set up by Pinky Lilani and Munir Samji to recognise all levels of achievement made by Asian women in the UK - whether professional or personal - within the commercial, professional, artistic and humanitarian sectors. This year 45 finalists were selected across eight different Award categories.

AWA 2006 SHORTLIST

THE ARTS & CULTURE AWARD

For women flourishing in the world of performing arts, management of the arts and creative writing.

• Karen David - Singer, Songwriter and Actress
• Lhamea Lall - Singer/Songwriter
• Tanuja Desai Hidier - Novelist, Screenplay writer, Director and Singer/Songwriter
• Shaheen Khan - Actress and Writer
• Alina Mirza - Artistic director of Heer Productions Ltd

YOUNG ACHIEVER OF THE YEAR AWARD

Any woman under 30 who has done something incredible, inspirational or is simply the best at what she does.

• Neeshee Patel - Lawyer.
• Leone Razali - Investment Banker
• Nishma Gosrani - Risk Management Consultant
• Damini Kumar - Inventor of the non-drip teapot
• Asma Haq - General Dental Practitioner and Joint Partner

MEDIA PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR AWARD

Unique individuals working in the areas of broadcast, print or electronic media.

• Saima Mohsin - TV journalist
• Shelina Begum - Journalist at Asian News, Rochdale
• Tanya Datta - Journalist, BBC World Current Affairs
• Ruhi Hamid - Documentary Film Maker
• Fareena Alam - Journalist, Manging Editor of Q-News
• Sarah Mukherjee - Environment Correspondent, News 24

PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR AWARD

For women who have trained and qualified in their chosen professional practice and have become a leading practitioner - setting an example to other women and having their contribution acknowledged by their peers.

• Professor Xiangqian (Jane) Jang - Centre for Precision Technologies, University of Huddersfield
• Nina Amin - Partner (Tax), KPMG
• Minaxi Desai - HR Director, Tibbett & Britten/DHL Exel
• Arti Kumar - Senior Careers Adviser, University of Luton
• Professor Nazneen Rahman - Professor of Childhood Cancer Genetics, Institute of Cancer Research
• Sayeeda Warsi

ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR AWARD

For a woman who has taken the risk and has successfully set up and is running her own business.

• Gita Patel - Director of Stargate Capital Investment Group & founder of Trapezia
• Janet Ginnings - Owner of Janet Ginnings Hair & Beauty salon
• Permjeet Saini - co-Founder, The Claremont Group
• Shashi Gossain - Founder of Pharmaclinix
• Sumerah Ahmad & Humerah Khan - co-Founders, Club Asia Radio

BUSINESS WOMAN OF THE YEAR - CORPORATE AWARD

For an individual thriving in corporate Britain who has made, and is making, a significant contribution to the success of their organisation.

• Min Hee Kim - Managing Director (Equity Derivatives), Goldman Sachs
• Dr Rachna Upadhya - Managing Director (Pharmaceuticals), Bear Stearns
• Saba Naza - Senior Managing Director (Private Equity Funds), Lehman Brothers
• Anila Wickramasinghe - Founder & CEO, ReOrient Legal Limited
• Shalni Sood - Senior Private Banker, SG Hambros

THE PUBLIC SECTOR AWARD

For women who have achieved success within senior executive and non-executive roles in the civil service, quangos, universities and national institutions.

• Charanjit Mehat - Manager (Governor Grade) Prison Service
• Asha Khemka - Deputy Chief Executive, New College Nottingham
• Professor Fang Lee Cooke - Manchester Business School
• Parm Sandhu - Chief Inspector, Metropolitan Police
• Professor Kiran Trehan - Department of Management, University of Central England
• Professor Fang Gao - Professor of Anaesthesia, Warwick University

THE SOCIAL & HUMANITARIAN AWARD

For special women involved in social and humanitarian work, whether they are individuals working for non-profit organisations or the corporate world contributing to the voluntary sector.

• Sabiha Rumani Malik - Founder of the Diamonds For Humanity Foundation
• Celine Samarasinhe - Founder of the Kotahena Community Nursing Service
• Aysin Yilmaz - Turkish Women's Philanthropic Association of England
• Mehwish Riaz - Psychiatric nurse & charity worker
• Devika Mokhtarzadeh - The Savitri Waney Charitable Trust
• Parvin Ali - Founder director of FATIMA

AWA 2006 JUDGES

Sir Nicholas Young, chief executive of the British Red Cross chairs the judging panel for the 2006 Asian Women of Achievement Awards. This year's judging panel boasts a number of distinguished and respected representatives from industry and commerce including:

• Ruth Anderson, Vice Chairman, KPMG LLP
• Dr Jane Anderson, Consultant and Honorary Senior Lecturer
• Emma Arbuthnot, District Judge
• Nighat Awan OBE, Chief Executive, Shere Khan Group
• Elizabeth Coffey, Partner, Big Dog Enterprise Ltd
• Jeremy Isaacs, CEO Europe & Asia, Lehman Brothers
• Peter Jones, Chairman, Tote Bookmakers
• John Makinson, Chairman and Chief Executive, Penguin Group
• Jyoti Munsiff, Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, Royal Dutch Shell plc
• Kieren Poynter, Senior Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers
• Alice Perkins, Non-Executive Director, TaylorNelsonSofres
• Maggie Rose, CEO, MROI
• James Strachan, former Chairman, Audit Commission
• Fakhruddin Suterwalla, Managing Director, TRS
• Mark Swyny, Business Relationship Director, Group Procurement, Lloyds TSB
• Ian Chivers, Managing Director of Global Markets and Investment Banking, Merrill Lynch International
• Nina Wadia, Actress
• Patricia Rozario OBE, Opera Singer

A star-studded awards ceremony will take place on Thursday 25 May 2006 at the London Hilton on Park Lane. Tickets to the awards ceremony are available from the Asian Women of Achievement Awards office on 020 7368 7123 or via the awards' website www.awaawards.com.

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

Click here to read about Pinky Lilani, founder of the AWA Awards.
Click here for the AWA Awards 2005 winners.
Click here for the AWA Awards 2005 shortlist.
Click here for the AWA Awards 2004 winners
Click here for the AWA Awards 2004 picture gallery.
Click here to read about the AWA Awards 2004 shortlist
Click here to read about AWA Awards 2003 winners.
Click here to read about the AWA Awards 2003 shortlist.
Click here to read about AWA Awards 2002 winners.
Click here to read about the AWA Awards 2002 shortlist.
Click here to read about AWA Awards 2001 winners.
Click here to read to about the AWA Awards 2001 shortlist.