Powerlist 2021 facts for kids
The Powerlist is a special list that celebrates the 100 most influential people in the United Kingdom who have African or African Caribbean heritage. It's like a "who's who" of amazing leaders and role models!
The 14th Powerlist was published in November 2020. An independent group of judges chose the people on the list. Big companies like JP Morgan & Co and Facebook helped support it.
The 2021 Powerlist came out during a very important time. People around the world were talking a lot about racial injustice. The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement led to many protests against police unfairness. Because of this, Michael Eboda, the chief executive, decided the list would honor those who spoke up against racial injustice.
The list also celebrated healthcare workers who were bravely fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of the pandemic, the awards event was held online on November 17, 2020. Kwame Kwei-Armah hosted the virtual event.
JP Morgan & Co also partnered with the awards. They announced they would invest £2 million to help non-profit groups in London led by Black and minority ethnic leaders.
The judges chose Sir Lewis Hamilton as the most influential person on the list. He was honored for his amazing success in sports and for speaking out for the BLM movement. Other top people included Professor Kevin Fenton and Dame Donna Kinnair. They were recognized for their important work fighting against COVID-19.
Contents
Top 10 Influential People
Here are the top 10 people from the 2021 Powerlist:
| Rank | Individual | Occupation | Category | Notability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewis Hamilton | Formula One Driver | Sports | Seven-time World Champion Formula One driver |
| 2 | Kevin Fenton | Public-Health Leader | Public, Third Sector and Education | Regional Director, Public Health England London |
| 3 | Stormzy | Grime artist | Media, Publishing & Entertainment | Award-winning musician |
| 4 | Michaela Coel | Actor, screenwriter, director and producer | Media, Publishing & Entertainment | Creator, co-director and producer of BBC/HBO series I May Destroy You |
| 5 | Edward Enninful | Editor-in-Chief | Media, Publishing & Entertainment | Editor-in-Chief British Vogue |
| 6 | Donna Kinnair | Public-Health leader and nurse | Public, Third Sector and Education | CEO & General Secretary, Royal College of Nursing |
| 7 | Jacqueline McKenzie | Human rights lawyer | Politics, Law and Religion | Director at Centre for Migration Advice and Research and McKenzie, Beute and Pope |
| 8 | David Olusoga | Historian, writer, broadcaster | Media, Publishing and Entertainment | Historian and TV presenter |
| 9 | Afua Hirsch | Writer, broadcaster, and former barrister | Media, Publishing and Entertainment | Journalist for The Guardian, author, broadcaster |
| 10 | Richard Iferenta | Businessperson | Business, Corporate, Financiers & Entrepreneurs | Partner at KPMG |
Other Influential People in the Top 100
Many other incredible people were also recognized in the Top 100. They come from different fields, showing the wide range of talent and influence.
Arts, Fashion and Design
- Chi-chi Nwanoku - Classical musician and founder of Chineke! Orchestra
- Duro Olowu - Fashion designer
- Dr Shirley J Thompson - Composer and conductor
- Pat McGrath - Make-up artist and founder of Pat McGrath Labs
- Francesca Hayward - Principal dancer, The Royal Ballet
- Grace Wales Bonner - Fashion designer
- Kobna Holdbrook-Smith - Actor
- John Boyega - Actor
- Idris Elba - Actor and producer
Business, Corporate, Financiers and Entrepreneurs
- Nadja Bellan-White - Global CMO at Vice Media Group
- Eric Collins - CEO and Founding Member, Impact X Capital Partners
- Camille Drummond - Vice President, Global Business Services at BP
- Dean Forbes - President, The Access Group
- Pamela Hutchinson - Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion, Bloomberg
- Yvonne Ike - Managing Director and Head of Sub-Saharan Africa region, BofA Securities
- Adrian Joseph - Managing Director, Group AI & Data Solutions, BT Group
- Wol Kolade - Managing Partner, Livingbridge
- Tara Lajumoke - Managing Director, Financial Times
- Paulette Rowe - CEO, Integrated and E-commerce Solutions, Paysafe Group
- Roni Savage - Managing Director, founder of Jomas Associates
- Alan Smith - Global Head of Risk Strategy and Chief of Staff, Global Risk at HSBC
- Dame Sharon White - Chairman, John Lewis Partnership
Media, Publishing and Entertainment
- Kamal Ahmed - Editorial Director, BBC News
- Akala - Rapper, journalist, poet and activist
- Amma Asante - Writer, director
- Reni Eddo-Lodge - Journalist, author
- Bernardine Evaristo - Writer, Professor of Creative Writing
- Sir Lenny Henry - Actor, writer, campaigner
- Vanessa Kingori - Publisher, British Vogue
- Dorothy Koomson - Author
- Anne Mensah - Vice-president of Content UK, Netflix
- Hugh Muir - Senior Assistant Editor, The Guardian
- Femi Oguns - Founder and CEO of Identity School of Acting
- Annette Thomas - CEO The Guardian Media Group
- Charlene White - ITN News Anchor
- Reggie Yates - Actor, broadcaster and DJ
- Gary Younge - Journalist and author
Politics, Law and Religion
- Stephanie Boyce - Deputy Vice-President Law Society of England and Wales
- Martin Forde - Barrister
- Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin - Bishop of Dover
- David Lammy - Shadow Secretary of State for Justice, Member of Parliament for Tottenham
- Harry Matovu - Barrister
- Dr Sandie Okoro - Senior Vice President and Group General Counsel, World Bank
- Segun Osuntokun - Managing Partner, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
- Joshua Siaw - Partner, White & Case
- Patrick Vernon - Political activist
- Marcia Willis Stewart - Director, Birnberg Peirce & Partners
Public, Third Sector and Education
- Sonita Alleyne - Master, Jesus College, Cambridge
- Dr Margaret Casely-Hayford - Chair, Shakespeare's Globe, Chancellor of Coventry University
- Nira Chamberlain - President of Institute of Mathematics and its Applications
- Professor Patricia Daley - Vice Principle of Jesus College, Oxford
- Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon - CEO and co-founder Stemettes
- Professor Funmi Olonisakin - Professor of Security, Leadership and Development at King's College London
- Marvin Rees - Mayor of Bristol
- Lord Woolley - Co-founder/Director, Operation Black Vote
Science, Medicine and Engineering
- Dr Sylvia Bartley - Senior Global Director, Medtronic Foundation
- Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent - Chief Midwifery Officer, NHS England
- Dr Jacqui Dyer - President of Mental Health Foundation
- Dr Paula Franklin - Chief Medical Officer at Bupa
- Dr Martin Griffiths - Lead trauma surgeon, Royal London Hospital & Clinical Director for Violence Reduction, NHS
- Dr Ian Nnatu - Consultant psychiatrist
- Dr Joy Odili - Consultant plastic surgeon
- Dr Emeka Okaro - Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist
- Prof. Laura Serrant - Head of Department and Professor of Community and Public Health Nursing at Manchester Metropolitan University
- Dr Samantha Tross - Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
Sports
- Dina Asher Smith - British record-holding sprinter
- Anthony Joshua - Boxer
- Marcus Rashford - Footballer and campaigner against child poverty
- Raheem Sterling - Footballer
Technology
