Deputy prime minister David Lammy, the president and vice-chancellor of the University of Leicester and the chair of the board of trustees at the University of London were top winners at the annual GG2 Leadership and Diversity Awards on Wednesday (25) night.
Hosted by the Asian Media Group, publishers of Garavi Gujarat and Eastern Eye news weeklies, the event celebrates high achievers among Britain’s ethnic communities.
Lammy was recognised with the GG2 Hammer Award, given to an individual who has broken through the glass ceiling and reached the highest levels of public life.
Lammy, who was also the chief guest on the evening, paid tribute to his mum as he illustrated how immigrants built their lives in Britain despite facing hardship.
ALSO READ: Shabana Mahmood tops GG2 Power List
He also revealed his Indian heritage, saying his mother’s great grandmother was from Calcutta.
“My mum – a single parent after my dad left us – worked several jobs just to put food on the table,” Lammy recollected.
“It was hard graft… but she was determined that we would have more opportunities than she did.
“And she instilled in us a work ethic shared by so many immigrant families: ‘You’ll have to work twice as hard to get half as far.’
“Each of us in this room has heard a variation of those words from our parents – spurring us on to work as hard as we could, to make sure we gave ourselves the best possible chance to succeed.”
Born in London to Guyanese parents, Lammy won a place at Harvard University, becoming the first black Briton to study law there.
Since his election in June 2000 as a north London MP, he previously served under prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. Sir Keir Starmer made him deputy prime minister in September 2025.
Sir Professor Nishan Canagarajah, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Leicester, was named GG2 Man of the Year.
Born in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, he won a scholarship to Cambridge, where he completed his PhD. He joined the University of Bristol before being appointed president and vice-chancellor of the University of Leicester in 2019.
Kalpesh Solanki speaks at the eventAMG
The GG2 Woman of the Year Award was presented to Kavita Reddi, chair of the board of trustees at the University of London.
She started out as a BBC trainee and became a senior editor before co-founding a tech start-up in India. She now presides over a university network responsible for more than 250,000 students.
Two sets of awards were presented at the event – to recognise companies for their work in diversity, equality and inclusion as well as individuals from all ethnic backgrounds whose work set them apart.
Among those in the 500-strong audience were MPs, peers, as well as community and business leaders.
The event also saw the launch of the latest edition of the annual GG2 Power List, a compilation of the 101 most influential Asians in Britain.
Home secretary Shabana Mahmood topped this year’s ranking, followed in second place by London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan.
Vidhya Alakeson, deputy chief of staff to prime minister Sir Keir Starmer (ranked third), Court of Appeal judge Sir Rabinder Singh and Barclays CEO CS Venkatakrishnan were among the top five most powerful Asians.
In his remarks, AMG’s Kalpesh Solanki said, “The winners we honour this evening have not just broken through barriers, they have opened the door wide for those coming behind them.
“Tonight’s award recipients are proof of what becomes possible when barriers fall and talent is given the space to flourish. Their stories are not just personal triumphs.
“They are beacons - lighting the way for the next generation and saying: the door is open. Walk through it. And then hold it open for someone else.”
He added, “Diversity and inclusion is not a problem to be managed. It is a strength to be celebrated and an opportunity to be seized.”
Among other winners were Sunny Singh Gill, who received the GG2 Inspire Award.
He became the first British South Asian referee in the Premier League when he officiated the Crystal Palace versus Luton match in March 2024. He previously worked as a prison officer.
Winners pose for a photoAMG
The GG2 Spirit in the Community Award was presented to Meera Naran MBE.
After the death of her eight-year-old son in a road traffic collision, she campaigned for road safety so that other parents should never share the grief she experienced.
Her work has led to 18 national policy changes and a government commitment of more than £900 million in road safety initiatives.
The GG2 Achievement Through Adversity Award went to Faron Paul, founder of FAZAMNESTY.
He was stabbed 18 times on two occasions and left in a coma. He went on to set up a grassroots community group focused on supporting and protecting vulnerable people and encouraging them to surrender knives with no questions asked.
Dr Nik Kotecha OBE DL received the GG2 Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
He founded Morningside Pharmaceuticals in 1991 and, in 2017, established the Randal Charitable Foundation with his wife Moni to help the most vulnerable and improve lives worldwide.
Professor Kamlesh Khunti, professor of primary care diabetes and vascular medicine at the University of Leicester, received the GG2 Outstanding Achievement in Medicine Award.
In 2012, he established the Leicester Diabetes Centre, the largest clinical research centre for diabetes in the UK. With over 1,400 peer-reviewed articles, he is widely respected as one of the top ten leading diabetes experts in the world.
The GG2 Embrace Award went to Dr MN Nandakumara MBE, executive director of The Bhavan.
Born in Mattur in Karnataka, he has built a career as a Vedic scholar and led the organisation in promoting Indian arts and culture.
Justice Rangajeeva Wimalasena received the GG2 Outstanding Achievement in Law Award.
He has served in Sri Lanka, Fiji, the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Nauru, and created the Nauru Declaration, adopted by the Commonwealth, the Council of Europe and the United Nations General Assembly.
Nikki Bedi was the compere at the event, held at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge.
Guests raised funds for the Anthony Nolan charity, which works in the area of stem transplantation by helping patients match with donors.
