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#tbsa2023

  • Highlights from The Black Scottish Awards 2023

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A celebration of excellence, diversity, and achievement within the Black community in Scotland. Established to honour and recognise the outstanding contributions made by individuals, businesses, and organisations, our platform seeks to amplify the voices and successes of the Black community across various fields. 

Congratulations to all the winners of The Black Scottish Awards! Your outstanding achievements deserve to be celebrated. We also want to acknowledge the incredible talent and dedication of every nominee. Though not everyone would receive an award, you are all winners in our eyes. Your contributions have made a lasting impact, and we are honoured to recognise your remarkable work.

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#TBSA2024 Countdown

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2024 roadmap

A heartfelt thank you to our esteemed judging panel, generous sponsors, and invaluable media partners. Your support and expertise were instrumental in making The Black Scottish Awards a resounding success. 

Monday, 18th March
Nominations Begin
The nomination period opens, allowing individuals or organisations to submit their nominations for various award categories.
Monday, 18th March
Thursday, 18th March
Early Bird Ticket Sales Open
Discount ticket sales open to the public.
Thursday, 18th March
Monday, 31st May
Standard Ticket Sales Open
Discount sales ticket closes, and Standard ticket sales begin.
Monday, 31st May
Thursday, 27th June
Nominations Close
The deadline for submitting nominations. After this date, no further nominations will be accepted.
Thursday, 27th June
Thursday, 15th August
Live Judging Session
The judging panel meticulously reviews and evaluates each nomination against pre-determined criteria. Through careful discussion and deliberation, they determine the most deserving finalists in each award category.
Thursday, 15th August
Friday, 30th August
Finalists Announcement Party
Join us for an exclusive party where we will reveal the finalists for each award category at TBSA. This event will bring nominees, judges, sponsors, and key stakeholders together.
Friday, 30th August
Saturday, 31st August
Ticket Sales Close
The deadline for purchasing tickets to the main awards ceremony. After this date, no further ticket sales will be accepted.
Saturday, 31st August
We Are Here
Saturday, 28th September (6:00 PM)
Awards Ceremony
The culmination of the awards event, where the winners in each award category are announced and celebrated.
Saturday, 28th September (6:00 PM)

How The #TBSA2023
Really Went Down

Barakel's Speech that
had everyone in awe

As part of The Black Scottish Awards legacy, we are inspired to empower the younger generations and support them towards adulthood in order to continue the tradition of Black Excellence!

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Red Carpet & Photo Moments

Entertainment & Performances

Raffle Draw for
Charity

Awards &
Recognitions

The Amazing 2023 winners

Download Full List of Finalists

Lydia Balogun-Wilson

Profile

Professional Senior Leader of the Year

Dr Adaeze Ifezulike

Profile

Outstanding Contribution to the Black Community

Panashe Muzambe

Received by Nyarai Kaseke in absentia
Profile

SPORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR

Chizulum Ifezulike

Profile

Sir Geoff Palmer Outstanding Student of The Year

Chinyanta

Profile

CREATIVE OF THE YEAR

Jambo! Radio Scotland

Profile

COMMUNITY ORGANISATION OF THE YEAR

Carol Anderson

Profile

ALLY OF THE YEAR

Samuel Agbede

Profile

DIVERSITY CHAMPION OF THE YEAR

Mukami McCrum MBE

Profile

Lifetime Achievement Recognition

Doqaru Limited

Profile

Business of Excellence of the Year

Oluwafunbi Karunwi

Profile

PROFESSIONAL RISING STAR OF THE YEAR

#TBSA2024 Countdown

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Get Your Tickets

The Chairman's speech

2024 Judging Panel

Prof. Sir Geoff Palmer Outstanding Student of the Year Awardee, TBSA 2023

Profile
Chizulum Ifezulike

Chizulum Ifezulike

Executive Director, British Basketball Federation

Profile

Kieron Achara

Head of Communications, Sports Scotland

Profile
Kate Mccheyne

Kate McCheyne

Head of HR Operations, Scottish Enterprise

Pauline Murphy

Lord Rector, University of Edinburgh

Profile

Dr. Debora Kayembe

Councillor, Westhill & District, Aberdeenshire

Profile
Cllr Fatima Joji

Cllr Fatima Joji

Creator/Founder, Jambo! Radio Scotland

Profile
George Tah

George Tah

Programme Director, Glasgow City of Science and Innovation

Profile
Susie Mitchell

Dr Susie Mitchell

Press & Updates

Our goal is to encourage a nomination process that is open, equitable, and user-friendly for all parties involved. While we appreciate and encourage multiple nominations across various categories, we kindly request that you nominate only qualified and deserving candidates, as our judging panel will carefully assess each submission.
Additionally, we kindly ask that you currently reside in Scotland and limit your nominations to candidates based in Scotland.

Award Categories

This award is open to any individual who is powering diversity for the benefit of people of African origin in Scotland. They need to demonstrate that they are advocates and have stood in the gap for Black people. The individual must be in employment and be doing this amazing work from within their employment.

Nominee's Criteria

  • Must not be of African origin
  • Must be employed

    Nominee's Primary Location (City/Town)

    Nominee's Employment Level

    A LITTLE ABOUT YOU

    How did you hear about The Black Scottish Awards?

    Despite the lack of access to funding compared to the general Scottish population, we are seeing a rise in businesses started by people of African origin in the country. This award is open to any business which has been in existence since at least 2021.  The award is given to recognise that business which has seen growth or shown potential to grow but more than that, where the employees deem it as a great place to work and which has a positive social impact in its area of operation

    Nominee's Criteria

    • Must be majority/equally owned by someone of African origin
    • Must have been in operation since/before 2021
    • Must be a registered business with the Companies House
    • Must be a profitable business

      Nominee's Primary Location (City/Town)

      How many employees does nominee have including directors/owners

      A LITTLE ABOUT YOU

      How did you hear about The Black Scottish Awards?

      As the population of people of African origin continues to grow in Scotland, we are seeing a rise in community-centered organisation providing various bespoke support to their members. This award is open to any Black-owned community organisation whose sole purpose is to support people of African origin in Scotland. The award wants to recognise an organisation which is making a significant impact in the community, and which has shown continuous growth since inception.

      Nominee's Criteria

      • Must be majority/equally owned by someone of African origin
      • Must be a non-profit e.g. charity, Community Interest Company, etc.
      • Must have been in operation since 2023 or earlier
      • Must have demonstrated growth in the period of operation

        Nominee's Primary Location (City/Town)

        How many employees does nominee have including directors/owners?l

        A LITTLE ABOUT YOU

        How did you hear about The Black Scottish Awards?

        This award is open to any individual who is in the creative space including music, arts, fashion, writing etc. The nominee would have achieved noteworthy success in the year in their field and be a role model to younger folks.

        Nominee's Criteria

        • Must be of African origin
        • Must be working full time in their creative career

          Nominee's Primary Location (City/Town)


          A LITTLE ABOUT YOU

          How did you hear about The Black Scottish Awards?

          This award is open to any individual who is powering diversity for the benefit of people of African origin in Scotland. They need to demonstrate that they are advocates and have looked beyond self to ensure Black people continue to get fair opportunities in Scotland. The individual must be in employment and be doing this amazing work from within their employment.

          Nominee's Criteria

          • Must be of African origin
          • Must be employed

            Nominee's Primary Location (City/Town)

            Nominee's Employment Level

            A LITTLE ABOUT YOU

            How did you hear about The Black Scottish Awards?

            There are thousands of people of African origin across Scottish universities and colleges with many of them achieving academic excellence. This award is open to individuals in their final year of higher education or who graduated after 2022. The award wants to recognise those who shine above all, those who have achieved academic excellence and supported their peers and are a major value add to their universities/colleges

            Nominee's Criteria

            • Must be of African origin
            • Must be a recent graduate (after 2022) or final year student of a Scottish university/college
            • Must have achieved academic excellence including a 1st class or on track for 1st class
            • Must have added value to their university/college either through society participation etc.
            • Must have supported their peers to achieve success

              Nominee's Primary Location (City/Town)

              Nominee's School Year

              A LITTLE ABOUT YOU

              How did you hear about The Black Scottish Awards?

              This award is open to any individual who is showing promise early on in their career. They would have achieved some successes which could include a promotion, setting up internal initiatives etc.

              Nominee's Criteria

              • Must be of African origin
              • Must be employed
              • Must have only been in employment for less than 5yrs

                Nominee's Primary Location (City/Town)

                Nominee's Employment Level

                A LITTLE ABOUT YOU

                How did you hear about The Black Scottish Awards?

                This award is open to any individual who has achieved significant success in their career. They would be a leader within their field and be in a senior role within their organisation.

                Nominee's Criteria

                • Must be of African origin
                • Must be employed
                • Must have been in employment for more than 5yrs

                  Nominee's Primary Location (City/Town)

                  Nominee's Employment Level

                  A LITTLE ABOUT YOU

                  How did you hear about The Black Scottish Awards?

                  This award is open to any individual within the Black community who has demonstrated a strong track record of uplifting members of the community and has acted to contribute to the development of the community. This could be in academics, business, politics, career, sports, or any other relevant area. An example or examples of how the individual has demonstrated this will be required in the justification below.

                  Nominee's Criteria

                  • Must be of African origin
                  • Must have lived in Scotland for at least 10yrs

                    Nominee's Primary Location (City/Town)


                    A LITTLE ABOUT YOU

                    How did you hear about The Black Scottish Awards?

                    We are seeing an increase in the participation of people of African origin in sports across the country. This award is open to any sportsperson aged 16 or over.  The award wants to recognise that sportsperson who has shown exceptionality or who shows future promise based on past and recent performance.

                    Nominee's Criteria

                    • Must be of African origin
                    • Must be a sportsperson either on a full time or part time basis
                    • Must have achieved success in their field
                    • Must be an upstanding member of the community and someone young Black kids can look up to

                      Nominee's Primary Location (City/Town)

                      Have they won any trophies in their sport?

                      A LITTLE ABOUT YOU

                      How did you hear about The Black Scottish Awards?

                      This award is open to any individual who has demonstrated exceptional initiative and unwavering commitment to advancing sustainability practices. They should have made a significant and measurable impact within their organisation, community, or industry.

                      Nominee's Criteria

                      • Must be of African origin
                      • Must be employed
                      • Must work primarily in a sustainability company or be a sustainability professional

                        Nominee's Primary Location (City/Town)

                        Nominee's Employment Level

                        A LITTLE ABOUT YOU

                        How did you hear about The Black Scottish Awards?

                        This award is open to any young person who is not currently enrolled in a university or at an equivalent educational level. They should demonstrate a commitment to contributing to society, supporting their peers, and acting as a role model for other young people.

                        Nominee's Criteria

                        • Must be of African origin
                        • Must be between the ages of 11 and 17
                        • Must not be currently enrolled in a university or an equivalent educational level

                          Nominee's Primary Location (City/Town)

                          Nominee's Academic Level

                          A LITTLE ABOUT YOU

                          How did you hear about The Black Scottish Awards?

                          Thank you for your interest in #TBSA2024.
                          The provided form indicates your interest to reach out for the following reasons.

                          • Interested in Tickets for Guests
                          • Interested in Support & Sponsorships
                          • Interested in General Enquiries

                            Chizulum Ifezulike

                            As a University of Strathclyde Economics student, Chizulum is on track for a 1st Class. Due to her commitment to academic excellence, she was recognised as one of the top economics students and recently won 1st place in the Adam Smith's National Student Book Cover Competition. She is using her influence and reach to empower her peers through various initiatives, and tapping into the power of social media to create engaging content to support the younger generations. Chizulum’s incredible story started with being born with hearing loss and dealing with speech impairments. Nevertheless, she has used these challenges as an inspiration and wants every young person out there to know that their situation should never define their destination.

                            LinkedIn

                            Lydia Balogun-Wilson

                            With over two decades in the energy industry and numerous leadership roles in both operations and engineering, Lydia is a true Leader. She has a passion for mentoring and promoting great talent, especially within the BAME community. Lydia has experienced much success in her career, like promotions and recognitions. She has led large teams including being the first Black female Engineering Manager in bp to lead an organisation of 244 multi-discipline engineers. Beyond career successes, she co-founded a foundation, with the primary purpose of improving the living conditions of vulnerable people including refugees, internally displaced Persons (IDPs), orphans, widows and widowers, and the aged people living in our communities.

                            LinkedIn

                            Dr Adaeze Ifezulike

                            Dr Adaeze is a Lifestyle Medicine professional. After a personal tragedy, which was the loss of her grandfather to complications of diabetes, she made a solemn vow to ensure that no one else would have to endure what he went through. For nearly two decades, Dr Adaeze has demonstrated a significant commitment to improving the health of the Black community in Scotland through the following ways: - Tackling high abortion rates in Black Communities [AND] - Powering mental, emotional and physical health projects

                            LinkedIn

                            Panashe Muzambe

                            After never seeing anyone who looked like her play women's rugby in Scotland, Panashe overcame that lack of representation by being someone others could look up to, thereby becoming the first Black player for the national team. She won the Allianz Cup with Exeter Chiefs in her first season with the club. She sat on the young people's sports panel in Scotland, where she was able to become the voice of young people in important rooms and conversations. She is also the head coach of Sidmouth Ladies in Devon and is building her career to propel her into Rugby management after playing. Thus, Panashe is inspiring others that they too cannot only play Rugby but can progress and change what the coaching environment looks like.

                            Profile

                            Chizulum Ifezulike

                            As a University of Strathclyde Economics student, Chizulum is on track for a 1st Class. Due to her commitment to academic excellence, she was recognised as one of the top economics students and recently won 1st place in the Adam Smith's National Student Book Cover Competition. She is using her influence and reach to empower her peers through various initiatives, and tapping into the power of social media to create engaging content to support the younger generations. Chizulum’s incredible story started with being born with hearing loss and dealing with speech impairments. Nevertheless, she has used these challenges as an inspiration and wants every young person out there to know that their situation should never define their destination.

                            LinkedIn

                            Chinyanta

                            As a dance artist, Chinyanta was selected as a winner and was invited to film a TED Talk video titled as, “The dazzling diversity of African dance.” She has been commissioned for various projects by Jerwood New Work Fund and Creative Scotland to name a few. Coming from an Engineering background, Chinyanta faced lots of rejections early on in her artistic career. But due to her persistence, she eventually got a break and now creates her own shows, including the one we have enjoyed today. She was crowned Miss Africa Great Britain and was also the candidate to raise the highest amount of funding for charity since the pageant began. She has gone on to use the platform to support a women’s organisation in her home country called ‘Noah Mapalo’.

                            LinkedIn

                            Jambo! Radio Scotland

                            Jambo Radio Scotland has become the place to tune in to over the last few years, delivering original content for the Black population of Scotland. From talk shows to music, education to debates, they have become a part of our everyday lives. They were very active in disseminating information during covid and thereby saving lives. In less than 2 years they have grown and created numerous employment opportunities. They have supported many young people to return to formal education. They just concluded a six-week holiday Youth Broadcasting Training for kids aged 10+ to empower the voices of young people and build their communication confidence.

                            LinkedIn

                            Carol Anderson

                            After being a group mentor for TSB’s Ignite Programme, which focused on supporting Black and Black mixed heritage colleagues with their personal, professional and career development, Carol was hugely impacted by the experience. This led to her creating an environment and movement concentrating on becoming an intentional ally.

                            Some of her achievements include:

                            • Instigating a succession focus group purely centred on Black talent. It provided Black colleagues the best possible conditions to make sure they are represented as serious contenders with sponsorship on hiring lists [AND]
                            • Training for line managers at all levels in relation to DE&I with a particular spotlight on Black colleagues and their experiences
                            LinkedIn

                            Samuel Agbede

                            Samuel says at the core of his advocacy is a desire to see Black people in Scotland access and maximize opportunities in technology. For this reason, he supports existing efforts while pathfinding new ways of engagement where opportunities for Black people are lacking. His advocacy has simply changed the numbers where he works, driving up Black hires significantly. Furthermore, he does a lot of work on retention and promotion including initiating periodic meet-ups at work, which serve as a forum for peer education on broader issues (e.g., sexism and unconscious bias). It ensures Black people have the social intelligence required to thrive in tech spaces. He is also the host of the podcast, ‘Stories That Shape Us’ which spotlights Black excellence.

                            LinkedIn

                            Mukami McCrum MBE

                            She was born and raised in Kenya and has lived most of her life in Scotland. She moved to Scotland in the 70s. She is a proud mother and grandmother whose roots and heritage define her identity.
                            She is a social scientist, teacher and community education and youth development worker. Her career reflects her deep passion for education as a tool for liberation and for resisting and overcoming social, economic and political oppression. She finds social history fascinating and highly values ancient knowledge, beliefs and ways of life of the African people and the spirituality of Indigenous Peoples of the world.
                            Being very shy, what comes naturally to her in a crisis is to be reflective and contemplative and avoid jumping into quick or rapid decisions or solutions. But this has not deterred her from actively participating in campaigns for the elimination of all forms of discrimination and exclusion particularly in the field of race, gender, social class, migration and indigenous peoples’ rights.
                            Her journey has not been without its challenges and she describes the biggest challenge of her life as raising children in a different country with a different culture and system, without the support of her birth family and friends who were very far away.
                            She also had to deal with the loss of her professional status and confront racism, sexism and alienation. In the face of such adversity, she has prevailed due to her resilience, resourcefulness and sheer determination.
                            Here are some of her Achievements which I gathered during my research:

                            • For over 30 years, Mukami has developed and implemented policies to promote gender equality and advocate for women’s rights at the local, national, and international levels.
                            • She has championed women’s rights and equality by initiating discussions to challenge negative attitudes and male violence toward women and girls in Kenya, engaging in national and international campaigns against gender-based violence, and serving on key advisory groups in Scotland and the UK.
                            • She has developed international links and experiences through her engagement with international NGOs, involvement in grant assessment and peace support organisations, and active participation in international conferences and summits.
                            • She is not just a leader; she is a visionary leader and has worked with government officials, members of parliament, and international organisations serving on advisory forums, committees and panels. Her impact can be seen in every project, policy, and partnership she’s been a part of.
                            Profile

                            Doqaru Limited

                            Doqaru is Scotland's top sales enablement consultancy and thanks to significant growth from 2020 to 2022, Doqaru expect revenues to double by the end of 2023. Founded by Dr Yekemi Otaru and Sarah Downs, their efforts have been recognised with several milestones and awards, including Great British Entrepreneur Awards and the Scottish Women's Awards. Doqaru's commitment to social impact is evident through the many initiatives they support including sponsoring the UK energy events and supporting the Gathimba Edwards Foundation for Kenyan children.

                            LinkedIn

                            Oluwafunbi Karunwi

                            Oluwafunbi is one of a handful of Black people in the legal profession within Scotland. She was once told by her teachers that she would never become a lawyer. She proved her teacher wrong! She went on to gain a legal internship and was the only intern to secure a two-year trainee solicitor contract immediately after the internship. She is now partway through her traineeship, and we look forward to celebrating with her upon completion. She is an Inclusion and Diversity champion at work, where her role is to research and network with universities, companies and organisations, and find opportunities of collaboration. She has been featured in the Law Society Scotland Journal. She received recognition and a Bravo award for her involvement in a Career ready program. This program seeks to support young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to develop their confidence and skills.

                            LinkedIn