On a sensational, star-studded night, Jackie Chan, Ahmed Kathrada, Irrfan Khan, Norah Jones, Gok Wan, Sir David Tang and billionaire Lui Che Woo were among those honoured at The Asian Awards in Partnership with UBS, at The Grosvenor House Hotel.
April 9, 2014 - PRLog -- The second annual Top 100 Most Influential Asians* list was also launched, unveiling President of China, Xi Jinqping in top spot, followed by Indian leader, Sonia Gandhi, Vice Premier of China, Le Keqiang, and Indian election front runner Narendra Modi taking fourth place.
Chivas deluxe blended Scotch whisky was delighted to be the partner of The Asian Awards 2014. Chivas was also proud to present the new Public Servant of the Year award for the first time, won this year by Shalil Shetty (Amnesty International Secretary of Human Rights).
The Awards started with spectacular entertainment from singer and actress Preeya Kalidas, who performed for a room full of A-list guests, including Idris Elba, Zayn Malik, Naughty Boy, Beverley Knight, Laura Mvula, Gok Wan, Lydia Rose-Bright, Amy Willerton, Nina Wadia, Nitin Ganatra, Jasmin Walia, Gurinder Chadha, Adil Ray and Mark Ramprakash amongst others. The awards partnered with charity Oxfam and raised a significant sum for the foundation.
The ceremony was opened by The Asian Awards Founder, Paul Sagoo, followed by the presentation of the prestigious Founders Award by Golden Globe-winner Idris Elba, who honoured South African politician, former political prisoner and anti-Apartheid activist Ahmed Kathrada. In an emotional, historic acceptance speech to a standing ovation, Ahmed dedicated the award to his brothers and sisters who did not live to see the freedom they fought for.
The coveted Fellowship Award went to Jackie Chan actor, director and martial artist who has been in the entertainment industry for 55 years. Legendary Indian actor, Irrfan Khan, was awarded Outstanding Achievement in Cinema. Irrfan has famously crossed over into western cinema, becoming the first Bollywood actor to star in two films that won the Academy Award for Best Director Slumdog Millionaire (2008) and Life of Pi (2012).
Hong Kong’s second richest man with an estimated worth of US $22 billion, Lui Che Woo, picked up the Entrepreneur of the Year award; The Business Leader of the Year award went to Vaccine billionaire, Cyrus Poonawalla, Owner of Serum Institute of India, the world's largest producer of vaccines, making more than one billion doses annually. As of March 2014, Forbes estimates Poonawalla's net worth at $4.9 billion.
Noble prize-winning Sir Venkatraman Ramakrishnan was awarded Outstanding Achievement in Science; while the Outstanding Achievement in Sport award went to Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Finally, Prime Minister David Cameron addressed the audience acknowledging the awards had grown from strength to strength, recognising the Asian Awards are the only Pan Sector Pan-Asian award ceremony in the world and stating how proud he was that they were held in London. In conclusion he paid tribute to the Founders Award recipient Ahmed Kathrada.
1) The Asian Awards in Partnership with UBS was conceived by Paul Sagoo, Founder of consultancy, Lemon Group. A celebration of excellence among the global Asian community, they were launched in 2010 and now recognise and reward the outstanding achievements of individuals born from anywhere within the Asian region across all disciplines of life - from business, the arts and culture to sport and public service. The ceremony draws 1,000 of the most influential people in the Asian community and has raised over £250,000 for charity.