Wednesday 19 October 2011

Trumpet GAB Awards. 44a Selby Road Leytonstone, London E11 3LT

T: 020 8522 6600 F: 020 8522 6699 E: gabawards@the-trumpet.com. W: www.gabawards.com



Press Release





Shortlist of GAB Awards Finalists released



The Judging Panel for the Gathering of Africa’s Best (GAB) Awards has released the names of the initial batch of Finalists who have made it past the first stage of the screening process. Recipients of the GAB Awards will be announced at a colourful ceremony holding at the Hilton London Paddington on Sunday 23rd October.



The list of those who made it as Finalists range from achievers in the fields of Finance, Business, Media, Entertainment, Health, Charity, Youth Empowerment, Community Engagement, and more.



The Finalists include: Mrs Evelyn Oputu – the Managing Director and Chief Executive of Bank of Industry Nigeria; Em Ekong – Director of Urban Inclusion London; Gibril Faal – Chair of the African Foundation for Development; Iyamide Thomas – Regional Care Advisor of the Sickle Cell Society UK; Music Producer - Anthony Everest; Broadcaster par excellence – Princess Deun Adedoyin-Solarin of Princess of Arize; and Chief Superintendent Wayne Chance – London’s Southwark Borough Police Commander.



Others include Richard Taylor OBE of the Damilola Taylor Trust; Actress Ellen Thomas; Dr Comfort Momoh MBE – a Public Health Specialist; colourful Media guru - Dr Bisi Olatilo; Atul Bhakta – Managing Director of One World Express Inc; Dayo Olomu – Founder of dayoolomu.com; and journalist – Jasmine Dotiwala.



The GAB Awards was founded in 1999 by The Trumpet newspaper (Britain’s largest distributed Black newspaper) against the backdrop of huge negative publicity being flaunted by the UK mainstream media, among many others.



The importance and high profile of the GAB Awards has been acknowledged by the Mayor of London. In 2007, the GAB Awards was celebrated as one of the programmes of the Mayor’s Black History Month Season.



Past events have attracted the support and presence of numerous African missions and their Heads; Royalties; Celebrities from numerous areas of human endeavour; UK and African government officials and politicians; because of the lofty ideals the event represents. Past guests have included the Heads of Mission of Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana, Namibia, Egypt, Sierra Leone; HRH Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III – the Alaafin of Oyo, HRH Oba T.A. Akinloye, Sateru II – the Ojomu of Ajiranland, Prince Bola Ajibola, Chief & Chief (Mrs) J.K. Randle, Chief & Chief (Mrs) Oluwole Adeosun, John Fashanu, Rt.Hon. Simon Hughes, Rt. Hon. Dianne Abbott (both of the British Parliament), William Hague (then leader of the Conservative Party), Erelu Lola Ayonrinde – two-time Mayor of the London Borough of Wandsworth; Cllr Anna Mbachu (then Mayor of Waltahm Forest), John Bowis (MEP), Lloyd ‘Ragamuffin’ Honeyghan – the former undisputed and two-time World Boxing champion, but to mention a few.



Previous recipients of the GAB awards include Nelson Mandela, Professor George Kirya, Henry Annan, Anthonia Okonma of Bad Girls, Cyril Nri of The Bill, Paralympics medallist Ade Adepitan, Chief Dele Momodu, Ishola Akay (MBE), Most Rev. Father Olu Abiola (OBE), Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi, Patti Boulaye, and the late Professor Thomas Adeoye Lambo.



Tickets to the event are currently on sale and must be purchased in advance of the day:



Tickets: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Regular VIP

Individual:               £100 £200

Couple:                £175 £300

Table of 10:               £875 £1500



Tickets can be booked by calling 020 8522 6600 or 07956 385604 or email gabawards@the-trumpet.com or by visiting www.gabawards.com / www.gabawards.eventbrite.com.



There are also marketing opportunities that exist through Advertisements in the Programme of Events, Exhibition Stands, Sponsorship of the event and insertion of products and promotional materials in the Goody Bags.





And the Finalists are...

Prefix
Forename
Surname
Organisation
Description
Category

Ms
Em
Ekong
Director, Urban Inclusion
Business

Mr
Gibril
Faal
Chair, African Foundation for Development
Community Development

Ms
Iyamide
Thomas
Regional Care Advisor, Sickle Cell Society
Health

Mr
Anthony 'Aremu Orin'
Everest
Talent Publicity
Entertainment

Sheri
Adegbesan
Chief Executive, Life Changers Foundation
Community Development

Theodora
Ibekwe
Founder, Miss Elegant International
Entertainment

Princess
Deun
Adedoyin-Solarin
CEO, Princess of Arize
Media

Mr
Emmanuel
Akintunde
Managing Director, GF Drums
Entertainment

Make Messages Count
A Youth group
Youth Empowerment

Chief Superintendent
Wayne
Chance
Southwark Borough Police Commander
Community Engagement

Mr
Richard
Taylor OBE
Co-Founder, Damilola Taylor Trust and the Spirit of London Awards
Youth Engagement

Youths Against Crime not Crime Against Youth
A Youth group
Youth Empowerment

Mrs
Evelyn
Oputu
Managing Director, Bank of Industry Nigeria
Industrial Development

Ms
Jasmine
Dotiwala
Executive News Editor, BBC Media Trust
Media

Dayo
Olomu
Founder, Dayoolomu.com
Leadership

Mr
Atul
Bhakta
Managing Director, One World Express Inc.
Business

Dr
Bisi
Olatilo
CEO, Biscon World TV
Media

Chief
Julie
Coker
Veteran Broadcaster
Media

Dr
Comfort
Momoh MBE
Female Genital Mutilation / Public Health Specialist
Health

Ms
Ellen
Thomas
Actress
The Arts

Mr
Taiwo Toyin
Rotimi
Leicester African Caribbean Business Association
Community Development