Powerlist 2025: Celebs and businesspeople united for celebration in Black History Month

Celebs including histrion Idris Elba and creator of deed Netflix amusement Supacell, Rapman person made the exclusive list. This year’s Powerlistees volition beryllium honoured contiguous astatine the Grosvenor House Hotel successful London

Britain’s astir influential Black celebs, manufacture leaders and businesspeople volition stitchery contiguous to observe accomplishments of Black Britons astatine the Powerlist 2025 awards.

Previous winners of the Powerlist see seven-time Formula One World Champion Sir Lewis Hamilton and erstwhile Children’s Laureate Malorie Blackman. The Powerlist is an yearly ranking of the astir influential Black UK figures and aims to observe their accomplishments based connected their positive impact connected society.

The Powerlist was launched successful 2005 to showcase Black relation models to young radical and to honour trailblazers successful industries including the arts, tech and entertainment. Celeb guests invited to the lawsuit see Eastenders prima Rudolph Walker, Strictly Come Dancing pro-dancer Oti Mabuse, erstwhile Olympic jock Dame Denise Lewis and comedian Sir Lenny Henry.

This year’s Powerlistees volition beryllium honoured astatine tonight's Powerlist Celebration of Black Excellence Awards, hosted by businessman and tv property Tim Campbell, MBE astatine The Grosvenor House Hotel successful London. This twelvemonth CEO of tech institution Forterro and philanthropist Dean Forbes has been named arsenic Britain’s astir influential Black person.

Forterro is simply a planetary bundle solutions institution which offers specialised bundle products and services designed to accelerate the maturation of concern businesses. Dean Forbes is besides a spouse astatine Corten Capital, a specializer concern firm. Dean is the president of the not-for-profit societal endeavor Forbes Family Group, an organisation that has raised implicit 1 cardinal pounds for foundation and champions societal mobility.

This year’s victor Dean Forbes, 46, delighted to clasp specified a prestigious title, said: “To beryllium named fig 1 connected the Powerlist is an unthinkable honour. Forbes, who came from humble beginnings, is arrogant to beryllium an inspiration to young Black people. He explained: “My journey, from increasing up successful southeast London to starring planetary businesses, has shown maine the powerfulness of resilience, the value of community, and seizing each opportunity. I anticipation my communicative tin animate others from akin backgrounds to judge successful their imaginable and enactment hard to execute their dreams.”

He added: “My travel was shaped by those who believed successful maine and opened doors, and present I’m determined to wage it forward. I privation to supply opportunities for young radical who, similar me, request that other enactment to execute their potential. This ngo is profoundly idiosyncratic to me.”

Newcomers added to the Powerlist this twelvemonth see the creator of Netflix’s planetary deed amusement Supacell, Andrew ‘Rapman’ Onwubolu and prima of the deed transgression play Snowfall, Damson Idris.

Other champions name-dropped connected the exclusive database see histrion Idris Elba OBE, TV presenter and erstwhile England shot subordinate Alex Scott MBE and rapper Stormzy.

The Black excellence event, sponsored by JP Morgan, volition beryllium hosted by The Apprentice amusement winner, businessman and TV property Tim Campbell MBE who volition support guests inspired and entertained passim the night.

Figures featured successful the apical 10 database include:

• The President of International for Bank of America and Chief Executive Officer of Merrill Lynch International (MLI) Bernard Mensah astatine fig two.
• Chief Financial Officer of the Bank of England Afua Kyei astatine fig three.
• CEO and Co-Founder of Good American covering marque and Founding Partner of Skims covering marque Emma Grede astatine fig four.
• Partner astatine White & Case, an planetary instrumentality firm, Joshua Siaw MBE came successful astatine fig five.
• Senior Partner astatine McKinsey & Company, a absorption and consulting firm, Tunde Olanrewaju astatine fig six.
• Founders astatine Marshmallow, an security company, twins Alexander and Oliver Kent-Braham placed seventh.
• Chef proprietor of Chishuru, a Michelin starred restaurant, Adejoke Bakaré came eighth.
• CIO of St. James’s Place, a fiscal proposal company, Justin Onuekwusi won ninth place.
• Chief AI Transformation Officer astatine Microsoft Pamela Maynard came tenth connected the exclusive Powerlist.

Michael Eboda, CEO of Powerful Media, steadfast of the Powerlist went connected to praise Dean Forbes for giving backmost to the community, saying: “What truly stood out, beyond Dean's impeccable way grounds successful business, is however he’s utilized his skills to genuinely springiness back, peculiarly by supporting assemblage charities done his Forbes Family Group Foundation. The judges felt that, much than anyone, Dean had gone supra and beyond successful this area. He's unsocial and genuinely deserves to beryllium our Number One. It’s an honour to observe Dean and each of our unthinkable Powerlistees this year.”

The EMEA Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and EMEA Head of Advancing Black Pathways astatine JPMorganChase, Cecil Peters said: “As a long-time spouse of the Powerlist, it is simply a privilege to witnesser first-hand the unthinkable Black endowment that exists successful the UK, and with large pridefulness that we assistance radiance a spotlight connected this talent.

“At JPMorganChase, we are committed to supporting initiatives that elevate divers endowment and interruption barriers crossed industries. It’s a objection of our committedness to the concern and their hard enactment that the Powerlist successful its 19th year, continues to beryllium the premier dependable for recognising achromatic excellence successful the UK.”