APEX Awards honour British Asian excellence and raise £350,000

LONDON: It was a night where achievement took centre stage and generosity shared the spotlight, as the inaugural APEX Awards celebrated British Asian talent while raising £350,000 for children’s charity Yuva Unstoppable.

Held at the InterContinental London Park Lane on Friday, September 11, the black-tie ceremony brought together more than 325 business leaders, broadcasters, entrepreneurs and community figures for an evening recognising individuals and organisations across business, media, culture and community life.

Organised by whitetops Global and Luminary Networks Ltd, the awards were created to recognise British Asian contributions that the organisers believe have too often gone uncelebrated.

Ten awards were presented during the ceremony, spanning professional achievement, entrepreneurship, media, culture and community impact.

John Digwa, founder of Showbiz International, received the Art & Culture award for more than 25 years of promoting Indian artists and bringing Bollywood music and cultural entertainment to UK audiences.

The Community Impact award went to artist, curator and activist community worker Poulomi Desai, who has spent decades combining creative work with advocacy around inclusion, identity and social change.

The Media award was shared by Parul Goel and Divia Thani. Goel, UK head of Zee TV UK and CFO of Zee TV USA, was recognised for his contribution to Asian media, while Thani was recognised for her international editorial career and leadership of all eight global editions of Condé Nast Traveller across print, digital, video and social platforms.

Broadcaster Neev Spencer, currently with Magic Radio, received Influencer of the Year for her work across television and radio, alongside advocacy around mental health, charitable causes and social change.

Rishi Patel was named Entrepreneur of the Year for building and expanding Interpolitan Money PLC, while Rakesh Prajapati, founder of RakLAW Solicitors, received Professional of the Year for his legal career spanning civil litigation, family law and immigration.

Chef, restaurateur and author Asma Khan, founder of Darjeeling Express, was named Woman of the Year. The award recognised her international profile in food as well as her work around women, opportunity and cultural heritage.

Sukhpal Singh Ahluwalia received Businessperson of the Year after building Euro Car Parts from a single London store into a major European automotive-parts business before establishing Dominvs Group and expanding into property, hospitality and investment.

The Lifetime Achievement award went to CB Patel, publisher and editor of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar, recognising more than five decades of work in British Asian media and efforts to preserve Indian culture, community and the Gujarati language in Britain.

Reema Mavani received the Overall Business Growth & Leadership Award for building a multi-restaurant McDonald’s franchise operation, with people development, leadership and local community engagement forming part of her business approach.

Beyond the trophies, the evening’s £350,000 fundraising total gave the inaugural event another purpose. The money was raised for Yuva Unstoppable, a children’s charity.

APEX co-founder L George said the turnout and fundraising made the first edition a significant milestone for the organisers, while confirming that the awards would return next year.

Co-founder Govind Shahi said the event was intended to recognise the scale of British Asian achievement in the UK, adding that the £350,000 raised for Yuva Unstoppable reflected the contribution of those attending.

With its first edition combining recognition with fundraising, the APEX Awards has now put down a marker for its next chapter, with the organisers confirming that the event will return in 2027.