Celebrating the brilliance, visibility and impact of Black British talent, we reveal this year’s inspiring winners of the Black British Business Awards 2026 [BBBAwards].
Chosen from a stellar line-up of Senior Leaders and Rising Stars from across a broad spectrum of global and UK industries, this year’s BBBAwards winners embody what can be achieved when organisations – and society in general – recognise, champion and amplify Black talent and allow it to #SHINE.
This year’s winners, selected from an expanded number of categories – STEM, Fashion, Beauty & Consumer, Arts & Media, Entrepreneurs, Financial Services, Professional Services and new category Retail & Hospitality were recognised at an exclusive ceremony presented by JPMorganChase at London’s Hilton Park Lane hotel. Finalists and senior figures in British business, plus key opinion leaders representing every sector of the British economy, gathered to recognise the Awards finalists, the businesses they work for and the numerous organisations that support the Awards.
Black British Business Person of the Year 2026 is Ije Nwokorie, Chief Executive Officer for Dr. Martens.
Appointed CEO in January 2025, Ije has played a pivotal role in shaping Dr. Martens’ long-term brand and growth strategy, following his tenure as Chief Brand Officer and previously as an Independent Non-Executive Director of the Board. As CEO, he has introduced a new Levers for Growth strategy – shifting from a channel to a customer-led operating model – to give more people more reasons to buy its products. The aim is to drive sustainable, profitable growth and advance the company’s ambition to become the world’s most desired premium footwear brand.
Ije has been recognised internally for his strong communication effectiveness through regular employee engagement, including his bi-weekly Ije Edit video updates and global panels, which ensure colleagues are aligned around the company’s strategic priorities and create space for open dialogue as the business navigates change. Prior to joining Dr. Martens’ executive team, Ije held senior leadership roles at Apple, helping to steer the company through periods of growth, cultural influence and operational scale as well as spending over 11 years at Wolff Olins, which culminated in him becoming Worldwide Chief Executive Officer.
Born in the US but brought up from age six against the backdrop of post-civil war Nigeria, Ije has previously described how he and his family went from the lifestyle trappings of 1960s America to a small Nigerian village and a home with no running water. This much simpler lifestyle was, he says, the perfect catalyst for the creativity that has helped to inform his career: Ije and his friends made their own fun with toys fashioned from the materials they could find. It’s this upbringing that’s also underlined his belief that “creativity belongs to us all. It isn’t for the few, it’s for the many”.
Ije’s career began at the intersection of technology, design and strategy, with early roles spanning game development, interaction design and architectural practice, giving him a multidisciplinary perspective that continues to inform his leadership today. Alongside his executive career, he has served as a Trustee at charity: water for nearly a decade and held board roles at cultural and humanitarian organisations including the Institute of International Visual Arts and Malaria No More UK. He also served as chair of trustees for the Chineke! Orchestra, a British orchestra championing change and the first in Europe to be made up of majority Black and ethnically diverse musicians.
Accepting his award, Ije said: “This recognition means a lot to me. While this award bears my name, it reflects the talent, dedication and generosity of the incredible teammates, mentors and leaders who have shaped me as a person and a professional. It is a powerful reminder that there is nothing more important in our leadership journeys than the time we invest to help others thrive.”
The Black British Business Awards 2026 Category Winners are:
Arts and Media
- Senior Leader: Amie Parker-Williams, Director, Digital Commissioning & Production, Paramount
- Rising Star: Sheniece Charway, Artist Partnership Manager [EMEA], YouTube/Google
Fashion, Beauty & Consumer
- Senior Leader: Andrea Thompson, Journalist, Brand Consultant & Former Editor-in-Chief, Marie Claire UK
- Rising Star: Yasmin O’Neal, Senior Director for Global Brand and Impact, DECIEM
Entrepreneur
- Senior Leader: Antonia Okonma Shittu, Founder & CEO, A-List Lace Hair
- Rising Star: Dr. Elsa Zekeng, Founder & CEO, SökerData
Financial Services
- Senior Leader: Melissa Max-Macarthy, Formerly Managing Director, Head of Strategy and Innovation, Retail Banking, NatWest Group
- Rising Star: Nana Agyemang, Proposition Delivery Manager, Barclays
Professional Services
- Senior Leader: Laurie-Anne Power KC, Barrister, 25 Bedford Row
- Rising Star: Jack Van Cooten, Senior Manager – External Vendors & Data, Oliver Wyman
Retail & Hospitality
- Senior Leader: Leona De Graft, VP Global Ecommerce, Levi Strauss and Co.
- Rising Star: Rickey Devonish, Head of Apprenticeships and Emerging Talent, JD Group
STEM
- Senior Leader: Eustace Xavier, Finance Director, Technical Services, Mitie PLC
- Rising Star: Maciah Smith, Innovation and Strategic Technology Roadmapping Analyst, Johnson Matthey
This year, the BBBAwards also recognises and honours a business or organisation that remains solidly and vocally committed to creating opportunities for, and the progression of, Black professionals. The 2026 winner of the IMPACT Award goes to Sky UK.
2026 marks the second year of the ICON Award, which celebrates a trailblazer whose achievements, legacy and vision have transformed their industry and shaped British culture. 2025’s inaugural award went to the late Kanya King CBE, Founder and CEO of the MOBO Group, a true pioneer of Black British music and culture.
This year’s ICON is Ghanaian-born, British editor and stylist Edward Enninful. Enninful was appointed Fashion Director of i-D magazine aged just 18, going on to become Condé Nast’s first Black Editor-in-Chief when he stepped into the role at British Vogue in 2017. In 2023 he moved into the role of editorial advisor for the UK publication and global creative and cultural advisor across the Vogue portfolio. In 2025 he founded EE72, a global media and entertainment company and quarterly print magazine.
Speaking during the event, thanking finalists, winners and supporting organisations, BBBAwards Executive Founder Dr Sophie Chandauka MBE said: “Through your breathtaking achievements, leadership and willingness to stand visibly behind this mission, you bring pride and unity at a time when so much could divide us. You lend the BBBAwards credibility not simply to celebrate excellence, but to ensure the best and brightest from all communities get a fair shot. That commitment has made the BBBAwards the UK’s premium awards programme for Black business achievement.
“Recognition matters, but it cannot be the goal. Real progress depends on the courage of those with influence to challenge the status quo and demand that they recruit and retain in proportion to the Black talent leaving our schools, vocational colleges and universities. That is the work: to open doors, shift expectations and ensure Black talent is not only applauded, but invited and enabled to #SHINE, power and lead British business.”
A spokesperson on behalf of Key Partner JPMorganChase said of this year’s winners and awards ceremony: “We couldn’t be prouder to support and celebrate such an outstanding breadth of Black British talent. Meeting this year’s finalists and category winners, and hearing about their career journeys and achievements, is a powerful reflection of the spirit of #SHINE, recognising those whose brilliance, innovation and leadership illuminate pathways for others. Their accomplishments continue to inspire future generations and demonstrate the exceptional value they bring to businesses, communities and the wider UK economy.”
BBBAwards 2026 is proud to thank the significant sponsors of the 2026 Awards. These include AlixPartners, Baker McKenzie, Barclays, Diageo, The Financial Times, Goldman Sachs, JD Group, L’Oréal, Macquarie, Morgan Stanley, Ralph Lauren, Salesforce, Standard Chartered and Wellington Management.
