Meet our 2021 winners

Born and raised in Nigeria, Kemi is well known in the African Australian community. She has engaged the community through different services including providing employment to many especially those that have just called Australia home. She is also a business woman, an inspiration to many mothers in the community.

Lovemore is a prominent lawyer in Sydney specialising in Family Law and Criminal Law. The three-time world boxing champion is also a book author with his recent book 'Tough Love' hitting record sales on Amazon. Principal solicitor at Lovemore Lawyers, in Rockdale NSW.

A Nigerian born, broadcast journalist, with many years of experience in production, presentation and news-casting in radio and television. Princess is currently the producer and presenter of “BLACKRHYTHMS SHOW” on 93.7 FM station. 

Isaac is co-founder of the United Kenyans in Australia Cultural Association (UKACA). He holds a degree in community services and his role in supporting others during COVID-19 pandemic was outstanding. Isaac hails from Kenya. He is currently the vice president UKACA that aims to unite Kenyans in Sydney. 

Barbara is the founder of Caring Hearts Foundation that she established in Sierra Leone for orphans whose parents were affected by the deadly Ebola outbreak. She is also a Registered Nurse working at West Meade Hospital and a celebrated caring African Australian in NSW. Barbara is also a vibrant member of the African community.

Okunzuwa  is originally from Nigeria, He is a dynamic innovative African Australian who sees no limit in opportunity. He is currently the Director of Dominion Group Australia PTY LTD. He holds a Masters degree in Clinical Leadership. He is also a Work Health and Safety expert.

Ubah is Somali born seasoned, Accredited leadership coach with Commerce degree. She specialises in coaching financial services leaders in regulatory compliance, productivity, and people management. More recently, Ubah supports and coaches teams in one of Australia’s largest bank, to remediate high risk transactions highlighted by APRA.

Born in Harare, Zimbabwe, Joel works for NAB. He has a Bachelor of Business & Commerce major in Accounting from UWS. Having been in the bank for 9 yrs he has held various different roles in the domestic & int'l payments team, private client lending and health associate roles. He is currently a Health Banking Manager

Mary is an Italian Australian with a huge African heart. She has been key in promoting and uplifting the entertainment industry among African Australians in Sydney for over 2 decades. She has featured in many films produced by John Kay and supports local schools in Sierra Leone.

Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rev Navazu (Represented by his son in the picture above) is CEO of Nakango Vision Multicultural Integration Community Services. She is a senior Pastor of Agape International Church Ministries an advocate for vulnerable refugees.

Kenyan born Roy (represented in pic above) holds a BComm from Curtin University and an MBA from UTS. He is a seasoned Risk Professional working for global banks, local banks, insurance, reinsurance within the digital payments industry. Roy is a member of Sydney Toastmasters Club.

Petua has called Australia home for close to 3 decades. A mother to all, she has helped many Africans start a new life in Australia. She is a Registered Nurse in NSW. Studied at the University of Technology Sydney and is currently an entrepreneur providing employment to people from Africa.

Jimmy is an upcoming artist with a unique style of music that has taken Australia and the world by storm. Born in Uganda, Jimmy under his brand Sokel Music has travelled across Australia performing on big stages. He was a key entertainer at the 2021 awards in Sydney.

With a Bachelor of Arts Degree in International Relations and a Masters in Social Work, Evelyn is a proud Kenyan who has been so helpful to the community during the COVID-19 Pandemic. She has provided families and communities with assistance as response to the impact of COVID-19.

Ghanaian born Bishop Laryea (represented in picture above), is the Founder and Executive Director of Africa Youth Initiative Centres (AYIC), that support youth initiatives in Australia and Africa. His vision is to help youth in disadvantaged communities in Africa and empower them achieve their potential.

Okoth (represented in picture above) was born in Southern Sudan, moved to the United States in 1999, attended Park University and earned a Bachelor degree in Journalism and Political Science in 2014. He is author of ‘Unsung Giants Who Fought to Keep Africa Free’ a book that has hit the Amazon ratings with a huge bang

Nigerian born Ola is the Director of  No.1 African Choice shop located in Bankstown where you can get all your home away from home products. No. 1 African Choice shop  boasts of various African merchandise. The shop also provides part time / Full time jobs for young African adults in the community.

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Ethiopian/Aussie Destiny (Represented above in picture) is the 2018 Miss Junior Diamond queen.

She is an Australian Athletics Medallist, Hip Hop Dancer Gold Champion and the 2018 Junior Parliament Member. She is also an advocate for youth trauma victims.

Hawanatu (Represented in picture above) is an Afro-Australian award-winning filmmaker and social worker. She is a self-taught filmmaker with a career spanning over a decade. She has written, produced and directed films in various genres including dance, experimental, drama, documentary and animation.

Another uprising singer, songwriter and music producer who has taken over the music industry in style. Currency has produced hit songs that currently have a massive following on the YouTube. His budding profession is already glittering.

She helps ignite transformation of managers into purposeful leaders. She is founder and director of Make it Happen initiative, an award winning humanitarian organization. She has a Masters in International Law. And she is author of IGNITE 

The Rwanda Community NSW is one of the most vibrant among the African communities in Australia. They are remarkable for organizing events and projects that bring their members together and also connect with members from other communities.

Born in Zimbabwe, Masimba is the Head of Internal Audit Group Support Services at Woolyworths. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant with over 10 years of professional experience and works with boards to achieve optimal performance.

Aminata is the brain behind Aminata Maternal Foundation that provides services to help reduce the devastating infant and maternal mortality in Sierra Leone. She was the recipient of Women’s Agenda Setter of the Year Award, in April 2021 .

Clement is a South Sudanese Australian with over 17 years’ experience in the Community sector serving in various roles. He spearheaded the Sudanese and South Sudanese COVID-19 Response Group which supported over 1,500 individuals in NSW during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Conso is passionate about entrepreneurship, social justice, advocacy, gender equity and empowerment. She is the founder of Inspire. Y.G.(Young Generation), an initiative that seeks to inspire young people globally to pursue their dreams and champions for accessibility of quality education for all.

Born in Zimbabwe, David is a real estate professional based in Sydney.

He specialises in investment property sector across all cities in Australia.

Given his experience with Finance as a mortgage broker, David believes in equal

opportunities to create wealth and empowerment of migrants.

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Zambian born, Towela is the founder of Kutowa Woman School of Etiquette which helps with soft skills development for migrant women to improve their understanding of the key skills required to successfully grow in business.

Fr. Alex plays a pivotal role in helping the youth in Kenya through the Shukrani Foundation. Fr. Alex has established various projects in Kenya looking after the disadvantaged youth by empowering and educating them in various skills. 5th year that Fr Alex and his foundation are recognized at the awards.

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Tinashe Dune is a PhD multi-award winning Associate Professor in health sociology, public health and health psychology. Her clinical psychology practice, Dune Health and Wellbeing, focuses on providing wholistic and responsive mental health care to diverse clients. She teaches at Western Sydney University.

Paul's commitment and dedication accounts for the success of the awards functions. He is an academician who has called Australia home for the last two decades. He is very passionate seeing African Australians network on a large scale.

Born and raised in Uganda, Sharon is a highly experienced journalist who has written for Australian Mining, CEO Magazine and Business Insider Australia. She also hosts a podcast and YouTube channel “That’s Lit” which celebrates achievements of people from diverse backgrounds in Australia.

Ben is CEO of African Enterprise, a charity organization that has brought peace, reconciliation and hope to African nations through various humanitarian projects for over 50 years. African Enterprise reaches over one million Africans every year giving them hope for a better future. 

Immanuel is the President Cumberland Business Chamber of Commerce. He presided over as a guest at the 2021 awards ceremony. Immanuel has also been president of Central Queensland University Students Association and Wildfire Community Men Sheds.

Originally from Ghana, Janet has a Bachelor of Nursing degree from UWS, a Graduate Diploma and Masters of Midwifery, Graduate Certificate in child and family and Advance Nurse Practice in Child and Family Health. She works with Western Sydney Health Services supporting supporting refugee families.

Suzan has made herself a name in film, book authorship, fashion, modeling and of late singing and songwriting. Her book Un Apologetically Black has hit the stage with a bang attracting various leading media houses that have hosted her for interviews. She is the true definition of a champion

Born and raised in Nigeria, Kemi is a household name in the African Australian community of NSW. She has engaged the community through different services including providing employment to those that have just called Australia home. She is also a business woman, an inspiration to many mothers in the community.

Maureen is the powerful lady behind the success of the annual awards functions over the years. A qualified pharmacist with a Masters degree, her administration and organization skills account for the smooth flow of events at the awards. She is also a previous winner in various categories.

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Born in Kenya, Grace (represented in picture above) works with people who have mental health issues, providing them with various services including counselling. She has a diploma in leadership and offers structured support to people in crisis including those contemplating suicide as a result of depression and anxiety.

DJ CMJ (Represented above ) is a Multi-genre Dj and Cyber security specialist, Radio host & Event promoter. A passionate entertainer, Judy is recognised for her contributions to the Afrobeats scene in Australia.  She is a  double degree holder in Business Administration & Information Technology

King is another African Australian who has not disappointed in the music industry as a singer, songwriter and producer. He has made his presence felt in almost every state and territory in Australia hosting big live concerts.

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With a hat-trick of recognition, Kenyan born Consolata boasts numerous academic and social work achievements. She has a Bachelor’s of Social Work Degree (Psychology) and also boasts of numerous local and international scholarships.

Ugandan born Susan is a Sydney-based Actress, Model, Fashion designer and stylist. She manages a fashion label ‘Suzan Mutesi’ which symbolizes structure and class and gives women of all body types the ability to feel confident, comfortable and beautiful.

Commonly known as Trendy B, the Nigerian born Blessing has owned the fashion industry in Australia for over a decade. “I was born to cloth the world” she says. She also designs kids from all backgrounds and has worked with various fashion icons.

Currency is a recording Afrobeat artist and also a music  producer. Born in Nigeria, his African narrative music has been making massive waves in and out Australia. He has produced and sang hit singles like Me & you, Shuka, Ole, Am in love and many more.

Zimbabwe born Princess is a dynamic young woman working for Westpac. She has worked for Alcon a global pharmaceutical company. She is also the founder of Entle Beaute one of the first Aussie BIPOC cosmetic beauty start-up in Australia and New Zealand.

Jo is a senior business executive working across Banking, Insurance, Telco and FMCG industries. He has solved complex problems working at large and iconic organizations in Australia and Europe including NAB, Telstra, Woolworths, Kaufland and ALDI. 

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Carol (represented by her daughter and grand daughter in pic) is a feminist activist working directly with communities and women’s rights movements addressing violence against women and protection. She is presently the Deputy Head of Program(Humanitarian) for ActionAid Australia .  

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Raymond is a freelance graphic designer based in Sydney with over 12 years of experience working in the industry, specialising in print design, social media. He has found himself working with a diverse range of design and media agencies and musicians in both Sydney and Sierra Leon. 

Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Margaret has a double Degree in International Business and Accounting and also a Master in Training and Professional Development.

She currently works as Trusted Business Partner in one of the largest Rehabilitation organisations in the country.

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Born, educated and raised in Sierra Leone, Idrissa is a community leader, a journalist and activist for women and girls. He has worked with the Jesuit Refugee Service Australia, the Refugee Council of Australia, the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre(ASRC), and Volunteered with Settlement Service Interpersonal (SSI). .

Kylie has been known to the African Australian community for over two decades. She has promoted the entertainment industry in the community. Kyle has also featured in various movie projects by African Australians in NSW. She supports schools in Sierra Leone with various scholastic materials.

Originally from South Sudan, DJ Zinger is now a household name in the Sydney entertainment space. The youngster has made himself a name with his afrobeat mixes that have been acknowledged by the wider community. DJ Zinger volunteers his time and resources at the annual awards dinner every year.

Abang is High School Teacher and Refugee Coordinator at NSW Department of Education for the last 10 years. She arrived in Australia as an 18 year old refugee and now boasts of a Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Teaching and currently undertaking post graduate research.

Dr Thembi is a lecturer and tutor at Macquarie University and University of New South Wales. Thembi was our Keynote Speaker at the 2021 awards ceremony. She also a previous recipient of an academic excellence award and professional excellence award.

Jennifer is the powerful lady behind the success of the annual awards over the years. A Registered Nurse by profession and an entrepreneur, her administration and organization skills account for the smooth flow of events at the awards. She is also a previous winner in various categories.

Nickson is an upcoming artist with a unique style of music that has made him a household name in South Australia. Born in Uganda, Nickson is part of the budding brand of Sokel Music and has travelled across Australia performing on big stages. He was a key entertainer at the 2021 awards function in Sydney.

Born in Guinea, Ammar has been President of Sydney's Bantal Pullar community. He has played an important part in establishing a community educational program, and also bringing community members together. He also serves on the executive committee of the Guinea Community in Sydney.

GLAPD is a not-for-profit and charity organisation that helps migrants, refugees and asylum seekers from the Great Lakes region of Africa and beyond to settle in Australia. The organisation has helped many migrants and refugees achieve better living standards in Australia and has played a pivotal role in raising awareness of COVID19 

Kenyan born Charles (Represented in Picture above) is lecturer in International Business and Strategy at the University of Technology Sydney. His research and publication focus includes the Impact of Chinese Investments in Sub Saharan Africa: Ethics, Responsibility and Sustainability. He hold a PHD in Management.

Kim (represented in picture above) is officially from Sierra Leone by marriage. She has always identified with big and small African events and projects using her social influence and that of her daughter to support and boost them. She has been a long-term supporter of the annual awards. 

Edith is one of the champions of women in NSW and has started her own company Ida Events. She engages African Australians through hosting events mainly targeting women like at the African Women's Dinner Dance.

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Fr. Alex is a co-founder of the Shukrani Foundation, a charity organisation that helps youngsters in the impoverished suburbs of Kenya to gain access to education and also participate in poverty alleviation projects.

Dr Nadine is Co-Founder of GLAPD Int. She is also Health Program Administrator at Westmeade Children’s Hospital and member Advisory Group on Australia-African relations at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.