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Evening Standard

National

Niva Yadav

Black British Business Awards 2025 winners revealed at glitzy ceremony in Mayfair

Mayfair (Geopolitical Entity) EMEA (Organization)

The winners of the 2025 Black British Business Awards have been announced at a glitzy ceremony in central London.

Yvonne Kunihara-Davidson, managing director at S&P Global and its EMEA head of tax solutions, was named Black British Business Person of the Year.

Ms Kunihara-Davidson has worked at the global consulting and analytics firm for three years, before which she held senior leadership positions at Burt Staples & Maner LLP and IHS Markit.

She prides herself in advising multinational financial institutions on tax compliance regimes and audit.

Beyond her commercial success, Ms Kunihara-Davidson has co-authored a global allyship programme, having sponsored S&P Global’s BOLD network for Black Professionals, and has inspired individuals through her advocacy and mentorship.

She was presented with her award at the ceremony on Friday night at the InterContinental Park Lane in Mayfair.

Receiving her award, Ms Kunihara-Davidson said: “I am so honoured to be named Black British Business Person of the year.

“It’s amazing to be part of a rich history of Black British business leaders who’ve all achieved such brilliant career heights and elevated others along the way.

“It’s more important than ever to celebrate the wins, uplift each other, and ensure everyone in business can achieve their dreams.”

Anne Mensah, VP of UK Content at Netflix UK, was awarded the Impact Award for her accomplishments as a Black business leader in the film and TV industry.

Ms Mensah first joined Netflix in 2019 from Sky, where she was the Director of Drama and Sky Studios. Her credits include Baby Reindeer, One Day, Supacell, and Adolescence.

She has overseen investment of more than $6 billion (£4.4bn) in the UK’s creative economy since 2020.

“It is a massive honour to be recognised with this award. I believe that there is a power in authenticity - in the stories we tell, the people we champion, and the way we show up in business and in life,” she said.

“When we try to lead with honesty and stay true to who we are, we create space for others to do the same and we're able to put work into the world that truly resonates with people everywhere. I’m so deeply grateful to everyone who has been part of my journey - their support and belief made it happen.”

The award ceremony also honoured this year’s Ally of the Year, Nick Studer, CEO at Oliver Wyman.

Mr Studer was praised for creating pathways for Black colleagues to advance and advocating for race equity across the consulting industry.

New to this year’s ceremony was the ICON Award, which honours a trailblazing Black British business leader whose lifelong contributions have profoundly shaped industry and inspired generations.

It was awarded to Kanya King CBE, founder and CEO of the MOBO Group. Ms King has been at the helm of the MOBO Awards, which have spotlighted talent such as Stormzy, Soul II Soul, and Little Simz, since 1996.

Now in its 12th year, this edition’s theme was #Elevate to “signify moving forward and rising above challenges” while “celebrating the progress, ambition, and excellence” of Black professionals.

Black British Business Awards chair and executive founder Dr Sophie Chandauka MBE said: “At a time when inclusion feels increasingly polarised, the BBBAwards theme of #Elevate reminds us that real progress for all of us comes from rising above the noise and focus on investing in talent, innovation, and the future of British business, together.

“The achievements of this year’s winners show that nurturing brilliance and protecting hard-won gains isn’t just fair, it fuels growth, competitiveness, and shared prosperity.”