Meera Syal is “truly honoured” to be given the Lifetime Achievement Award at The Women in Film and Television Awards 2023.
The 62-year-old actress has carved out a successful career in television and on stage over the last 40 years and was handed the EON Productions Lifetime Achievement Award by Sir Lenny Henry at the star-studded event in London on Friday (01.12.23)
Speaking at the ceremony, Meera Syal CBE said: “I’m truly honoured to be this year’s recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, and to be celebrating this with so many inspirational, talented women that I have the privilege to share an industry with.
“The work that Women in Film and TV does to support and champion women working in this industry is unmatched and it has been a joy to be a part of it today.”
Meera is known to TV audiences for her roles in comedies such as ‘The Kumars at No. 42’ and ‘Beautiful People’ alongside Olivia Colman, but has also enjoyed an illustrious stage career having starred in the title role of ‘Shirley Valentine’ and more recently as Miss Hannigan in the West End revival of ‘Annie’.
The acclaimed actress has also dabbled in writing over the years, having written the screenplay for the 1993 film ‘Bhaji on the Beach’ and the script for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Bombay Dreams’.
Meera now joins the likes of Dame Shiela Hanock, ‘Absolutely Fabulous’ star Dame Joanna Lumley and Oscar-winning actress Dame Helen Mirren as a recipient of the prestigious awards.
Elsewhere at the awards night – which was attended by the likes of Edith Bowman, Genevieve O’Reilly, Katie Price, Laura Whitmore and Rosie Jones and hosted again by comedienne Katherine Ryan – TV star Alison Hammond accepted The EIKON Presenter Award from Carol Vorderman for her work on ITV’s ‘This Morning’ and as co-host of Channel 4’s ‘The Great British Bake Off’.
The Women in Film and Television Awards, in partnership with Sky, have been running for 32 years and nominate women from across 14 categories including directing, writing, producing, performance, business and contribution to the medium.
The full list of winners is as follows:
Sanne Wohlenberg (producer, ‘Andor’)
The ENVY Producer Award
Presented by Genevieve O’Reilly
- Gbemisola Ikumelo (actor, ‘Famalam’, ‘Black Ops’)
The Argonon Best Performance Award
Presented by Mo Gilligan
- Alison Hammond, presenter (‘This Morning’, ‘Great British Bake Off’)
The EIKON Presenter Award
Presented by Carol Vorderman
- Lynn Saunders (Head of Liverpool Film Office, Liverpool City Council)
The Mercury Business Award
Presented by David Morrissey
- Claire Ellis, Senior Dialogue Editor, Molinare TV and Film
The MBS Equipment Co Craft Award
Presented by Tom Burke
- Louisa Compton, Head of News and Current Affairs and Specialist Factual and Sport at Channel 4
The BBC News and Factual Award
Presented by Victoria Derbyshire
- Tobi Kyeremateng, film and TV producer (‘How to be a Person’)
The Netflix New Talent Award
Presented by Adjoa Andoh
- Georgie Emary, producer (’24 Hours in Police Custody’)
The IMDb Project Management Award
Presented by Laura Whitmore
- Nina Hartstone, supervising sound editor (‘Saltburn’, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’)
The Creative Technology Award
Presented by Edith Bowman
- Grace Ofori-Attah, writer (‘Malpractice’)
The ScreenSkills Writing Award
Presented by Sheridan Smith
- Aoife McArdle, director (‘Severance’)
The BBC Studios Director Award
Presented by Billie Piper
- Tanya Motie and Ally Castle, Project Leads, The TV Access Project
The ITV Studios Achievement of the Year Award
Presented by Jack Thorne
- Sarah Brewerton, Editor (‘Nolly’, ‘It’s a Sin’)
The Disney+ Contribution to the Medium Award
Presented by Susan Wokoma
- Meera Syal CBE
The EON Productions Lifetime Achievement Award
Presented by Sir Lenny Henry CBE
—Reuters/BANG Showbiz
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