For the 2025 International Women's Day its powerful theme is #AccelerateAction.
This is the perfect time to spotlight the prestigious awards programmes celebrating women's achievements in business and entrepreneurship – particularly those founded by visionary women themselves.
These award platforms don't just recognise excellence; they create visibility, build networks, and drive meaningful change by showcasing role models who inspire the next generation of female leaders.
Here are three outstanding awards programmes that exemplify the spirit of #AccelerateAction by lifting up women's voices in business.
The Great British Entrepreneur Awards – Founded by Frankie James
The Great British Entrepreneur Awards known as ‘The Grammys of Entrepreneurship’, acknowledges the hard work and inspiring stories of British entrepreneurs and businesses.
Founder Frankie James established these awards with a vision to celebrate the stories behind successful businesses, not just the balance sheets.
What makes these awards special is their commitment to recognising entrepreneurial spirit in all its forms. Recognising that success looks different for everyone, the awards celebrate entrepreneurs at every stage, from startups to established businesses. Honouring the resilience, creativity, and determination it takes to turn ideas into reality. Creating a truly diverse and inclusive event.
Previous winners include;
- Karen Barrett, Unbiased
- Evadney Campbell MBE, Shiloh PR
- Kanya King CBE, MOBO Group
- Fran Boorman, Goal 17
- Kirsty Lunn, Molke
Beyond the awards themselves, Frankie has been the driving force behind a vibrant community of entrepreneurs who support each other's journeys, and encourages positive change through business.
Lloyds British Business Excellence Awards – Founded by Sarah Austin
The Lloyds British Business Excellence Awards, founded by Sarah Austin, represents one of the UK's most prestigious business awards programmes.
Sarah has created a platform that celebrates businesses at all levels, and individuals from newcomers to established leaders. Extending beyond recognition, Sarah’s focus on creating meaningful connections through the sell-out awards ceremony and surrounding events, serve as powerful networking opportunities where business leaders can forge relationships that fuel future collaborations.
What distinguishes these awards is their comprehensive approach to evaluating business excellence – examining leadership, innovation, financial performance, and social impact.
Previous winners include;
- Sian Jones, CEO, Correla
- Trinny Woodall, Trinny London
- Lizzie Carter, Only Curls
- Philippa Main
- Founder & CEO, Three Sisters Farm
“The Lloyds British Business Excellence Awards are the UK’s largest and most prestigious business awards. Where businesses of all sizes, from the length and breadth of the country come together to celebrate ambition, sustainability, innovation, diversity and … resilience. It’s important that we celebrate business success stories and the role that this talent and ambition is playing in driving our economy.” Elyn Corfield CEO, Business and Commercial Banking, Lloyds Banking Group
Best Business Women Awards – Founded by Debbie Gilbert
The Best Business Women Awards, established by Debbie Gilbert, were specifically created to recognise the achievements of female entrepreneurs and business leaders.
As an entrepreneur herself, Debbie understood the unique challenges women face in business and designed an awards programme to shout about their achievements and provide a platform to celebrate alongside other women in business.
The awards cover a wide variety of industries and recognise and reward female business talent. Over 2000 people have attended the award events since the first event and the positive reputation for the awards continues to grow year-on-year.
Categories for the awards include;
- Best Businesswoman in Business Services
- Best Businesswoman in Marketing & PR Services
- Best Female Leader
- Best Business
- Lifetime Achievement
Accelerating Action Through Recognition
For International Women's Day 2025, these awards align perfectly with the #AccelerateAction theme by:
- Creating platforms that ensure women's achievements don't go unnoticed
- Building networks that facilitate collaboration and business opportunities
- Establishing benchmarks that inspire organisations to improve gender equity
- Showcasing diverse leadership models that challenge tradition
And there are lots of other credible awards out there highlighting the achievements of women and raising their profiles, including the Enterprise Vision Awards which is based in the UK, open now, and offering a plethora of categories and with the most wonderful ceremony held at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool. Meanwhile for international recognition, check out the Stevie Awards for Women in Business based in the US with some fantastic categories for all women women in business, from entrepreneurs to executives and teams.
If you’re ready to nominate an outstanding woman, join us for our next FREE Award-Winning Workshop and learn how to tell their story in a way awards will love.
