TOP 8 - INFLUENCERS 2018
ADWOA ABOAH
FOUNDER OF GURLS TALK, ACTOR, MODEL, STYLIST AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Adwoa Aboah has quickly become one of the most-talked about women of her generation. Unafraid to tackle the issues that matter, Aboah founded Gurls Talk, a project which gives young women a platform to discuss feminist issues. As a model, she has starred in global campaigns for major fashion houses and became the cover girl for Edward Enninful’s debut issue of Vogue as editor-in-chief.
FARRAH STORR
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, COSMOPOLITAN MAGAZINE
Farrah Storr is Cosmopolitan magazine’s award-winning editor-in-chief. Since taking over the monthly mag in 2015, she has diversified the brand and increased circulation by a whopping 59%. In 2017 she was named as a ‘BAME leader’ in The Guardian & Operation Black Votes UK’s 100 Power List.
HUMZA ARSHAD
ACTOR AND COMEDIAN
Humza Arshad created the comedy web series sensation, Diary of a Bad Man, which focuses on a range of issues affecting young British Muslims. His YouTube channel currently has 91 million views. Arshad also works with counter-terrorism police to prevent British teenagers being radicalised by extremists. He won an award for his efforts from Scotland Yard in 2017.
JAMAL EDWARDS MBE
Digital Entrepreneur, Founder, SBTV
Jamal Edwards MBE rose to fame after launching SB.TV, a music platform which he started from his bedroom, aged 15. The success of SB.TV has seen expand the media company and also launch a record label, Just Jam. Edwards was made an MBE in the 2014 New Year Honours list for services to music.
JAMEELA JAMIL
PRESENTER, ACTRESS AND SOCIAL COMMENTATOR
Despite being told she was “too old, too ethnic and too fat” to launch a career in the US, Jameela Jamil became an overnight sensation on The Good Place. Already famous in the UK for her presenting skills on T4 and the BBC, Jamil has used her platform to speak out about body image, racism and sexism in the industry.
KOJEY RADICAL
MUSICIAN AND CULTURAL COMMENTATOR
London College of Fashion graduate Kojey Radical focuses his MOBO-nominated music and art on themes of race, class and justice, creating “socially conscious rap music”. Radical is also the creative director of London men’s fashion label Chelsea Bravo and founder/director of media collective Pushcrayons.
NADIR NAHDI
PRODUCER AND SOCIAL COMMENTATOR
Nadir Nahdi is the founder and creator of BENI, an online project highlighting young people from diverse backgrounds with the aim of reclaiming the misrepresented narrative they face from mainstream media. His “Happy British Muslims!” video of Muslims dancing went viral in 2014. Nahdi’s channel BENI is part of the YouTube Creators for Change fellowship program, as well as YouTube’s Internet Citizens program.
RENI EDDO-LODGE
AUTHOR
Reni Eddo-Lodge is the author of Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race, a Sunday Times bestseller, which was voted non-fiction book of the year by both Foyles and Blackwells bookshops. Earlier this year, her work was named as one of the “Top 10 books by women that changed the world”.