Strictly Come Dancing champion Rose Ayling-Ellis has been named inspirational person of the year at the Visionary Honours Awards.
The awards, launched in 2019 to celebrate and amplify diversity in the arts, tell underrepresented stories and advocate creators using their platforms for social change.
Hosted by Sir Lenny Henry, they returned on March 1 for a third year to celebrate activists, creators and community leaders who, over the past 18 months, have inspired social change through the arts and their platforms.
Ayling-Ellis, 27, was awarded the inspirational person of the year award, which was presented to her by businessman and The Apprentice winner Tim Campbell.
The Eastenders actress is deaf and recently made history as the first deaf winner of Strictly.
She is also an advocate for British Sign Language becoming a legally recognised language.
The awards honoured 11 recipients and featured performances by poet Sophia Thakur and singer Ella Henderson.
British actress and screenwriter Michaela Coel was handed the outstanding achievement award.
Coel is best known for her work Chewing Gum and I May Destroy You.
The awards also recognised influential film, television, literature, podcasts and theatre.
The Visionary Honours Award for television show of the year was awarded to Russell T Davies’ It’s a Sin.
The mini-series stars Years and Years’s Olly Alexander and follows a group of gay men and their friends living in London during the Aids crisis.
The film of the year award was given to Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, which tells the story of Durham teenager Jamie Campbell as he delves into the world of drag.
Adrian Grant, founder of Visionary Honours, said: “I’m delighted to reveal the deserving winners of the Visionary Honours Awards for 2022.
“I want to thank Sir Lenny Henry for being the host for this year’s awards but also the other presenters, who were tremendous.”
He added: “Congratulations to the truly inspiring individuals who we have celebrated tonight – it has been amazing!”
Sir Trevor McDonald was awarded the legacy honour, presented to him by Sir Lenny.
Visionary Honours Awards 2022 Winners
1. Book Of The Year – Maybe I Don’t Belong Here (David Harewood)
2. Podcast Of The Year – Extraordinary People (Katie Piper)
3. Play/Musical Of The Year – Death of England: Delroy (Clint Dyer and Roy Williams)
4. Documentary Of The Year – Leigh-Anne: Race, Pop & Power (Kadise Abiola and Tash Gaunt)
5. Television Show Of The Year – It’s A Sin (Russell T. Davies)
6. Film Of The Year – Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (Tom MacCrae and Jamie Campbell)
7. Song Of The Year – Peng Black Girls (Enny)
8. Community Person Of The Year – Sabah Ahmedi
9. Outstanding Achievement Award – Michaela Coel
10. Inspirational Person of the Year – Rose Ayling-Ellis
11. Legacy Honour – Sir Trevor McDonald