British singer/songwriter Dua Lipa had a good night at the Brit Awards on Tuesday. She picked up two prizes for best female solo artist and best album at the awards. However, Dua Lipa used the opportunity to honour British-Nigerian nursing professor, Dame Elizabeth Nneka Anionwu.
During her speech, Dua Lipa also used the opportunity to recognise the key workers who were also invited to the awards. Dua Lipa described Anionwu as her ‘Best British Female of the year’. In her speech, she also acknowledged the progress of women in the British music industry.
Dua Lipa reflects on the time she won best female solo artist for the first time in 2018. The star singer said: “Last time I was up here accepting this award in 2018, I said that I wanted to see more women on these stages, and I feel so proud that three years later we’re seeing that happen. It really is such an honour to be a part of this wave of women and music.”
This year the organisers of the Brit Awards gave the winners two trophies per award. The second award was given to the winners to honour someone else whom they deemed fit. For the One Kiss and New Rules star, this person was Anionwu.
Dame Elizabeth Nneka Anionwu
Dua Lipa said, “I think this is such an incredible initiative to give another part of your award to someone and I’ve chosen that my best British female of the year is Dame Elizabeth Anionwu and she has spent her stellar nursing career.”
“She has spent her stellar nursing career fighting racial injustice, she has also spent so much time and is a strong, strong advocate for protecting frontline workers. She has also said that there’s a massive disparity between gratitude and respect for frontline workers because it’s very good to clap for them, but we need to pay them,” Dua Lipa adds.
This is not the first time Anionwu is getting such recognition. In 2017, she was honoured with a Damehood (DBE) by the Queen of England for her services to nursing and the Mary Seacole Statue Appeal. She is an emeritus professor of nursing at the University of West London. She is also a Patron of the Sickle Cell Society and the Nigerian Nurses Charitable Association (UK).
Anionwu’s was born to a Nigerian father, Lawrence Odiatu Anionwu who was never a part of her life. Her mother, Mary Furlong was Irish. She also received the Commander of the Order of the British Empire, the CBE award from Prince Charles in 2001.