Bobby A. Syed founded EMMA (Ethnic Multicultural Media Academy/Awards) back in 1997. He realised that although Britain should be recognised as a Multicultural country, this reality at the time was not totally reflected in the creative industries through the previously recognised terms of Equality and Inclusion under UK Law. The EMMA Awards were created to honour Multicultural values and support creative industries excellence for individuals and organisations that promoted social inclusion through their work and initiatives, without the usual talking-shop of DEI as a slogan.

This is needed more now than ever before due to the growing conflicts domestically and globally, because EMMA has always been about us judging a person by their character, not by their race, colour, or religion. The growing tribalism with regard to this philosophy of “us versus them” attitude within politics; will lead to even more conflicts from a domestic and international perspective, and could lead to WW3. 

The EMMA phrase “it’s what’s inside that counts” is used to describe a person and how they should be ultimately judged by their character; hence, the phrase is often associated with the many EMMA winners. As the EMMAs is very much about a Meritocracy that is in opposition to continued nepotism that has plagued the Creative Industries – leading to poorer creativity and productivity that leads to social division.

In 1997, EMMA sparked a cultural revolution that has transcended one’s race and religion within a growing creative industry, reflecting global dynamism. Bobby was surprised by the lack of hope and the absence of contemporary role models at the time who could promote social and family values, which had affected the younger generations. Today Generation Z is the generation who need positive role models, and EMMA, could have provided this for them as shown from past success. The EMMA social values are sadly being replaced by anti-social behaviour, racism and nepotism by certain groups. Many EMMA icons, such as Muhammad Ali, have proven that you can’t replace hard work, and more importantly, there is a need to have equality, to allow genuine talent to prosper. The EMMAs were ultimately founded, to provide positive role models that inspire young people, to build those social bridges.

Bobby envisaged that EMMA could aid humanity’s progression by breaking down the silos of institutional racism and cultural ignorance. He set about enlisting visionaries within the media industry, inviting them to join the EMMA community to help promote social cohesion. Individuals who have strong spirit and character were highlighted; in particular, those whose achievements that have withstood the test of time, such as Mahatma Gandhi, Dr Martin Luther King Jr., Bruce Lee, Muhammad Ali, and Nelson Mandela, to name a few. The message, since EMMA 1997 has been clear: fifty years of Multicultural Britain have left their indelible mark, enriching the creative industry through the cultural richness gathered from the citizens who have migrated from the “Commonwealth” and beyond. True creativity is not defined by someone’s race, creed, colour, wealthy family ties or political ideology but by a creative culture allowing the person to believe in true Multicultural value to communicate universally.

EMMA History

The first-ever Ethnic Multicultural Media Academy/Awards (EMMAs) were held on May 14, 1998, at the Dorchester Hotel, Park Lane, London, and were hosted by Lisa Aziz (Sky News Presenter) and Darcus Howe (Channel 4 broadcaster and journalist). The EMMA awards were established as an independent initiative, free from any hidden commercial or political agendas from any pressure groups. This was the first-ever Creative Industry show in the world, a historic achievement for EMMA that also promoted genuine multicultural and humanitarian values. EMMA has made history and should be acknowledged for this historical landmark TV show.

After several successful years, the awards have maintained their a-political and commercial independence, adopting this a-political and a-religious stance. The EMMA’s are regarded as a prestigious statement of fact outlining the positive contributions made by many individuals and organisations to the most powerful industry in the world, with UK Creative Industries, who have grown successfully since the EMMA’s 1997 inception and is seen as a major UK economic sector.

We were also very careful to maintain a healthy working relationship with politicians and commercial organisations that encouraged inclusiveness and stood for anti-racism, working alongside diverse communities within this unique ethnic and multicultural community in the UK and beyond. This is the reason why EMMA is celebrated as being a-political and a-religious since its historical conception. EMMA’s philosophy is to promote social cohesion for social inclusion against social division. 

EMMA has recognised and celebrated some of the world’s most iconic Multicultural figures with our EMMA Lifetime Achievement Award. Recipients of the award included Muhammad Ali, who in 1999 supported our initiative with the following statement, “As in the United States, Britain is lucky to draw from the talents of a community rich in Ethnic Diversity.”  Other EMMA Lifetime Achievement award winners have included Nelson Mandela (2000), Lord Richard Attenborough (2001), Ray Charles and Maya Angelou (2002), and Stevie Wonder (2003), among others.

The EMMA Awards has attracted millions of television viewers domestically on ITV & BBC and worldwide through the Internet and digital broadcasting. Embracing the achievements of those celebrities and leading personalities, witnessed by ambassadors and senior diplomats from over 50 countries who endorsed and respected our EMMA philosophy. This led them to vote for the United Kingdom to host the London 2012 Multicultural Olympic Games at the 2005 Olympic bid in Singapore – The UK Olympic Bid team had all attended the EMMA show over several years to understand the true values of being Multicultural – that became the bedrock of the 2005 bid. The opening Olympic ceremony reflected Multiculturalism.

This was a clear recognition that UK Multiculturalism publically existed through EMMA’s own work that started in 1997. Beyond the previous Middle England tagline that had become some historical term reflecting the previous “Colonial” culture that created those “Urban Ghettos”, which became a reflection of ethnic minorities, living in undesirable inner cities areas – this racial connotation was mixed with classism, that plagued the White working class with those haves and have nots, when looking at growing austerity. The irony is that some poor Whites then turn on poor Minorities.

EMMA Achievements

EMMA is a 21st-century Multicultural brand rooted in our growing Metropolitan environment and Cosmopolitan lifestyles, which define many modern cities, such as London and New York.

EMMA’s historical presence on the international stage has been a significant achievement for the UK, marking a milestone in the definition and enhancement of the creative industries. This is defined by $2 trillion of global economic growth from the Creative Industries and the UK £125 billion. 

EMMA helped to highlight the creative work of our diverse talented communities, celebrating our collective achievements, and creating positive new role models, regardless of their ethnicity, gender, religion, colour, nationality, and politics if they clearly support social cohesion. There was a need then and now for role models.

EMMA supports businesses and organisations in their pursuit of becoming pioneers of positive change by reflecting their commitment to the communities they serve with success by winning an EMMA. The need to counter growing tribalism (politically) in any community is crucial for building a better economy and fostering national social cohesion. Ultimately, companies need to serve their market, not some tribal agenda.