Everyone’s a Winner at Celebration Event

The pride of Blackburn with Darwen gathered in Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery. The 1V Awards Winners event took place in late January 2025 to celebrate the 58 recipients of the 1V Awards since 2013.

The 1V Awards is run by charity One Voice Blackburn and is hosted each year, usually February. It started life in Maida Restaurant but has now grown into one of the biggest award ceremonies in Lancashire with 450 people attending the sell-out event in King George’s Hall.

The 1V Awards are having a ‘fallow year’ in 2025 due to the redevelopment of King George’s Hall in 2025, but the ceremony will return in February 2026 for its 12th instalment.

The Winner’s Event heard from previous winners such as Tinta Ali, who won Man of the Year in 2021.

He talked about how the Award had an impact on his life.
“I recently received a full scholarship to study at university, and they cited the fact that I received the scholarship due to winning an award of this magnitude. These awards make such a difference in people’s lives.”

Firoza Mohmed won the inaugural Group of the Year with Humraaz in 2013, and then in 2023 won the much-coveted Outstanding Achievement Award.

She spoke fondly about how the announcement of her accolade reached all corners of the world.
“When I won the award people started contacting me who I had not heard from for years, and from across the world. I was especially pleased when Humraaz won the first Group of the Year award, as it recognised all the hard work and effort put in by so many people, most of them volunteers.”

Dr Alistair Murdoch also won the Man of the Year in 2018. He has spearheaded the renovation of the Old Exchange Building. 
“I was shocked to be merely nominated, and then even more shacked when I won the Award. It’s also great to see how the 1V Awards has developed over the years and we now have a very strong relationship with One Voice Blackburn.”

“I recently received a full scholarship to study at university, and they cited the fact that I received the scholarship due to winning an award of this magnitude. The 1V Awards make such a difference in people’s lives.”

The event also heard stories from guests about the growth of the 1V Awards, but keeping the community feel at all times. The introduction of a theme to each Awards Dinner was also praised. 

Abrar Hussain, chairman of One Voice Blackburn, spoke of his pride at maintaining the quality of the Awards and congratulated all the winners and finalists of the awards in the last 12 years.
“The One Voice team have grown this event from very humble beginnings to being one of the most prestigious gatherings in Lancashire. We are immensely proud that we are able to recognise volunteers and community groups through the 1V Awards, and we look forward to continuing that in future years. The support of the sponsors and supporters has been vital and will be vital going forward.”