The finalists have been announced today for the Lloyds TSB Asian Jewel Awards (Northern Region) 2005. The Awards, now in their third year and held in three regions of the UK each year, celebrate the outstanding achievements of individuals from the UK's South Asian communities in all walks of life.

ast year's Awards received over 300,000 nominations from organizations nationally. The Northern Region Awards ceremony will take place in Manchester on the evening of Saturday 12 February, where 1000 guests will be treated to a spectacular Bollywood extravaganza of dance and music as well as the legendary AFM catwalk show featuring designs from the country's hottest young Asian designers.

Khalid Darr, Chairman of the Institute of Asian Professionals (IAP), who develop the Asian Jewel Awards, says: 'Asian men and women are injecting energy into communities, bringing new qualities to the world of business and introducing fresh thinking to the arts, fashion and modern pop culture, and this is what the Asian Jewel Awards sets out to acknowledge.'

The finalists are:

Public Sector Excellence Award

* Ghulam Shahzad, training officer, Rochdale Council and chairman, Rochdale Law Centre

* Ikram Butt, community sports and activities development officer, Bradford Council; founder, South Asia Bulls rugby squad; and director, British Asian Rugby Association

* Faruk Desai MBE, chief officer, Preston Racial Equality Council

* Sharmila Gandhi, former chief executive, Bradford Vision and co-director, 2Aspire Ltd.

Media, Arts and Sport Excellence Award

* Talat-Farooq Awan, television and radio producer with specialization in Asian community programmes, BBC

* Twin sisters Amrit and Rabindra Kaur Singh, artists and Indian miniature tradition revivalists

* 18-year-old Amir Khan, boxer and Olympic silver medallist, Athens 2004

* Alnoor Mitha, founding director, Shisha organization for South Asian crafts and visual arts

Healthcare and Education Excellence Award

* Sonil Kaalia, orthodontist and lecturer in dentistry, based in Sheffield and working in the UK, Germany and Denmark

* Dr. Anil Mehta, research and development scientist of national repute

* Nayanika Mookherjee, anthropologist and sociology lecturer, Lancaster University

* Professor Pooran Wynarczyk, founder, Small Enterprise Research Unit, Newcastle University

Business and Commerce Excellence Award

* Sandy Chadha, Supreme Brands Group - anticipated sales of £45 million in 2005

* Nadeem Shah, Swan Homes and TLB Properties - £20 million invested in his home town of Doncaster in the past two years

* Madan Showan, Empire EC - includes EmpireDirect, the UK's top online electrical store

* Sanjay Vadera, Per-Scent Ltd. - turnover currently exceeding £41 million

Entrepreneur Excellence Award

* Ramesh Khemlaani, KB Import & Export - turnover approaching £110 million

* Atif Malik, Properties UK and Lending Point - group turnover currently £100 million

* Firoz Patel, Express Group including Express Cuisine ready-to-eat halal food

* Asim Saleem, Kashmir Crown Bakery - has grown sales to an expected £6 million in 2005 after a management buy-out in 2000

Professional Excellence Award

* Sufyan Ismail, founder of First Ethical, the UK's first specialist firm of tax advisers

* Trupti Patel, Salford City Council '- traffic engineer and one of the UK's most senior Asian woman managers in local government

* Mohammed Suleman, Sandhill Solicitors - specialist in immigration law

* Ibrar Ul-Haq, Oxbridge graduate and British Airways' first Muslim captain

The prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award will be shared by Lal Kumar and Lord Adam Patel.

Lal Kumar, a former stall holder on Lancashire markets, founded a fashionwear distribution company in 1958, now known as the Rajan Group, which has a turnover of over £85 million and over 200 staff internationally.

Lord Adam Patel, a former accountant and businessman who became a member of the House of Lords after his retirement, was a founder member of Blackburn Community Relations Council, former president of Lancashire Council of Mosques and has been president of the Blackburn Indian Workers' Association since 1977.

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