De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms
Saturday 29th November 2025
Entertainment
Meet the performers bringing energy and vibes to this year’s event.
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Slim the Comedian
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Nate Holder
Kaiya Annan
DJ Fletch
DJ Claudius
Hosts 2025
Anya James
Anya James is a leader in education, championing diversity and empowerment. As Co-Founder of the Brown Skin Girls Network and Senior Education Advisor, she drives equitable policies and uplifts women of color. Through her consultancy, she advises global organizations and inspires change, shaping inclusive educational systems and fostering impactful reform.
Nate Holder
Prof Nathan Holder is an award-winning author, speaker, musician, and education consultant advocating for inclusive music education. He has collaborated with top artists like Ghetts and Emeli Sandé and organizations such as BBC and Oxford University Press. Author of 12 books, including Listen and Celebrate (2022), Nate inspires global change.
Judges 2025
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Our Future Ed Awards
Celebrate and reward the committed professionals of Black African and Caribbean heritage, along with their Allies, who go above and beyond to teach, lead, mentor, coach, and drive excellence across the education sector.
Future ED recognises that education is not limited to schools. We honour individuals and organisations making an impact across the full educational landscape, from awarding bodies and schoolbook publishers to community-based programs, supplementary schools, early years providers, and institutions in further and higher education.
We also celebrate those supporting families and learners outside traditional settings, acknowledging the vital role of holistic, community-rooted education in achieving equity and excellence.
These awards shine a light on the people and partners who are changing culture, raising standards, and making education fairer and more inclusive at every level.
Partners
Our Sponsors
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Aims and Values
Why Future Ed
Public education spending in the UK reached £116 billion in 2021–22, and it has remained at similar levels through 2023–24. This represents around 4.1% of national GDP.
The UK is home to 4 of the world’s top 10 universities. Its education system attracts global recognition and remains a key export. Over 730,000 international students are currently studying in the UK. Education exports are on track to reach £35 billion by 2030.
Future ED celebrates excellence in education for Black African and Caribbean heritage communities in the UK.
We champion equity, leadership, and inclusion across education and its supply chains. Our work is focused on expanding opportunities and building a stronger financial future for all children.
The Future ED Awards offer a platform to showcase achievement, highlight systemic change, and inspire progress. They create space to connect, reflect, and move the UK education system toward greater fairness and excellence.
Our Core Values
Excellence
We recognise and celebrate those professionals and organisations who are committed to delivering excellence in education. We believe that excellence should be the standard for all children.
Collaboration
We believe that collaboration is the key to achieving our goals. We aim to work in partnership with schools, parents, corporates and policy makers to promote positive change in education.
Equity
We are committed to promoting equity in educational outcomes and reducing the racial disproportionality in attainment, awarding, leadership and school exclusions. We believe that every child, regardless of their background, should have equal access to subjects facilitating their progress in quality education.
Innovation
We believe that innovation is essential to bringing about change in education and that educational technology can be used as a means for personalisation and levelling up of educational inequalities.
Inclusion
We are committed to promoting inclusion and belonging in education. We believe that every child with their unique and different needs and abilities should feel valued and be supported within the education system.
Repair
We believe that repairing the harm done to vulnerable Black children includes restoring access to opportunity, especially economic opportunity. We’re creating safe spaces, building networks, and supporting professionals who can help young people reclaim agency, develop skills, and build pathways to generational wealth. Repair means investing in futures that were once denied.
