Black and Irish GALA awards

By Ashley Makombe | December 14, 2021.

The first B.I.G event was held to appreciate the artistic and creative efforts of Black and mixed-race talent in Ireland.

The first-ever Black and Irish GALA awards took place in Dublin earlier this month.

The inaugural awards took place at the Hilton Hotel, Dublin Airport. The aim of the event was to highlight and celebrate the achievements of the Black and mixed-race community in Ireland.

“One thing we found from speaking to several Black and mixed-race creatives was that their works were not being recognised. We wanted to make people feel that their work is important because it really is.”
-LEON DIOP, ONE OF THE CO-FOUNDERS OF BLACK AND IRISH

The award show was run by Black and Irish, a non for profit organisation set up last year, after the death of George Floyd in the United States. The aim of Black and Irish is to highlight and celebrate the identity of Black and mixed-race Irish people.

Winners included Tolü Makay for best female artist; Mamobo Ogoro, founder of GORM media, for activist of the year; and Blezzing Dada as the community star of the year.

Speaking to RTE, Leon Diop, one of the co-founders of Black and Irish, said: “One thing we found from speaking to several Black and mixed-race creatives was that their works were not being recognised. We wanted to make people feel that their work is important because it really is.”