The eight winners are being recognised for their remarkable contributions across art, education, entrepreneurship, outdoor apparel, sport, and sustainability which have helped inspire and benefit countless others around the world.
Speaking about the Awards, which are one of the institution’s highest honours for alumni, Professor Evelyn Welch, the University of Bristol’s Vice-Chancellor and President, said: “We are incredibly proud of our global alumni community and are delighted to celebrate their achievements. Each Alumni Award winner is making a deep and meaningful impact in their respective fields. They are an inspiration to all of us.”
This year’s Lifetime Achievement award was given to leading environmentalist and prolific author Dr Tony Juniper CBE (BSc 1993, Hon DSc 2013) who is currently Chair of Natural England.
“It's an honour to receive this Alumni Award”, he said. “It’s an incredible moment to look back at my days at Bristol as a student, not really knowing where my life would go, and to have this recognition. I’m delighted.”
Elsewhere, the recipient of the Arts and Media award, Es Devlin CBE (BA 1993, Hon DLitt 2022), is a multi-award-winning artist and stage designer who has collaborated with some of the biggest names in the music industry, designed the 2022 Super Bowl halftime show, the London Olympic 2012 closing ceremony and for theatres around the world.
Speaking about her alumni honour, she said: “To be offered this Alumni Award a couple of years after my honorary doctorate of letters from the University of Bristol is very significant, not least because it recognises my practice in language and literature.”
The University of Bristol’s 2026 Alumni Award recipients are (in alphabetical order):
Community Impact award: Nasra Ayub (BSc 2018)
Nasra Ayub is a campaigner, writer and public speaker passionate about empowering young people to make a difference in their communities. Supporting youth-led organisations through her work at Global Fund for Children, she is dedicated to bringing young people to the heart of conversations around global issues. She was awarded a Diana Award for her work tackling gender-based violence and female genital mutilation.
Contribution to Sport award: Dan Bethell (LLB 2017; LLM 2021)
Dan Bethell is an elite para badminton player and the first British athlete with cerebral palsy to compete at the highest level of the sport. He has been awarded 25 international titles, and represented Great Britain at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo and Paris, winning silver medals in the SL3 Men’s Singles events in both competitions. Dan’s success in Tokyo marked ParalympicsGB’s first badminton silver medal.
Arts and Media award: Es Devlin CBE (BA 1993; Hon DLitt 2022)
Es Devlin CBE is a world-leading stage designer and artist. Celebrated for her large-scale performative sets and sculptures, her practice spans the world of art, music, opera and technology. She’s designed sets for some of the biggest names in the music industry as well as the 2022 Super Bowl halftime show and the 2012 London Olympics closing ceremony.
Lifetime Achievement award: Dr Tony Juniper CBE (BSc 1983; Hon DSc 2013)
Dr Tony Juniper CBE is an environmentalist, writer, sustainability advisor and one of the UK’s leading voices on environmental issues. He’s had leadership roles at numerous organisations, including Friends of the Earth where he led on the campaign that resulted in the Climate Change Act of 2008. He is currently Chair of Natural England, and has written multiple books, including ‘Just Earth: How a Fairer World Will Save the Planet’ (2025).
Business and Industry award: Tom Kay (BSc 1998)
Tom Kay is the founder of Finisterre, an award-winning outdoor apparel company. With a core belief in the importance of connection to the sea, the company was founded in 2003 and is now one of the most successful surf brands in the UK. The first outdoor clothing brand in Europe to be certified as a B Corp, Finisterre focuses on minimising environmental impact by producing high-quality technical clothing using processes that are ethical and sustainable.
Global Citizenship award: Katrin McMillan (BA 2001)
Katrin McMillan is the Founder of Hello World, an organisation addressing the digital and education divide through connecting remote and marginalised communities to the internet and its body of knowledge. She is an award-winning producer and human rights activist whose work has spanned political theatre, grass-roots community organising and international development across the globe, from New York to Nepal, and the UK to Uganda.
Innovation and Enterprise award: Adesuwa Okunbo Rhodes (BSc 2010)
Adesuwa Okunbo Rhodes is an entrepreneur, CEO, and self-described advocate for women’s empowerment. She founded Aruwa Capital Management to change the narrative for women and small businesses across Africa. One of the few female-founded and female-led investment companies in Africa, Aruwa invests in scalable companies that provide essential goods and services to women, as well as women-founded and women-led businesses.
Alumni Association award: Leo Whyte (BEng 1994)
Leo Whyte is a telecommunications engineer and technology leader whose career spans global organisations and people-centred innovation. Motivated by the potential for technology to tackle real-world problems, Leo is an advocate for widening participation. He is a long-standing volunteer with the Bristol mentor programme, reflecting his strong belief in the importance of giving back through mentoring.