Professor Shirley Thompson, Composer, Artistic Director and Professor of Music at the University of Westminster, has been named as one of the top influential Black people in the UK on the Powerlist for the eleventh time.
The Powerlist is a list of the top 100 most influential people of African, African Caribbean, and African American heritage who live in the UK. Thompson was named in the Arts, Fashion and Design category. She has massively influenced and contributed to the music field, previously being named “one of the most inspirational Black British women” by the Metro newspaper. Other names on the Powerlist include popular historian, David Olusoga, Idris Elba, Anthony Joshua, Stormzy and Lewis Hamilton.
The Powerlist recognises much of Thompson’s work, including the opera about the Covid-19 pandemic titled STANDSTILL, which will premiere at a significant venue after the social distancing period. Thompson has also been commissioned by Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra to create a work marking the 60-year anniversary of the Independent Living Movement. She made history when she became the first woman in Europe in 40 years to compose and conduct a symphony.
Those that are nominated for the Powerlist are put through a meticulous test looking at their influence and ability to positively alter events and change lives over a period of time. Each nominee is marked out of 10 for two indices: how influential they are in their day job and how far their influence reaches outside of their work.
Talking about being named on the Powerlist, Thompson said: “I am absolutely thrilled and honoured to be included in the 2021 Top 100 Powerlist of Most Influential People of African, African Caribbean and African American Heritage. This is my eleventh time on the Powerlist. I first appeared in the 2010 publication and each year has meant as much to me as the first. I was delighted to make it into the Top 10 in 2017 and 2018 at No. 8 and No. 9 respectively.
“The Powerlist offers a terrific opportunity to reflect on how our colleagues are making a difference to communities in the UK and worldwide. I am a massive fan of Mr Lewis Hamilton, No. 1 on the Powerlist, and feeling very proud to be in such company, along with other luminaries such as Bernardine Evaristo, the 2019 Booker Prize Joint-Winner.”
