Bijou sponsors 70th Women of the Year Awards in London
Bijou Wine joined more than 400 guests at the 70th Women of the Year Awards in London, celebrating changemakers from across the world and championing women driving progress in every field.
More than 400 women gathered at the Royal Lancaster Hotel last week for the 2025 Women of the Year Lunch & Awards, marking seven decades of recognising exceptional women shaping communities and industries worldwide.
Founded in 1955 by Lady ‘Tony’ Lothian OBE, the annual event continues to champion women whose contributions have often gone unacknowledged. This year’s milestone edition celebrated changemakers, campaigners and innovators from across the globe – and each story of achievement was toasted with a glass of Bijou wine.
Bijou Wine, which was the exclusive wine sponsor, poured its Le Bijou de Sophie Valrose range – named after a 19th-century vineyard worker from southern France who fought for equality and fair treatment for her peers. The wine’s namesake and heritage align closely with the event’s spirit of empowerment and progress.
Honouring the 2025 Winners
Hosted by President Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson DBE DL and Chair Vix Brenninkmeijer, this year’s ceremony honoured seven winners with the Women of the Year Awards trophy, each receiving a magnum of Le Bijou de Sophie Valrose Rosé.
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Women of the Year 2025: The Lionesses (England Women’s National Football Team)
Game Changer Award: Jane Byam Shaw OBE (The Felix Project)
Woman in Education Award: Louisa Mitchell MBE (AllChild)
Campaigner for Health Equity Award: Dr Rageshri Dhairyawan (NHS Consultant in Sexual Health & HIV Medicine)
Women in Sports Innovation Award: Ebony Rainford-Brent MBE (Director of Women’s Cricket at Surrey)
Pioneering Woman of the Year: Jaz Rabadia MBE (Sustainability Leader & Advocate for Women in STEM)
Trailblazer Award: Sarah Harrison, presented by Lorraine Kelly CBE
Supporting women and sustainability in wine
“It was such an honour to be part of an event that celebrates women pushing boundaries in every field,” said Emily Phillips, Head of Brand at Bijou. “The energy in the room was incredible – full of smart, determined women showing just how much we can achieve when we support one another.”
Bijou’s involvement reflects its wider ethos of sustainability and empowerment within the wine industry. The producer, known for its organically farmed vineyards across southern France, works closely with growers in Coteaux de Béziers, Vallée du Paradis, and the Haute Vallée de l’Aude to promote environmentally responsible viticulture.
Earlier this year, Bijou sponsored five women from diverse backgrounds to attend the Women in Wine Expo in Porto, and continues to collaborate with Master of Wine Elizabeth Gabay on projects such as Pink Drink and Sustainability in Rosé, focusing on innovation and inclusion in organic winemaking.
Through its partnership with the Women of the Year Awards, Bijou reinforced its belief that progress – whether social or environmental – depends on collaboration, care and commitment to positive change.
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