[1][2] The EMMA Awards was founded in 1997 by Bobby Syed and "seeks to promote diversity within the media industry by publicly recognising the levels of excellence achieved by the multicultural community, and the qualities that each ethnic group brings to the professional and commercial success of United Kingdom as a whole".
[1] Prominent recipients include Lord Richard Attenborough, who received the 2001 Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grosvenor House Hotel.
[6][7] The UK EMMAs are screened on the internet and accompanied by an online voting system.
[10][11] The ceremony officially ended in 2005 after a legal dispute with the show's sponsor, NatWest.
[12][13] The patrons of the Ethnic Multicultural Media Academy (Awards) include Sir Trevor McDonald OBE, Dame Anita Roddick (Late), Donald Woods CBE (Late), Gulam Noon, Baron Noon, Lord Desai, Lord Ouseley, Darcus Howe and Jonathan Dimbleby.