GLAMOUR's Women of the Year Awards, in partnership with Samsung, is back for 2023 and honoured the gamechangers and feminist heroes from music, television, film, sport and media.
The star-studded event, which took place at One Marylebone, honoured women who fight for the representation of marginalised communities both on- and off-screen, and use their voice to challenge society's systemic rape culture.
Lily Allen, Halle Bailey, Georgia Harrison, Hannah Waddingham, Ariana DeBose, America Ferrera and The Lionesses were among our inspiring WOTY winners and delivered some incredibly empowering speeches to accept their awards. We've rounded up the most empowering speeches of the evening; prepare to feel inspired…
"Men are sick. That’s right, ALL MEN. What a relief it is for me, your host for this evening, TV’s Katherine Ryan, that I finally have a son. So when people correctly accuse me of unfairly targeting ALL MEN in my stand up comedy, I can say, ‘No no no, not me. I have a little boy, so you see I’m on your side’. Far from it. That kid is the perfect smoke screen for my invigorated feminist agenda. He is a two year old toxic male who plays with monster trucks all day- and sure, he’s stolen my youth, wrecked my breasts and turned my home into a Mojo Dojo Casa House - but he’s taught me the skills I need to infiltrate the patriarchy. Ladies, I hate to say it, but men are getting a few things right.
"For example, they can name EVERY dinosaur. There are over 1000 different species and men can identify each one from birth. Tyrannosaurus, Spinosaurus, Titanosaurus, Diplodocus, from the moment they’re born - BANG - it’s in there, all the dinosaurs. And they’ve got us distracted fighting over what a woman is. ‘But she’s not exactly the same as me! Should she even be in here?!’ Calm down, Labiasaurus, it’s a MacDonalds at 3am. None of us should be in here.
"Just this month, health secretary Steve Barclay (a male secretary? Cute!) announced a consultation that could see transgender people banned from same sex hospital wards even though it has subsequently been revealed that no cisgender woman has ever made a formal NHS complaint about sharing a ward with a trans woman.
"Probably because everyone’s being treated in the fucking corridor! What ward? What ZERO beds won’t you be giving them, Rishi Sunak? People are giving birth on the FLOOR. By the way, no one’s ‘pretending to be a woman’ at the doctors for the privilege of having all your symptoms ignored and instead be patronised with ‘Have you tried going for a walk?’ ‘My medical textbook from 1636 says your vagina’s haunted’.
"Men finally found a subject for women to argue about forever. They get the Roman Empire, we get the very concept of biological sex. Thanks.
"As far as women have come, it’s been another challenging year for us too. Kourtney stole Kim’s wedding country, Jada revealed Will Smith was available this entire time, and thanks to Taylor, we’ve had the burden of caring about American Football. And it gets worse…
"Women’s reproductive rights SO obviously make sense, yet we have to fight for them over and over. It’s like finding out some prick with a YouTube channel has started a campaign against chemotherapy and seatbelts.
"We’ve seen misogyny in the police force *feigns surprise* NO! Not the police force!
"And now there’s an actor’s strike which means I’m not allowed to talk AT ALL about the record breaking, highest grossing film US and Worldwide having starred WOMEN and been made by a female director and arguably one of the most feminist films ever made! I’m actually not mentioning any actors ‘credits’ tonight which may feel really weird to you because you’re going to see accomplished, incredibly talented women on this stage and I’m gonna be like, ‘You might know this next pilates enthusiast from Whole Foods on a Thursday’…..or ‘You’ve seen her drunk at a lunch meeting, but tonight, she’s here just for you…’ And you’ll be like, Katherine can’t you say that huge movie she’s in or the accolades she’s received? No. I can’t.
"Everyone present this evening is here as a regular civilian and even if they have performed as an actor before, that’s none of my business. I will respect that boundary and we remain #SAGaftraStrong in solidarity, and briefly on the subject of civilians….we offer support to them globally and condemn their harm.
“Tonight is about celebrating the positives for women while we navigate the other stuff. Rihanna played the most-watched Superbowl halftime show while pregnant with her second child and smashed it. She broke the glass ceiling and had Mr Ri Ri clean up afterwards. Jill Scott became my personal hero and was the best thing to come out of Sunderland since….well you know. Nothing. Beyonce’s record breaking Renaissance tour and Taylor Swift’s Ticketmaster-crashing Eras Tour dominated as maybe the highest grossing of all time. Beyonce even attended the red carpet premiere of Taylor’s Era Tour Movie and that’s called GIRL MATH. No wait, that’s women supporting women. Girl math is Beyonce did a third of the amount of shows Taylor did and she has three kids. Whoever said you could have it all LIED TO YOU. Keep semen at a safe distance until you are ready to make some personal sacrifices, even temporarily or maybe forever. What’s Jay-Z up to lately besides NOT doing the school run? But enough about me, let’s do what we always do, girls, and take our heels off under the table, raise a glass and cheer on our sisters. This is YOUR Glamour Women Of The Year Awards.”
"It’s such an honour to receive the Glamour Women Of The Year Gen Z Gamechanger Award. I’ve never claimed to be the voice of my generation so I can only accept this award through the lens in which I see the world and appreciate all the beautiful female souls that paved the way to allow me to be here today to accept it.
"I guess the best way to describe how I’m feeling is to simply say I am humbled to be here. I know that my personal journey, although filled with my own struggles and challenges and wins and losses, pale in comparison to many more deserving women out there. But I also know that with the spotlight comes a responsibility to speak about my experience in hopes that it can provide some guidance and inspiration to those girls and women who look to me standing under that spotlight.
"It's been an adjustment to live my life under the scrutiny of that spotlight. But, in the age of social media, in some way, we all live under that same scrutiny. From what we wear to who we love to the things we care about – It’s all open to scrutiny. So, here’s my honest advice. Turn it off when you need to find inner peace. But also, live your life for you. Don’t waste time living it for social media. Everyone has an opinion but the only opinion that matters is your own – You already know deep down what’s right for you. For me it works because I keep it simple. I put God first and then I try to make decisions that are best for me in that moment. Another thing I am super grateful for and that has helped me tremendously is to find a good life mentor – One that will inspire you and motivate you. For me, I’ve always had my sister and looking backward and connecting the important tentpole moments that shaped me, my older sister Chloe was always there at those times.
"So many previous winners have shared such important advice. But one that stands out to me is something Kim Cattral said, “This is what happens when you go where you’re celebrated and not where you’re tolerated.” It sounds simple but as women, we’ve not always had that ability. And it gives me hope and happiness to be able to do that in my career. We should all follow that sound advice. But that also applies outside of our career – We should keep that advice when we step into a voting booth, when we make our voices heard to our leaders and demand equality and demand power to choose what decisions we make for our bodies as women.
“So, with that, again I repeat, “Go where we are celebrated!” Throughout the long history of the women that have been recognised here through the years, the women we have applauded, the women we have been in awe over, the women who audaciously blazed the trail so that in the here and now, we can stand on the shoulders of giants and add a rung to that rising ladder for future generations. In the end, it is not just because of our own personal determination but also in the women who started movements to push our potential higher and higher. So today, I proudly accept this Gen Z Gamechanger Award not on my behalf but on behalf of the women who came before and the women that will come after and build the future not just for women but for all humankind. Thank you.”
"It feels so magical to be standing here today accepting this award after what has been such a tough journey for me over the past few years. For those of you that aren’t aware of my story I was a victim of image based sexual abuse and voyeurism which resulted in over 10 million people viewing sexually explicit content of me without my permission. After seeking help from the authorities and waving my anonymity I went on to successfully convict my perpetrator and eventually use my experience to make an amendment to the Image based sexual abuse law meaning future victims will find it far easier to also have a successful court case.
"I cannot describe the amount of support and solidarity I have found through other women along my journey and hearing their personal stories really highlighted to me just how much needs to be done to help protect women and girls across the UK. I do not want to see another generation of women feeling abused, violated and ashamed. I want them to feel empowered and loved. I want them to fearlessly speak their truth and I want them to live in a world where no means no and consent is taken seriously by all other human beings.
"It is such an honour to receive this award from Glamour and be a part of their consent campaign which I know is so very needed right now and is going to help shape society for those following in our footsteps.
"So to all of the amazing women out there I just want you to know you are so uniquely beautiful just as you are , let your soul be authentically itself in every situation and do not let anyone else’s opinion even for a second make you want to change who you are. Real women aren’t perfect and perfect women simply are not real.
“Thank you so much to GLAMOUR, to my mum and to all of the strong sexy magnificent women who have helped make me the person I am today.”
“We have grown up learning to speak with the language of men. But now, the time has come for them to learn the language of women. It's very simple and we have to choose to hold each other up. We have to choose to have each other's backs.”
"It’s such a treat to be included in this incredible group of honourees, thank you to Deborah & the entire Glamour UK team. And humans of the room, how about the Munroe Bergdorf!! A true game changing queen in her own right. Thank you for your presence here tonight and for all the ways in which you use your voice in an effort to be of service and generate understanding in the world. I have to say this was such an incredible experience, one that gave me the opportunity to pen one of my first op-Ed’s. If you’d like to know my thoughts on being a game changing performer, well, you’ll have to go read the article, but tonight I want to talk about something else. What is truly game changing. Giving a damn.
“Giving a damn and taking action to do something about it. I am so inspired by the faces I see in this room tonight. In the midst of such sad and, frankly, depressing times it is heartening to see people come together from different walks of life, to show up for each other. Humanity will never be devoid of nuance, for that is the essence of life. Every situation, every person, nuanced- as they should be. I think it’s game changing to wield our power wisely. Instead of grandstanding, hurling insults or assigning blame, why not use our platforms- our voices- to foster understanding or find a solution. At the end of the day the world is not a pie- equal rights for others doesn’t mean less for you. I mean i love pie, but I don’t mind sharing;)I think it’s pretty clear that humanity deserves more, it deserves better. Sometimes that involves compromise and patience, but it is absolutely achievable, Seeing us unite for humanity, in the face of adversity, racism, homophobia, transphobia, capitalism, etc etc…. Now THAT. That would be game changing.”
"I can't believe I'm standing here tonight as a solo artist, it's such an honour. First and foremost, I need to thank Glamour for always having my back. It's truly incredible to feel their support, especially as I step into this fresh chapter of my career. Most importantly I want to thank them for creating spaces like this…rooms like this in celebration of women, aren't often a reality in most industries, especially the pop industry. That's what makes it all the more significant to be in a space where every one of us feels recognised, heard, and uplifted.
"I've publicly delved into the ups and downs of my 11-year journey as a pop star. As some of you may know I’ve discussed the moments when I felt overlooked, like I was performing for an audience that didn't fully embrace me because of my identity as a Black woman. I know many women out there can relate to this feeling of being dismissed based on their race or background. It's been a challenging road, no doubt, but I have been so fortunate to have incredible women by my side who have taught me how to rise above. My mother is a shining example of resilience and hard work. My sisters have been pillars of strength for me. Jade and Perrie, thank you for being two of the most incredible women to work, laugh and grow with. If this journey has taught me anything it is that every struggle serves a purpose, shaping me into the woman I am today. I am a mother, a wife and a musician.
"I'll never forget the words Dawn Butler said to me when we met: "When the history books are written, what will be next to your name?" Those words have always stayed with me, serving as a constant reminder of the impact I can have. Those words are the foundation to what I set out to achieve in everything I do.
"The next phase of my life is defined by a different woman, one who understands her worth and what she deserves—that woman is me now. Beyond that, I've also learned the importance of selflessness. What more can I do to ensure that women like me never have to experience the struggles I've faced? Empowering women has always been a priority for me, but it means more than ever before. So many women out there never get the opportunity to be in spaces like this, but they absolutely deserve it. We all deserve to experience the kind of empowerment that fills this room tonight.
“I'm all in on using my voice and platform to back women and lift up the Black community. Starting The Black Fund has shown me that not everyone gets the same chances, and there's so much more to do. We've supported 13 grassroots charities already, making a real difference. It makes me think, if we all pitch in, what more could we achieve? Let us strive for a future where the doors to success and empowerment are open for everyone, where every woman has an equal shot at thriving. It's time we push for more inclusive spaces, where women from all walks of life can shine and bring their unique perspectives. Together, let's keep pushing for a world where equality isn't just a dream but a reality, where every woman's voice isn't just heard, but celebrated.”
"I am truly humbled to be selected as one of your Women of the Year among these incredible women who have been so soul filling tonight. Thank you for sharing your talents and your words with us.
"I have spent the entirety of my adult life trying to shed the unrealistic standards for women - that my body should be controlled and conformed for the liking of men or for the selling of goods. Really? Okay. And I have begun to realise - and to truly believe - that I am enough, just as I am.
"My deepest hope for all women is safety; but all of our sisters are not safe. And like all of you, my heart is broken and heavy with the weight of what our sisters around the world [are facing].
"As we sit here tonight celebrating in this beautiful celebration, our sisters and their families in Gaza and Israel are living through horror. The brutality of terror and war is unfolding before our eyes.
“The one thing we know it about war? It never benefits women. I'm here to cry out on behalf of our sisters. In this moment, we can stand together and call for an end to all violence. We can demand that hostages be released and safely returned to their families. We must demand that our world leaders deliver a ceasefire and an immediate humanitarian response. We must stop the killing. We must save our sisters. We must let the children live in peace. May we all find the courage and learn to use our voices.”
Jess Carter: “In the male-dominated football industry – and sport as a whole – we've discovered it's far more than just a game; it's a platform for change. Our journey has been filled with obstacles, from not everyone having equal opportunity to take part in P.E at schools to wearing white shorts during our menstrual cycles which have both been changed earlier this year.”
Bethany England: “But every setback only fuelled our determination as a team. We want to continue to build the women’s game, continue to raise standards and have a positive effect on how it is viewed both domestically and globally. To do that we need to keep raising performance levels and gain further recognition through even more mainstream media coverage.”
Alessia Russo: “We’re incredibly lucky to be surrounded by a team of strong, supportive women who can all lean on each other, build each other up and stand up for each other - the very definition of teamwork. And we can feel that same energy in this room tonight. Thank you everyone!”
