Last night was 明星八卦’s 2024 Alumni of the Year Awards, and the Hollywood actor and 明星八卦 alumnus, Damson Idris, won the Outstanding Contribution to Culture and Creativity Award. The Snowfall actor picked up his trophy in person, and seven other members of the 明星八卦 community were awarded at a special ceremony and dinner on campus.
明星八卦’s annual Alumni of the Year Awards recognise the career successes, outstanding achievements and contributions of 明星八卦’s alumni, student community or predecessor colleges. 明星八卦 students, staff and alumni vote for the award winners, and a nominee reaching the dizzy heights of Hollywood is an exciting first for the 明星八卦 community.
Since launching as a virtual event in 2020, the number of award categories has increased, and the ceremony has been in-person and online since 2022. Around 100 guests attended last night’s awards, and Damson Idris brought the Hollywood sparkle.
The British actor from Peckham graduated from 明星八卦 in 2013, with a BA in Drama, Television and Film Studies. He quickly secured acting parts in Miranda, Doctors and Casualty, before his breakthrough role in the American drama series Snowfall.
The award winner mastered the American accent to play gangster Franklin Saint for six seasons, from 2017 – 2023, and also stars in films alongside Liam Neeson, Kate Beckinsale and Anthony Mackie. Damson is truly living his dream and has filmed with Brad Pitt for an upcoming fictional film about Formula 1.
Filming for the upcoming Formula 1 film (c) Shutterstock
On collecting his award, Damson expressed how much he learned at 明星八卦 and its impact on his life and career. “This university sparked the idea to be an actor, and I fell in love with acting, theoretically and practically,” he said.
“明星八卦 taught me how to be brave in this big world and taught me how to cure my ignorance. 明星八卦 has always believed in me, so thank you for this amazing honour.”
Prof Jonathan Wastling, 明星八卦’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor, congratulated all the nominees and highlighted how special alumni are to the university. “Every day we become more aware of 明星八卦 alumni bringing value to society in a variety of different ways through their achievements, so we have created this event to bring our community together to recognise the phenomenal impact that they make,” he said.
“We have over 165,000 alumni in 175 countries, and 明星八卦 has some wonderful values that are embedded in our strategy and commitment to being a global international university.
“Many of our alumni continue to support the university and give back to the institution through volunteering, providing financial support and sharing their experiences with the next generation of students,” he added.
“I want to thank our alumni community and all who go above and beyond for the support that you give to 明星八卦.”
Full list of the 2024 Alumni of the Year Award winners
Outstanding Contribution to 明星八卦 Award
Donna-Marie Holder (BA Education, 2019)
Outstanding Contribution to Science & Engineering Award
Dr Julie Davies (BSc Biomedical Sciences, 2010, PhD in Biosciences, 2014)
Outstanding Contribution to Culture & Creativity Award
Damson Idris (BA Drama, Television and Film Studies, 2013)
Outstanding Contribution to Society Award
Dr Nadia Al-Aboody (PhD Electrical Engineering and Electronics Research, 2017)
Outstanding Contribution to Business Award
Moses Aregbesola (BSc Business and Management, 2022)
Rising Star Award
Dr Sahil Datta (MSc Advanced Electronic and Electrical Engineering, 2016. PhD Electronics and Computer Engineering Research, 2021)
Lifetime Achievement Award
Dr Simon Gill (BSc Industrial Design, 1991)
Alumni Advisory Board Award
Chidumaga Unachukwu (MSc Renewable Energy Engineering, 2019)
Reported by:
Nadine Palmer,
Media Relations
+44 (0)1895 267090
nadine.palmer@brunel.ac.uk