Congratulations to the LYAA 2026 Winners!

The winners of the 2026 London Youth Achievement Awards were announced at a ceremony at City Hall on 29 May. 

Hosted by the London Assembly and the London Youth Assembly, the awards recognised the huge impact made by young people in the capital.

The winners are:

Best Initiative Award: Chantelle Munguli

• Chantelle Munguli came up with a grants project to address the wealth divide in her Borough, aiming to ease the struggle of those hit hardest by the cost-of-living crisis.

Greener London Award: Ashok's Vision International Youth Mental Health Charity

• For Ashok’s Vision nature and biodiversity projects, young leaders transformed neglected areas by leading planting, greening and community‑cleaning initiatives that restored local ecosystems and created inclusive spaces for wellbeing. 

Community Safety Award: Mathieu Glover

• At just 13 years old, Mathieu was robbed at knife point whilst walking home from school. Mathieu developed and began delivering community safety talks and workshops as part of a project known as Safe Travel.

Inclusion and Diversity Award: Lauryn Rose Cabral Teixeira

• For her multilingual book, "Lauryn That’s Me: The Journey of a Powerful African Girl", and whose initiatives promote inclusive storytelling and challenge stereotypes about Afro hair and Black identity.  

Outstanding Achievement Award: Chapman Shum

• Chapman Shum’s advocacy for promoting excellence for disabled children in music has raised awareness of disability and inclusion in music education.

Young Carer Award: Kiara Watson

• Kiara Watson’s journey exemplifies remarkable resilience and determination. Her contributions to the Newham Care Leavers Forum and workshops have influenced service improvements and directly benefited and inspired other care leavers. 

Young Leader Award: Lenon Muma

• Lenon Muma is the founder ‘Investate’, which aims to create a supportive ecosystem akin to the resources provided by top firms. Under Lenon’s leadership, ‘Investate’ has achieved unprecedented growth and demonstrable success in just 15 months, with over 11,000 members. 

Young Media Champion Award: Anika Gupte - ‘Studytokker’

• Anika identified a significant divide between students, based on access to revision resources and created an accessible social media platform for all students, to provide free and engaging revision guidance. 

Youth Voice of London Award: Inaaya Ijaz

• Inaaya Ijaz transformed tokenistic youth participation into substantial advocacy. At 13, she was elected as Deputy Member of Youth Parliament at Redbridge Council. She has represented young voices in the democratic processes, fostering political engagement and empowerment among peers.

Find out more about the work of the London Youth Assembly.