Woman’s Hour yesterday (26 January 2023) launched its search for the UK’s 30 most outstanding women in sport, to be celebrated in the Woman’s Hour Power List 2023: Women In Sport.

With the visibility and perception of women in sport at an all-time high, the Radio 4 programme is highlighting the achievements and significant contributions of women across the board, from athletes and coaches, to policy-makers and grassroot volunteers.

The Power List was launched on air this morning by presenter Anita Rani, with listeners invited to make suggestions over the next two weeks for a list of women who fit into one of five categories – sportswomen, leaders, change-makers, amplifiers and grassroots.

Karen Dalziel, Editor of Woman’s Hour, says: “Women’s sport has hardly been out of the headlines since the Lionesses lifted the Euro 2022 trophy last summer, so now feels like the perfect time to celebrate and champion women across all areas of sport. We are excited to showcase a wide range of women from elite athletes to the women injecting passion and commitment into grassroots sport. I know it will be a truly inspiring list.”

The winners will be decided by a panel of successful women in sport - Jessica Creighton, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Ebony Rainford-Brent and Sam Quek - and will be announced on air on 28 March.

For more information on the list, or to make suggestions, go to the Women’s Power List website.

The five categories

Sportswomen: For athletes at the top of their game, on track to become one of the most celebrated in a generation or using their platform to change the game for the women and girls coming behind.

Leaders: From coaches and managers, to women working in politics or in business - from sporting glory to influencing policy, this is for those who inspire people and get results.

Change-makers: For those women whose commitment to change will leave a lasting legacy. These women will be challenging the status quo or occupying spaces previously seen as male only.

Amplifiers: For the women working to elevate the status of women’s sport in our society, such as broadcasters whose passion and professionalism helps to shift perceptions, or media executives negotiating deals to give women’s sport greater prominence on our TV and radios.

Grassroots: This category is for outstanding women who are bringing about real change in their communities. This is a chance to recognise the coach who set up a football team for girls or the volunteer who leads a walking group to improve people’s mental health.

Judges biographies

Jessica Creighton (Chair): Jessica is an award-winning broadcaster, journalist and a familiar voice to Woman’s Hour listeners as a regular presenter. As a former footballer she witnessed first-hand the inequalities that exist for many women in sport, and has worked tirelessly to make structural change, improve representation and increase publicity.

Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson: Tanni is one of Britain’s most celebrated Paralympians, winning 16 medals across five Games. In 2010, she became a crossbench peer in the House of Lords, speaking on a range of issues including disability rights and women in sport. In 2019 she received the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award.

Ebony Rainford-Brent: Ebony is a World Cup winning cricketer and broadcaster and hosts The Women’s Sport’s Show - a weekly programme on BBC Radio London. Ebony made history as the first black woman to play for England, and in 2020, with funding from Sport England, she launched the ACE Programme – a charity aimed at encouraging young people from African and Caribbean heritage into the game.

Sam Quek: Sam was part of the squad who won Britain’s first ever hockey gold medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016. She has moved into broadcasting, joining BBC Sport’s presenter line up for the Tokyo Olympics, and becoming the first female captain on Question Of Sport. She has spoken out on the media’s portrayal, and sexualisation, of female athletes.