SPEAKERS AND HOST
With George Clooney, Sir Bob Geldof, Rob Brydon and Elaine C. Smith joining us this year, The British Business Awards will be the very best night in the business calendar.
George Clooney
In Conversation
George Clooney is an award-winning actor and filmmaker who is recognized as much for his global humanitarian efforts as he is for his accomplishments in the entertainment industry.
Clooney’s achievements as a performer and filmmaker have earned him two Academy Awards, five Golden Globes including the Cecil B. DeMille Award, four SAG Awards, one BAFTA Award, two Critics’ Choice Awards, an Emmy, and four National Board of Review Awards. When Clooney received his eighth Academy Award nomination, he earned a special spot in the Oscar record books. He has now been nominated in more categories than anyone else in Oscar history.
His film credits include Warner Bros’ Academy Award-winning drama Argo, Good Night Good Luck, and The Ides of March. Ides, which Clooney starred in, co-wrote, and directed, received Golden Globe nominations for Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Motion Picture Drama. In addition, the film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Before his film career, Clooney starred in several television series, becoming best known to TV audiences for his five years on the hit NBC drama ER. His portrayal of “Dr. Douglas Ross” earned him Golden Globe, SAG, People’s Choice, and Emmy Award nominations.
Clooney is a strong First Amendment advocate with a deep commitment to humanitarian causes. In 2006, Clooney and his father, Nick, went to the drought-stricken Darfur region of Sudan, which led to him addressing the United Nations Security Council.
Among the many honors received from his humanitarian efforts was the 2007 Peace Summit Award, given at the eighth World Summit of Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, and the 2010 Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award.
Clooney has produced three telethons: The Tribute to Heroes (post 9/11), Tsunami Aid: A Concert of Hope, and Hope for Haiti Now, the latter of which raised a record 66 million dollars from the public.
In December of 2010, Clooney, along with the United Nations, Harvard University, and Google, launched The Satellite Sentinel Project, which allows private satellites to take photographs of any potential threats to civilians, detect bombs, observe the movement of troops and note any other evidence of possible mass violence in North and South Sudan.
In March of 2012, Clooney and his father Nick were part of the delegation that peacefully demonstrated in front of the Sudanese Embassy in Washington, D.C., calling worldwide attention to the human rights violations being committed in Sudan, which resulted in their arrest.
He founded The Sentry in 2015 to use forensic accountants to follow the money stolen from citizens of Sudan and South Sudan by their governments. He has testified in front of Congress and worked with United States presidents, two Secretaries of State, and dozens of Senators to help bring peace to South Sudan.
In August of 2016, George and his wife, Amal, launched the Clooney Foundation for Justice. One of their first projects—an ambitious initiative to educate hundreds of thousands of refugees in Lebanon—was showcased at the 2016 United Nations summit hosted by President Obama and UN Ambassador Samantha Power.
Sir Bob Geldof
Patron & Introductory Remarks
Born in 1951, Sir Bob Geldof is one of Ireland’s most successful exports and is known throughout the world for his many talents and passions. Shooting to fame as the lead singer of the Boomtown Rats, Bob Geldof was a major player in the 70s punk rock movement and enjoyed over a decade of hits between 1975 and 1986.
In 1984 Geldof was watching the news one night when he was horrified by a report on the famine in Ethiopia. As we all now know he got on the phone. The result was Live Aid – “the biggest and greatest event in pop history”. $200 million was raised for the starving and the dying in Ethiopia. Geldof established and continues to be the chairman of the Band Aid trust, which operates in eight African countries.
Bob Geldof has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize 8 times, more than any living nominee, and was honoured with a knighthood by HM Queen Elizabeth II; received the Nobel Man of Peace award from Mikhail Gorbachev; was awarded The North-South human rights award in Portugal; and awarded the medal of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in France and received numerous TV and music awards as well as The Royal Society, Peabody and Royal Geographical Society awards.
Rob Brydon MBE
Co-host
Rob Brydon MBE is an award-winning actor, comedian, presenter and producer, having appeared in Human Remains, and Gavin and Stacey, for which he received a BAFTA nomination. Rob has also appeared as a panelist on some of Britain’s most critically aclaimed entertainment shows, including Have I Got News For You and QI, and is the host of Would I Lie To You?
Rob’s accolades include four BAFTA nominations, two British Comedy Awards and a Royal Television Society award, making him well-versed in award ceremonies and a natural fit for the role of host of the British Business Awards.
Elaine C. Smith
Co-host
Elaine C Smith is one of Scotland’ s best loved actresses and comedians, whose career has spanned over four decades. She first rose to national prominence via sketch-comedy roles such as Naked Video, before becoming best known for her portrayal of Mary “Mary Doll” Nesbitt in Rab C. Nesbitt. Over the years she’s remained a familiar presence on television, currently starring as Christine O’Neal in Two Doors Down, for which she has received acclaim and a BAFTA Scotland Award.
Beyond acting, Elaine is a committed public voice on politics, social issues and gender equality. She has supported charities addressing domestic violence and community welfare. In recognition of her contributions, Glasgow City Council awarded her the Freedom of Glasgow in 2025 as part of the city’s 850th birthday celebrations, making her the first woman awarded the honour since 1969.