The first time I stood on the BWC Aberdeen Athena Awards stage was in November 2023 and I had just been announced the winner of the Women in Tech Award for my work in the social media and digital marketing industry … from that stage I went on to become a BWC Aberdeen Ambassador and the Project Lead for Social Media & Content for BWC Aberdeen.
I think it’s pretty obvious that I have a lot of love for the space this community creates for women in business in the City and Shire; which makes it even more exciting to share that I’m the official sponsor of the Women in PR, Marketing and Communications Award at the 2026 Athena Awards!
Celebrating 10 years of the Bird & Emmy brand.
My freelance business has been built on over two decades of hands-on industry experience and, over the last ten years, I’ve worked alongside founders, directors and teams to deliver digital marketing and social media strategy and fractional marketing, to businesses throughout the UK. At the heart of what I do is the belief that marketing should feel doable, aligned with strategy and grounded in real-world application – focusing on genuine community connection, sales growth and brand – rather than chasing short-lived social media trends.
Sponsoring an Athena Award during my 10th business-anniversary year feels really meaningful and a special way to give a shoutout to the women who are doing some pretty awesome work in the communications, creative and marketing industry in Aberdeen!
The 2026 Athena Awards.
Organised by BWC Aberdeen, the Athena Awards celebrate outstanding women leaders and entrepreneurs who make a significant impact across the region. The awards aim to acknowledge these accomplishments, inspire future business leaders and foster a supportive, inclusive environment for female-led enterprise.
Now in its 4 year, the 2026 Athena Awards will take place on Friday, 13th November 2026 at The Beach Ballroom and the event brings together nominees, sponsors, judges and supporters for an afternoon dedicated to regional excellence and leadership – not to mention the celebrating and dancing at the end!
The Women in PR, Marketing and Communications Award.
The Women in PR, Marketing and Communications Award showcases women who work across the industry to ensure their clients, organisations and stakeholders achieve outstanding public relations, marketing and communications. Applications are submitted by an individual or nominated by someone else, a shortlist of candidates then face a judging panel before the finalists are announced. This year, I sat on the judging panel with Louise Smith and Amanda Inglis and I can assure you the process was not easy; there are some incredible women in this industry in the North-east and here are the 2026 finalists:
- Anja Peter
- Amy Grant-Simpson
- Isla Stewart
- Nikki Morris-Laing
Each woman on that shortlist was special in their own right and reaching the finalist stage highlights their valuable contributions to their clients and the industry – this is a huge achievement in itself and I don’t say that lightly.
The winner will be announced at the event on Friday, 13 November or, more specifically, I get to announce the winner of this category at the Athena Awards and I cannot wait! And of course, the day will be documented via Instagram stories, so see you on socials then … #BirdandEmmy
