I’m so honoured to have received The Diana Award - the highest accolade a young person can achieve for social or humanitarian efforts in the UK. The Nila Extract has been a huge part of my life for almost 2 years, I’m still learning and growing and I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve had to amplify the voices of underrepresented communities. I’m privileged that so many incredible people chose to tell me their story and I’m eternally grateful to each and every one who has watched me grow. I never would have imagined that this is where I’d be when I started this platform and my show, I’m so excited to see where The Nila Extract takes me next.
Nila Varman, The Diana Award Recipient
04 July 2022
King's student receives prestigious Diana Award
Nila Varman has been awarded for amplifying the voices of marginalised communities and raising awareness on social topics.
Nila Varman, a King’s MSc student in Women and Children’s health, has received a Diana Award for her online activism and award-winning radio show, The Nila Extract, where she showcases stories of underrepresented communities, including her own south-Asian Tamil community.
Described as ‘the highest accolade a young person can achieve for social action or humanitarian efforts’, the Diana Award was founded on Princess Diana’s belief that young people have the power to change the world. The charity aims to empower young people to achieve their full potential, engage them in social action and acknowledge them for their contributions. The Diana Award recognises young people who are change-makers and can demonstrate their vision, social impact, leadership, service journey, and inspiration to others.
The 2022 Diana Award Roll of Honour was announced on 1 July 2022, Princess Diana’s birthday, at a virtual award ceremony. The global ceremony showcased the work of the Diana Award recipients from across the world, including Nila, and it can be watched here on the charity’s YouTube channel.
Nila created her radio show, The Nila Extract, a year and a half ago to raise awareness for pressing social topics that might be neglected or seen as taboo in mainstream media and public discourse. By having unfiltered discussions with herself and her guests on issues such as climate change, mental health and her South Asian identity, Nila has built an inclusive space for important conversations. The show has granted her other accolades besides the Diana Award as she was the winner of the SRA, BBC and Global Best Student Radio Presenter in 2021.
Outside of her radio show, Nila uses her Instagram account as a platform to educate her followers by posting informative resources, including glossary’s on LGBTQIA+ and anti-racist terms.
To listen to The Nila Extract, search for the radio show on Amazon Music or Spotify.