Grammy Award winner, Sade Adu and three other prominent Nigerians are among the nominees for the "100 Great Black Britons," of all times. Ben Okri, Daley Thompson and Dame Shirley Bassey also made it to the elitist group.

The list cuts across every sphere of life and also includes: politicians, musicians, sportsmen and women, writers, black rights activists and fashion gurus. According to the organisers, Every Generation:" Each name is represented in accordance to the impact they made in Britain and the rest of the world. They were either born in Britain or they spent a significant part of their life here."

Speaking further: "The creation of "100 Great Black Britons" nomination list will give national attention to the history of the black community in Britain over the last 1000+ years. This list and the debate that it will generate is a long awaited celebration - a great celebration of the unsung heroes who helped change and shape the political, social and cultural landscape of Britain. It is a celebration of not only the talents and greatness of the past but an opportunity to celebrate current and well-known black individuals.

Patrick Vernon of Every Generation also added: "The aim of "100 Great Black Britons" is to educate all cultures and to impress upon people the rich and diverse historical background of Black Britain. This event reflects and showcases the positive black culture and history, which is often overlooked and neglected."

Other nominees in the All - Stars list include: Viv Anderson, the first black player to play for England, Arsenal legend and the Club's All Time leading goal scorer, Ian Wright, 1992 Olympic 100m gold medalist, Linford Christie, 110m hurdles World record holder, Colin Jackson, Sydney 2000 Olympic hepthathlon champion, Denise Lewis and supermodel, Naomi Campbell. Fashion Designer Oswald Boateng is another entrant from the fashion world.

World Boxing Council Heavyweight champion, Lennox Lewis, and former heavyweight champion, Frank Bruno are also included. So also are former kings of the Super - Middleweight division, Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn.Tessa Sanderson, the first black woman to win an Olympic gold for Britain was also not forgotten.

Dianne Abbot, the first black woman Member of Parliament, MP and Paul Boateng MP, the first black cabinet member in the country. Murdered black teenager, whose death changed the history of the country is also on the list, so also is Baroness Valerie Amos, the first black woman to be a cabinet member - also joint first black to be the Leader of the House of Lords.

News presenter, Sir Trevor MacDonald - who openly supported the Super Eagles before their match against the England national team during the 2002 World Cup-is another trail blazer listed. Fundraiser and comedian, Lenny Henry is also in the list of nominees.

It should be recalled that Daley Thompson, MBE - of Nigerian and Scottish parentage - was the first athlete to win Olympic, World, Commonwealth and European titles. He also has the honour of holding a world record and is the second person in the history of the Olympics to claim the decathlon gold twice.

Smooth operator, Sade Adu is being recognised for her musical exploits and has to her credit, the 1984 album, Diamond Life, which stayed in the charts for 98 weeks and sold more than 6 million copies worldwide.It earned her a Grammy for Best New Artist. She's also one of the few singers to grace the cover of Time Magazine.

Born in Cardiff in 1937, Dame Shirley Bassey may not be known in Nigeria, but the 66 year old grandma was the youngest of seven children born to a Nigerian sailor and his English woman. Her musical career started in the early 50s, while she had her breakthrough in 1955 at a London Christmas show. Her musical talent endeared her to the Queen, who made her a Dame three years ago.

1991 Booker Prize Winner for Fiction, Ben Okri, is a renowned author and poet. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1987, and was awarded honorary doctorates from the universities of Westminster (1997) and Essex (2002). His first two novels, Flowers and Shadows (1980) and The Landscapes Within (1981), are both set in Nigeria and feature as central characters two young men struggling to make sense of the disintegration and chaos happening in both their family and country.