Actress Emma Thompson honoured as female role model

Emma Thompson, Florence Welch and Sam Taylor-Wood have been named Women of the Year.

Sarah Brown, the wife of former prime minister Gordon Brown, was named an International Woman of Influence at last night's Harper's Bazaar Women of the Year Awards.

Nanny McPhee actress Thompson was presented with a gong for Role Model of the Year for her work as an actress, producer, writer and activist, campaigning for victims of abuse, torture and rape.

Florence And The Machine singer Welch won Breakthrough of the Year, while artist-turned-film director Taylor-Wood was named Renaissance Woman of the Year at the London event.

Singer and activist Annie Lennox took the Lifetime Achievement Award, supermodel and charity fundraiser Natalia Vodianova, who has raised money to build children's playgrounds in Russia and Britain, won Inspiration of the Year.

Architect Zaha Hadid was Visionary of the Year, Manolo Blahnik, the shoe designer, won the Man In A Woman's World prize and Net-A-Porter founder Natalie Massenet was Innovator of the Year.

Women's rights campaigner Mrs Brown left Downing Street six months ago but award organisers said she had continued to grow in influence. She was not expected to attend the event.

Harper's Bazaar Women of the Year Awards, in association with Estee Lauder:

Inspiration of the Year

Natalia Vodianova

Innovator of the Year

Natalie Massenet

Renaissance Woman of the Year

Sam Taylor-Wood

Visionary of the Year

Zaha Hadid

Lifetime Achievement Award

Annie Lennox

Man In A Woman's World

Manolo Blahnik

Role Model of the Year

Emma Thompson

Breakthrough of the Year

Florence Welch

Designer of the Year

Hannah MacGibbon - Creative director of Chloe

International Women of Influence

Donna Karan (designer)

Queen Rania of Jordan

Christiane Amanpour (ABC anchor)

Sarah Brown

Christy Turlington (former supermodel)