COVID-19 has put a stop to many things. But it hasn't stopped us from celebrating the women who inspire us.

In a virtual ceremony on the evening of July 13, Veuve Clicquot announced the Australian winners of the Bold by Veuve Clicquot 2021 awards. Kristy Chong, Founder & CEO of Modibodi was th winner of the Bold Woman Award 2021 and Manuri Gunawardena, Founder & CEO of HealthMatch was winner of the Bold Future Award 2021.

Kristy Chong is a pioneer. She founded reusable and sustainable underwear brand Modibodi to liberate the world from body-shame and excessive landfill. She's a passionate advocate for issues of women's health and women's rights.

“At Modibodi, we understand that it’s hard for people to change, but if you do, you’re changing not only the planet, but also the lives of future generations. Our mission is to empower women and men of the future and to have a positive impact," she said of her win.

The 2021 Bold Future Award recognises emerging female leaders, and winner Manuri Ganawardena is certainly one of the leaders of the future. She founded HealthMatch in 2017 with an idea to assist in patient recruitment to clinical trials - ultimately connecting people with the latest in breakthrough treatments around the world.

“When I founded HealthMatch, I knew that being bold and taking risks was going to be part of the entrepreneurial journey. What I didn’t know was if these risks were going to pay off, and without taking that leap, I would never had had the chance to find out. I’m honoured to be named the winner of the 2021 Bold Future Award, and looking forward to a world where many more female entrepreneurs are willing to make bold bets, especially in the world of STEM."

Actress Rose Byrne joined the virtual event where she spoke of the importance of courage. She highlighted the need and true strength of those finding resilience during the pandemic.

“The Bold by Veuve Clicquot Awards recognises female leaders who inspire us with their courage, tenacity and resilience. Right now, when the world is in turmoil, these women are a great reminder that it’s often in the difficult moments that we find our strength, find a path through and create positive change."

The winners were chosen by an expert panel of judges, all bold women themselves and previous recipents of the Awards: Sarah-Jane Clarke, Co-Founder and former Director of sass&bide; Mandy Foley, Founder and Managing Director of Stedmans Hospitality; Kim Jackson,Co-Founder of Skip Capital; Mikaela Jade, Founder of Indigital; Elizabeth Ann Macgregor OBE, Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia and Maryanne Shearer, Founder of T2 Tea.

Bold by Veuve Clicquot is a global initiative that celebrates generations of audacious female leaders. It's the modern evolution of the Business Woman Award, which was the first and the longest-running international award of its kind.

For almost 50 years, the House has awarded businesswomen, those that have left their mark and have a transformative entrepreneurial spirit. In celebration of its 200th anniversary, in 1972 the House created the Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award to honour bold women who walk in the footsteps of the original bold woman, Madame Clicquot. These are the women who have founded, built or developed a business and positively changed the world before them. Over 350 women in 27 countries have been honoured.

Global CEO and President of Veuve Clicquot, Jean-Marc Gallot says: "Today more than ever, Veuve Clicquot has a concrete role to play and a real societal contribution to make by supporting women entrepreneurs. Our nearly 250 years of history are built on optimism,Madame Clicquot was resilient and she rebounded from any setback with her audacity and solid faith in creativity.Driven by ourHouse’s resolutely optimistic and forward-looking vision, we want to continue inspiring generations of women to be even bolder.”

Congratulations to the winners and all the women that inspire us each and every day.