Women of the Year: Cynthia Erivo and Phoebe Dynevor among winners at Harper’s Bazaar Awards in London

Cynthia Erivo, Phoebe Dynevor and Claire Foy were among the winners at the Harper's Bazaar Women of the Year Awards.

The luxury fashion magazine's annual ceremony took place at Claridge's hotel in London on Tuesday.

Organisers said it recognised "the outstanding achievements of women in the worlds of fashion, film, art, literature, music and activism".

Oscar-nominated actress Erivo, 34, won the music award in recognition of playing Aretha Franklin in anthology series Genius: Aretha, as well as for "using her powerful voice to call for social change".

Dynevor, 26, received the breakthrough talent prize for her headline-making portrayal of Daphne in Netflix's massively popular raunchy period drama Bridgerton.

Foy, 37, took home the actress award for her part in The Crown, as well as her performances in the forthcoming BBC series A Very British Scandal and the film The Electrical Life Of Louis Wain.

Veteran actress Joan Collins, 88, was honoured with the icon award for her 70-year career in showbusiness, which included a memorable turn in US soap Dynasty.

Also recognised was Jodie Comer, 28, selected as this year's editor's choice, with awards organisers praising her performances in TV series Killing Eve and Sir Ridley Scott's historical epic The Last Duel.

Sarah Burton, the creative director of Alexander McQueen, received the inspiration award while Lubaina Himid won the artist award.

Laura Kenny and Sarah Storey were presented with the award for sporting icons in recognition of their successes at Tokyo 2020 as the most decorated British female Olympian and Paralympian of all time.

Sarah Snook was given the television actress accolade for her playing Shiv Roy in Succession.

Lydia Slater, the editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar, said: "These inspiring women have lifted our spirits, and changed our views, through their art or their words, on our screens or with the power of their voices."

It was revealed earlier on Tuesday that Foy was the winner of the actress award.

In her cover interview with the magazine, The Crown star spoke about the pressures of motherhood.

The Emmy-winning star has a daughter, Ivy Rose, 6, with ex husband Stephen Campbell Moore.

Foy said: “There’s this pressure to be this cake-baking, fun, playing 24-hours a day mother, being some sort of vehicle for entertainment, love and food. I’m just prepared to apologise for who I am: ‘I am so sorry – but you’re lumped with me. This is the hand you’ve been dealt, let’s try to make the best of it’.”

The star, 37, also spoke about wanting to play mothers and wives in her work - as refusing to play a “supporting” part would be robbing them of their voice.

On never wanting to turn down a part of playing someone’s wife, Foy said: “It’s to underestimate the fact that women have, for centuries, been wives and mothers, and still are. That’s denying our entire history of what it means to be a woman. I’m interested in what she’s doing, what she thinks, what she believes.

“I don’t ever want to say I’m never playing a part that is supporting, or someone’s wife, because they exist, and if you can give them a voice, you should, instead of just making all these female characters that are basically just men but look like women – the superhero women who can fly, punch men in the face, that sort of stuff.”

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