EMMA WATSON, VICTORIA BECKHAM, ZOELLA TOP INSPIRATIONAL WOMEN POLL

Emma Watson, Victoria Beckham and Zoella have been voted among the most inspirational women of the past decade.

To celebrate its tenth anniversary, Grazia Magazine polled 1250 readers to find the most influential women in six different categories – Fashion, Culture, Entertainment, Politics and Technology. Each shortlist was suggested by Grazia staff.

In fashion, pop star turned designer Victoria Beckham triumphed ahead of fellow style icons Stella McCartney, Kate Moss, Mary Portas and Royal Wedding dress designer Sarah Burton.

Grazia editor-in-chief Jane Bruton commented: “Ten years ago, we knew Victoria as a Spice Girl and one half of an A-list power couple.

“She made no secret of her love for fashion, but was known for wearing, not creating it. The thought of Victoria as a credible fashion designer seemed outlandish but boy did we underestimate her!

“Through sheer hard graft and business clout, VB has become a great fashion designer.”

Brushing the likes of Kim Kardashian and Beyoncé aside, the brilliant Emma Watson topped the entertainment shortlist thanks to her continued high-profile movie roles and gender equality campaigning with HeForShe.

In the Technology shortlist, self-made millionaire and vlogger Zoe Sugg – aka Zoella – came out on top just months after she published her record breaking debit novel Girl Online.

Over in the culture category, American author, director and screenwriter Lena Dunhamreceived the most votes ahead of stiff competition from Oprah Winfrey, Hilary Mantel, JK Rowling and Katherine Bigelow.

Over in the sphere of politics, 17-year-old Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai deservedly came in first place four months after becoming the youngest ever recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Fearlessly campaigning for girls’ rights since the age of 11, Malala was shot in the head by the Taliban in October 2012 and was flown to the UK for surgery. Since recovering she returned to school in Birmingham and resumed her activism.

Completing the influential list in the athletics shortlist is Olympic gold metallist Jessica Ennis-Hill who stormed to victory in Grazia’s poll ahead of Clare Balding.

The most influential women of the decade, according to Grazia readers, are as follows:

Fashion: Victoria Beckham
Culture: Lena Dunham
Entertainment: Emma Watson
Politics: Malala Yousafzai
Sport: Jessica Ennis Hill
Technology: Zoe Sugg (Zoella)

Victoria Beckham and Emma Watson among most inspirational women of decade

Victoria Beckham, Emma Watson, Lena Dunham, Malala Yousafzai, Jessica Ennis-Hill and Zoe Sugg have been named the most inspirational women of the decade by Grazia.

The magazine has celebrated its tenth birthday by conducting a poll to discover who readers consider to be the most influential women of the past ten years.

© Twitter / Victoria Beckham

Victoria Beckham

© MIGUEL ROJO/AFP/Getty Images

Emma Watson

Beckham has been named the most influential woman in fashion, triumphing over Kate Moss, Stella McCartney, Mary Portas and Sarah Burton. The former Spice Girl launched her first label in 2006 and has gone on to create a number of collections, as well as launching shows at various fashion weeks.

Grazia's editor-in-chief Jane Bruton said: "Ten years ago, we knew Victoria as a Spice Girl and one half of an A-list power couple. She made no secret of her love for fashion, but was known for wearing, not creating it. 

"The thought of Victoria as a credible fashion designer seemed outlandish but boy did we underestimate her! Last year she won British Entrepreneur of the Year at the British Fashion Awards and opened her first store in London. 

© Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic

Lena Dunham

© Getty Images

Malala Yousafzai

"Through sheer hard graft and business clout, VB has become a great fashion designer."

Actress Emma Watson won the entertainment category, beating Kim Kardashian and Beyoncé. The Harry Potter star won for her various high-profile film roles as well as her role as UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, through which she launched the #HeForShe campaign for gender equality.

Girls star Lena Dunham was voted most influential in culture, taking the crown over JK Rowling, Hilary Mantel, Kathryn Bigelow and Oprah Winfrey. Dunham rose to fame with her directorial debut Tiny Furniture, after which she created HBO series Girls. She has also published a collection of essays, Not That Kind Of Girl.

© PA Images / John Giles/PA Wire

Jessica Ennis-Hill

Zoe 'Zoella' Sugg

The politics category was won by Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai, who has been campaigning for girls' rights to education since she was 11. She was shot in the head on her schoolbus at the age of 15 in an assassination attempt and continued campaigning after her recovery. Last year she became the youngest ever recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 17.

Jessica Ennis-Hill CBE was named the most influential woman in sport, beating Clare Balding to the title. The athlete rose to prominence when she broke records and won gold in the heptathlon during the 2012 London Olympics.

Zoe Sugg, also known as Zoella, won the technology category. The vlogger rose to fame through her YouTube channel and last year published her debut novel, Girl Online, which achieved the highest first-week sales since records began.