sumitsurai

This plugin allows you to create unlimited custom groups of featured posts. 
Admin can create unlimited groups and assign the posts under one or multiple groups. 
The widget section allows the admin to show these groups of featured posts. The widget section is hugely customizable to enter HTML and CSS to give the featured posts blocks the desired look. 
Please refer to the help section for more details.

Featured Posts with Multiple Custom Groups (FPMCG)

This plugin allows you to create unlimited custom groups of featured posts.

tomsinger

A WordPress plugin to create a Featured Posts widget
Features: 
* Customisable title 
* Select categories to choose posts from 
* Customisable thumbnails (none, above, below, left, right) 
* Customisable thumbnail sizes
<h3>Thanks</h3>
Initial image code, customisations and WP_Query refactor from https://twitter.com/_ericholmes to help create a real 1.0 version

Featured Posts Widget

A Wordpress plugin to create a Featured Posts widget

Featured Posts with Multiple Custom Groups (FPMCG) vs Featured Posts Widget