TV presenter and comedian Sue Perkins will host the 2022 British LGBT Awards.
Britain’s biggest LGBT+ red carpet extravaganza will take place in London on Friday 24 June with celebrities and organisations with a track record of promoting LGBT+ rights will be honoured. Nominees include Alan Carr, Steps, Billy Porter , Lady Gaga and Sam Smith.
Following in the footsteps of big names such as Mel B, Alan Carr and Kelly Osbourne the Great British Bake Off TV personality will lead prize giving duties at this year’s awards extravaganza.
Britain’s biggest LGBT+ awards event, held in association with headline sponsors Macquarie Group and Tesco, celebrates leading LGBT+ activists, allies and celebrity figures who have worked to advance the rights of LGBT+ people during the past 12 months.
Steps, Lady Gaga, Rylan Clark and Olly Alexander are amongst the big names nominated.
The red-carpet extravaganza also sees award nominations for Doctor Who actress Jodie Whittaker, Formula One star Lewis Hamilton, Harry Potter icon Daniel Radcliffe, Little Mix singer Jade Thirlwall and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp – they are all nominated for the Celebrity Ally Award which has previously been won by HRH Prince William and Lorraine Kelly.
Billy Porter, Michaela Jae Rodriguez and Indya Moore and are all in the running for the Celebrity of the Year award alongside Crown actress Emma Corrin, while multiple Grammy and BRIT Award-winning artist Dua Lipa, non-binary singer-songwriter Sam Smith, British rapper Lady Leshurr and Tradgedy band Steps will battle it out for the MTV-sponsored Music Artist of the Year gong.
BBC’s poignant documentary Freddie Mercury: The Final Act has been shortlisted for the Media Moment prize. The acclaimed programme, starring Brian May and Roger Taylor plus The Who’s Roger Daltry, powerfully told the extraordinary story of Freddie Mercury’s life and how – after his death from Aids – Queen staged one of the biggest concerts in history to celebrate his life and challenge the prejudices around HIV.
Josh Cavallo, the first top-flight footballer to come out as gay, the first same-sex male partnership featuring Johannes Radebe and John Waite on Strictly Come Dancing and Victoria Scone making history on Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK in becoming the first assigned female at birth (AFAB) queen to star on the show are also nominated in the same category – won by It’s a Sin last year.
In the Sports Personality of the Year category, Olympic gold medallist Tom Daley is up against British sporting legend Colin Jackson. Highly-decorated South African runner Caster Semenya and the first ever openly transgender athlete while competing at the Olympic Games Laurel Hubbard are nominated in the same category alongside Lioness stars Beth Mead and Demi Stokes.
Royal Navy, LEGO, Liverpool FC – Red Together and Network Rail are amongst some of the major brands vying for prizes on the night.
Stonewall, AKT and Gendered Intelligence are some of the charities in the running for awards.
Speaking about hosting the event, Sue Perkins said:
“I am very excited to be hosting the 2022 British LGBT Awards.
“This is one of the year’s most important celebrations of the LGBT+ community and I’m delighted to be involved. It is always such a great event, shining a light on role models and those who advance the rights of LGBT+ people in Britain and across the world.
This event always attracts the biggest names, and this year will be no exception. I’m honoured to be a part of it. It is going to be a blast!”
Sarah Garrett, MBE, British LGBT Awards founder, said:
“We’re absolutely delighted to confirm Sue Perkins will host the British LGBT Awards 2022.
“As ever, these awards will shine a light on those who have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the LGBT+ community, during what has been another very challenging 12 months and Sue will no doubt bring an incredible level of poise, entertainment, and humour to one of the most important dates in the LGBT calendar.
“The nominees, which include an exciting mix of famous LGBT+ faces, allies and organisations have all demonstrated a commitment to advancing LGBT+ rights. The awards on 24 June will be a huge celebration of our culture.”
Rachel Palmer, EMEA chief operating officer and LGBTQ+ executive sponsor at Macquarie Group, headline sponsor of the British LGBT Awards added:
“We’re looking forward to celebrating the tireless efforts and achievements of the LGBT community with Sue Perkins, who will be a fantastic host.
We want to congratulate all the role models who have been nominated this year and we’re proud to be the headline sponsor of the British LGBT Awards, driving the LGBTQ+ inclusive Britain we want to see.”
British LGBT Awards sponsors Tesco added:
“We can’t wait to take part in the British LGBT Awards and celebrate the great achievements in the LGBTQ+ Community this month. Tesco is proud to be supporting the event, which showcases under-represented identities, change makers and role models in the community.”
Previous British LGBT Award winners include Hillary Clinton, Graham Norton, Kylie Minogue, Little Mix and Paul O’Grady.