In alphabetical order
This category recognises an LGBT+ individual delivering news or content. The top 10s will have an impact the public’s view of the LGBT+ community.

Clare Balding
Clare Balding, 44, is an English BBC television presenter, journalist and retired amateur jockey. She currently presents for BBC Sport, Channel 4, BT Sport and Good Morning Sunday on BBC Radio 2. In 2013, Clare was awarded an OBE in 2013 for her services to broadcasting and journalism. She has won many awards, from Sports Person of the Year, to the British Sports Journalism Award for Sports Broadcaster of the Year and, in 2013, she was named as one of the 100 most powerful women in the UK by Woman’s Hour. Balding has been openly gay for over a decade and, with her partner, Alice Arnold, was outspoken in promoting gay marriage. She told The Guardian that she thought it was important for people in the public eye to be openly gay.

Evan Davis
Fifty-three-year-old Evan Davis is an English economist, journalist, and presenter for the BBC. Evan rose to fame as a presenter on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, before replacing Jeremy Paxman as the main presenter on Newsnight. He is also the presenter for the BBC2 venture-capitalist programme Dragons’ Den. Evan came out as gay around the time he joined Newsnight in 1997. He supports Stonewall and has said
he thinks of himself as “a presenter who is gay, rather than a gay presenter”.

Gok Wan
Gok Wan is an English stylist, author and television presenter, who rose to fame with his Channel 4 television programme How to Look Good Naked. He also presented a Chinese cooking show called Gok Cooks Chinese and a series of documentaries called Gok’s Teens: The Naked Truth, which focused on social problems among young people, drawing on his own experience of teenage obesity and homophobia. Gok came out as gay to his parents long before his presenting career, and has been openly out in the media throughout his career. Gok supports a variety of causes, from LGBT charities Stonewall, Ditch the Label and West End Bares, to charities such as Refuge and the PDSA.

Nick Grimshaw
Nick Grimshaw is a 30-year-old English television and radio presenter. He has hosted both radio and tv shows, on a variety of channels, including Channel 4, E4, BBC 1, BBC2, T4 and BBC Radio 1. In 2012, Nick came out as gay in an interview with The Guardian and later appeared at number 8 on The Independent on Sunday’s Pink List of the most influential LGBT people in Britain. In 2014, Nick cycled 1,000 miles to raise money for Sport Relief.

Paul O’Grady
Paul O’Grady, is a 59-year-old English television presenter, comedian, actor, writer and radio personality. Most famously known for his drag queen character, Lily Savage, he later gained further popularity for his presenting skills as himself, hosting daytime talk show The Paul O’Grady Show. In 2008, he was awarded an MBE for his services to entertainment. Paul has publicly criticised the Catholic Church for their anti-gay rhetoric. He is a patron of gay and human rights charity, the Peter Tatchell Foundation.

RuPaul
RuPaul is a 55-year-old American drag queen, author, model and recording artist, who rose to fame through his singing career, followed by a self-titled chat show on VH1 – The RuPaul Show. He currently hosts his own reality television show, RuPaul’s Drag Race. RuPaul has been outspoken about LGBT rights, and has been a spokesperson for the MAC Cosmetics VIVA GLAM series, of which 100% of sales go to the MAC AIDS fund. In 1999, RuPaul was awarded the Vito Russo Award at the GLAAD Media Awards in addition to being honoured in 2002 with a Lifetime Achievement Award by The Most Beautiful Transsexuals in the World Association.

Sue Perkins
Sue Perkins is an English comedian, broadcaster, actress and writer. Sue originally found fame as half of the comedy duo, Mel and Sue, with Mel Giedroyc. She has since starred in various television and radio productions, but is best known as a radio broadcaster and TV presenter, most recently on the BBC’s The Great British Bake Off. Sue has featured in The Independent on Sunday’s ‘Rainbow List of Influential LGBT People’ since 2008 and placed at number six in 2014. In 2013, Sue’s self-penned sitcom, Heading Out, was broadcast by the BBC. Produced by Red Production Company and Square Peg TV, Perkins also portrayed the show’s lead, Sara.

Vicky Beeching
Vicky Beeching is a 36-year-old English musician, television presenter and religious commentator. She rose to fame as a Christian rock singer on the American contemporary worship music scene, before moving back to the UK following an illness. An out, gay Christian, she works at the intersection of LGBT equality and faith, campaigning to make religion a more welcoming place for LGBT people and allies. In 2015, she was number three on The Independent’s ‘Rainbow List’ and was nominated for a Stonewall Hero of the Year award. The Guardian described her as “arguably the most influential Christian in her generation.” She is a presenter of BBC1’s Songs of Praise, a co-presenter on BBC1’s Sunday Morning Live and presents Thought For The Day on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.