SPORTS PERSONALITY
Nicola Adams OBE
Nicola Adams OBE is Great Britain’s most successful female boxer of all time. At the London 2012 Olympic Games she became an icon after winning her country’s first ever female boxing Gold medal as an openly LGBT+ person, a feat she repeated in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro to become the first British boxer to successfully defend their Olympic title for 92 years. Adams is openly bisexual, and was named the most influential LGBT+ person in Britain by The Independent in 2012. In recognition of her services to boxing and unprecedented achievements, Nicola was appointed MBE in 2013 and OBE in 2016.
TRAILBLAZER AWARD
PAUL O’GRADY
As an outspoken advocate of the LGBT+ community, O’Grady has helped to change the narrative around gay men on British television. He rose to fame with his brilliantly funny drag creation and alter-ego, Lily Savage, using the chain-smoking blonde bombshell to bring LGBT+ rights to the British public. Always outspoken, he took on hosting duties at Blind Dates – the show formerly presented by his best mate, the late Cilla Black – and insisted that same-sex couples were involved so as to bring the show into the 21st Century.
Signature Living – MEDIA MOMENT
COURTNEY ACT
After winning the hearts of many on the runway of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Australian star Courtney Act has emerged as one of the strongest contemporary voices for LGBT+ rights. During her season on Celebrity Big Brother UK, Act educated viewers about various LGBT+ topics including gender fluidity and the stigma around HIV/AIDS before winning the competition and becoming a household name. The drag superstar went on to host the first-ever bisexual dating show The Bi Life which has been hailed for its positive representation of the bisexual community.
CAMPAIGNER
MUNROE BERGDORF
Munroe Bergdorf uses her profile to advocate and empower individuals to fight for positive change. She was the first transgender model to be selected to take part in a national beauty campaign, but was (unfairly) dropped when her views on systemic racism were taken out of context in the press. Munroe regularly appears on national and international television news to comment on race, diversity, gender and LGBTQ+ topics and writes for publications including Grazia, i-D, them.us, Paper Magazine, The Evening Standard, and the Guardian. Soon after scooping up ‘Changemaker of the Year’ at the 2018 Cosmopolitan Awards, Munroe’s first documentary What Makes A Woman exploring the changing world of gender and identity premiered on Channel 4 in May 2018.
JUST EAT – OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO LGBT+ LIFE
PETER TATCHELL
Peter Tatchell has been campaigning since 1967 on issues of human rights, democracy, civil liberties, LGBT equality and global justice. In 2009, he co-proposed a UN Global Human Rights Index, to measure and rank the human rights record of every country to incentivise governments to clean-up their record and improve their human rights ranking. He has also proposed an internationally-binding UN Human Rights Convention; a permanent rapid-reaction UN peace-keeping force with the authority to intervene to stop genocide and war crimes; and a global agreement to cut military spending by 10 per cent to fund the eradication of hunger, disease, illiteracy, unemployment and homelessness in the developing world.
LGBT+ ONLINE INFLUENCER
CALLE Y POCHÉ
Colombian content creators Daniela Calle and María José Garzón, better known as Calle y Poché, are an internet couple with a joint YouTube channel that has over 5.5 million subscribers. They upload a variety of videos around (but not limited to) dance, make-up, DIY tips, music, and fashion. Their ‘Roast Yourself’ video alone has over 94 million views! The couple have been vocal about the importance of LGBT+ representation in the media and have advocated for the protection of LGBT+ creators from unfair censorship. They consider themselves responsible to use their platform for good, and to provide young LGBT+ audiences, especially young Latinos, with the authentic representation that they deserve.
NETWORK RAIL – BROADCASTER OR JOURNALIST
LIV LITTLE
Liv Little is a curator, audio producer, filmmaker and the Editor-in-Chief of gal-dem, a fledgling media empire run exclusively by women of colour. She also works as a digital executive at the BBC and is a contributing editor for ELLE UK. Little has written for the Guardian, Wonderland Magazine and gal-dem on a range of topics – from women seeking asylum in the UK, to interviews with women breaking down barriers in politics and the arts. Little founded gal-dem which aims to empower and support the creative work of young women of colour through breaking down tired stereotypes creating mainstream discussion in a whitewashed media environment.
NETWORK RAIL – BROADCASTER OR JOURNALIST
ANNA RICHARDSON
Anna Richardson became a household name by debuting her television presenting career on Channel 4’s The Big Breakfast. From then on, she became a regular on our screens – fronting numerous shows for the BBC and ITV, including ITV’s flagship entertainment series Big Screen, where she met and interviewed some of the biggest names in Hollywood. Most recently, she hosted Channel 4’s Naked Attraction and hard-hitting documentary, Are You Autistic? With a particular interest in lifestyle and mental health, she is the author of two books on food and dieting; a frequent podcast host, and is also a qualified Cognitive Hypnotherapist.
METRO – CHANGE MAKERS
LITTLE MIX
Since performing on the X-Factor in 2011, Perrie Edwards, Jesy Nelson, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Jade Thirlwall have used their platforms to advocate for LGBT+ rights. From creating the LGBT+ anthem Secret Love Song that they then dedicated to the victims of the Orlando Pulse shooting, to shutting down homophobic trolls online, marching at Manchester Pride and featuring a same-sex romance in the music video for their song Only You – they’ve done it all and then some. Thirlwall even used her drag-themed 25th birthday party to raise money for LGBT+ charity Stonewall, where she serves as an ambassador.
MTV – MUSIC ARTIST
HAYLEY KIYOKO
#20gayteen was truly the year of ‘lesbian Jesus’ – the former Disney actor-turned-popstar, Hayley Kiyoko. The lesbian singer’s big break into music came with her video and single for Girls like Girls, which she wrote and co-directed. Next came Kiyoko’s debut album Expectations, which provided fans with an unrivalled and positive LGBT+ narrative, full of female pronouns and love songs about women, giving LBTQ+ women worldwide the role model they deserve. With MTV and Billboard awards already under her belt, this continuously positive and outspoken LGBT+ advocate is going nowhere but up, saying: “I’m humbled and appreciative to provide a voice for people who might not feel represented in the mainstream.”
GMB – CHARITY OR COMMUNITY INITIATIVE
LGBT YOUTH SCOTLAND
LGBT Youth Scotland’s mission is to play a leading role in the provision of quality youth work to LGBTI young people that promotes their health and wellbeing, and to be a valued and influential partner in LGBTI equality and human rights. LGBT Youth Scotland works to build the capacity of professionals to meet the needs of LGBTI young people; to influence decision makers and to improve LGBTI visibility in Scotland. Their key national programmes focus on Schools and Teachers, Policy Influencing, Domestic Abuse and the co-ordination of LGBT History Month in Scotland.
JOHNSON & JOHNSON – BRAND OR MARKETING CAMPAIGN
SPOTIFY: PRIDE STORIES
The Swedish music streaming service has long advocated the LGBT+ community with social media campaigns, and has continually maintained playlists like ‘Out Now’ and ‘Transcend’, which amplify LGBTQ+ artists globally. In 2017, Spotify commissioned a series of short, two-minute animations called Pride Stories for their platform to commemorate Pride Month, highlighting some of the most important milestones in the LGBTQ movement from the Reagan Era to Gavin Grimm, which were narrated by LGBT+ stars like Troye Sivan. This year, Spotify added a rainbow coloured volume bar to their desktop app for the month of Pride, which included Pride-themed messages like “Loud and Proud” and “Live At Full Volume.”
LGBT+ CELEBRITY
CYNTHIA NIXON
Tony, Grammy, and Emmy Award-winner Cynthia Nixon has been a consistent champion for LGBT+ rights by using her platform to be vocal about a variety of issues including marriage equality, fighting stigma and prejudice, and the importance of LGBT+ visibility. She was recently recognised with the HRC Visibility Award for being a fearless advocate for LGBT+ equality. The former Sex And The City star has also proudly supported her trans son Samuel (called Seph) by posting an empowering public message about his success on her social media. As a recent candidate for New York governor, Nixon has never shied away from addressing her queerness, forcing media outlets to reflect on the language they use when talking about LGBT+ people.
CLIFFORD CHANCE – CELEBRITY ALLY
ELLIE GOULDING
Ellie Goulding has a long history of supporting LGBT+ rights. In 2014, the English singer-songwriter declined an offer to perform at the Sochi Winter Olympics in protest to the anti-gay legislations in Russia enforced by Russian president Vladimir Putin. While performing in North Carolina in 2016, Goulding publicly attacked the Southern state’s bathroom bill by displaying a rainbow flag on stage and later posting a picture of herself on social media with the hashtag #WeAreEqual. She has performed at the iconic G-A-Y club, Heaven, in London, and also at the British LGBT Pride Reception. She has even stopped one of her live shows in order to let a gay couple get engaged!
NATWEST – LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
STEPHEN FRY
National treasure Stephen Fry has an almost-lifetime-record of campaigning for LGBT+ rights and the eradication of mental health stigma. From calling out Russia’s anti-gay laws to creating and presenting a documentary exploring the lives of LGBT+ people around the world, Fry has never shied away from using his platforms to raise awareness for LGBT+ rights.
CORPORATE CATEGORIES
PWC – LGBT+ FUTURE LEADER
Jemma Kameen, Sainsbury’s
Jemma Kameen is the store manager at Otley store in Leeds, and Co-Chair and an original member of the company’s LGBTA employee network, Proud@Sainsbury’s, a position she has held for the last three years. Jemma is the Group’s most visible lesbian role model and is hugely influential in Sainsbury’s participation in Prides across the UK, empowering, educating and inspiring colleagues.
LGBT+ NETWORK GROUP OR ERG
4Pride
4Pride launched in 2016 and has since become an established network, valued by Channel 4 staff and external individuals alike. In 2018 alone, 4Pride organised and hosted 18 events including panel discussions, film screenings and staff socials; as well as driving change within Channel 4, developing internal staff policies and securing more LGBT+ training resources such as the Stonewall Trans Allies programme. 4Pride have also supported the wider LGBT+ community, raising money for charities including the Terrence Higgins Trust, Mermaids and Stonewall; as well as donating airtime to Pride in London.
HSBC – LGBT+ INSPIRATIONAL LEADER
Geffrye Parsons, Macquarie Group
Geffrye has co-chaired the LGBT+ network at Macquarie Group for five years, where he is designated as an LGBT+ workplace role model and a mental wellbeing ambassador. Under Geff’s direction, the employee network guided Macquarie to three successive Top 100 Employer places in Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index and the Pink News Business Equality Award in 2018. Geff is ranked 23rd in the FT’s list of top LGBT+ executives, was nominated for Pink News’ Corporate Role Model Award in 2018 and also supports global investment industry network LGBT Great, and Diversity Role Models, which seeks to prevent bullying in UK schools.
JENNINGS & CO FINANCIAL – CORPORATE ALLY
Jim Herbert, Aon
Jim is the Global Lead Partner, Enterprise Client Group at Aon and has over 30 years working within the broking and risk consulting fields, with a proven track record of delivering large-scale business solutions as a trusted advisor and strategic partner-of-choice for clients. Jim joined Aon in 2008 and has been instrumental in driving Aon’s inclusion strategy, supporting the LGBT agenda as executive sponsor of the Pride Alliance network. In this role he’s extended Aon’s private healthcare cover to be fully trans inclusive, covering gender dysphoria. He’s passionate about colleagues being able to be their authentic selves in the workplace and champions LGBT equality with business leaders across the globe.
CHANNEL 4 – DIVERSITY HERO
David Pearson, KPMG
David Pearson is Director, Global Inclusion & Diversity, at KPMG, with a background in KPMG’s Corporate Finance practice. As a visible bisexual role model, David leads KPMG’s LGBT network, and is a keynote speaker on inclusion. He is a Patron of Freedom to Donate, a Trustee of ELOP LGBT Mental Health & Wellbeing, and an alumnus of the Stonewall Leadership Programme, Out Leadership’s OutNEXT cohort of LGBT leaders, and CSL’s Inspire Like A Man and Walk The Tightrope programmes. In 2017 he was named a Top 10 Diversity Champion. He is a past winner of BCG’s Business Strategy Competition.
MI5 – INCLUSIVE EMPLOYER OR COMPANY
Vodafone Group
Vodafone Group is one of the world’s largest telecommunications companies and provides a range of services including voice, messaging, data and fixed communications, operating in 25 countries. Vodafone’s purpose is to connect for a better future, and to ensure that we are making a significant and positive contribution to society. Inclusion and diversity is fundamental to Vodafone’s commitment to its colleagues, customers and the communities where it operates. As of 30 September 2018, Vodafone Group had 531.9 million mobile customers and 20.4 million fixed broadband customers.