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The Elton John Impact Awards — a new initiative from iHeartMedia and Procter & Gamble — will celebrate influential LGBTQ+ figures and their allies while directing fresh funding to organizations that serve the community. The audio-first event, rolling out as a podcast series and radio special, arrives June 1 amid renewed debates over LGBTQ+ rights and health access, making its timing and philanthropic focus particularly consequential.
Who the awards recognize
The inaugural honorees span entertainment, music and sports, chosen for long-standing advocacy and cultural influence. The list includes:
Jonathan Bailey & Chappell Roan honored at Elton John Impact Awards as LGBTQ+ icons, trailblazers
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- Jonathan Bailey — actor known for high-profile roles and visibility for queer talent
- Laverne Cox — performer and activist whose work advances transgender rights
- Melissa Etheridge — singer-songwriter and longtime advocate for the community
- Billie Jean King — tennis pioneer and veteran campaigner for equality
- Orville Peck — masked country singer bringing queer narratives to a mainstream genre
- Chappell Roan — rising artist whose profile has grown alongside outspoken support for LGBTQ+ causes
The program will be hosted by Billy Porter and radio personality Elvis Duran. It will feature conversations with Elton John and his husband, David Furnish — the latter serving as chair of the Elton John AIDS Foundation — as well as a performance of John’s “Your Song” by Dove Cameron. Episodes will appear on the iHeartRadio app and all major podcast platforms, and excerpts will air across iHeartRadio PRIDE stations.
Funding and partnerships
Organizers say the awards are designed not only to honor individuals but to channel financial support to groups providing services and advocacy. In collaboration with Brandi Carlile’s Looking Out Foundation, grants will be distributed to several nonprofits, including:
- CenterLink
- GLAAD
- National Black Justice Collective
- Outright International
- SAGE
- The Trevor Project
- Elton John AIDS Foundation
That flow of resources is intended to boost frontline work at a moment when LGBTQ+ rights and health equity face pressure in multiple countries. Organizers emphasize that storytelling paired with direct investment can expand public awareness while supporting services for vulnerable populations.
Selection and origins
The honorees were selected by a panel that included Furnish, Billy Porter, Brandi Carlile, Anne Aslett (CEO of the Elton John AIDS Foundation) and producers Brent Miller of Procter & Gamble and John Sykes of iHeartMedia. The award itself grew out of the 2022 Can’t Cancel Pride virtual benefit, where the Elton John Impact Award made its debut — Elton John was that year’s first recipient, followed by figures such as Carlile and Porter in later editions.
David Furnish framed the initiative as a strategic response to ongoing challenges facing LGBTQ+ communities, stressing the importance of resourcing organizations doing day-to-day advocacy and care.
Why this matters now
- Visibility: Highlighting well-known advocates keeps LGBTQ+ stories in mainstream conversation.
- Funding: Pledged grants target groups providing crisis services and long-term support.
- Historical record: Conversations with survivors and leaders preserve experiences from past crises while connecting them to today’s activism.
- Momentum: A high-profile media rollout can spur further donations and partnerships at a critical moment for rights and health policy.
The first episode of the Elton John Impact Awards podcast series is scheduled for release on June 1. A trailer is available now, and the full series will be accessible on the iHeartRadio app and wherever podcasts are streamed.
