iHeartMedia and Procter & Gamble have teamed up to launch the inaugural Elton John Impact Awards, which will honor leading members of the LGBTQ+ community and outstanding allies.
The awards are intended to honor “those whose lifelong work has inspired change and shaped culture while also providing support to LGBTQ+ organizations working to uplift the communities they serve.”
The honorees are Jonathan Bailey, Laverne Cox, Melissa Etheridge, Billie Jean King, Orville Peck, and Chappelle Rowan, who will be celebrated for their impact on the LGBTQ+ community. The special, hosted by Billy Porter and Elvis Duran, will launch as a podcast series June 1 on the iHeartRadio app, where the podcast is heard everywhere and as a special audio broadcast across iHeartRadio PRIDE stations. The special will also include a performance of John’s “Your Song” by Dove Cameron as well as candid personal conversations with Elton John; John’s husband, David Furnish, is president of the Elton John AIDS Foundation; And this year’s honorees.
Organizers said the program will also help boost awareness and funding for several organizations that support the LGBTQ+ community, including the Elton John AIDS Foundation. In partnership with Brandi Carlile’s Looking Out Foundation, additional funds will be given to CenterLink, GLAAD, National Black Justice Collective, Outright International, SAGE, and The Trevor Project.
“I have always believed in the power of storytelling to connect and challenge us,” John said. “These conversations bring together people who shaped LGBTQ+ culture and fought for dignity at a time when the world too often looked the other way. Some are friends who stood by me through the AIDS crisis, others are carrying the torch forward with the new generation. Hearing their stories and reflecting on how far we have come and how far we still have to go is deeply humbling. This is history that cannot be forgotten, and these are voices that need to be heard.”
This year’s honorees were selected by a panel of distinguished figures who worked closely with John, including Furnish, Billy Porter, Brandi Carlile, Elton John AIDS Foundation CEO Anne Aslett, and founding producers of the Can’t Cancel Pride’s and Elton John Impact Awards Brent Miller of P&G and John Sykes of iHeartMedia.
The Elton John Impact Award was first presented in 2022 in Pride cannot be abolisheda virtual concert launched by iHeartMedia and P&G. John was the first recipient, and subsequent honorees include Carlisle and Billy Porter.
“The Elton John Impact Awards highlight the vital work of organizations protecting LGBTQ+ communities and promoting health equity around the world,” Furnish said. “At a time when LGBT rights and health equity remain under threat globally, investing in organizations on the front lines is more urgent than ever.”
Listen to the trailer for the special podcast here.
