Elton John – Photo: David Shankbone via wikicommons
The Elton John Impact Awards are expanding this year, honoring LGBTQ figures and allies for their cultural impact and support of LGBTQ organizations.
Hosted by Billy Porter and radio personality Elvis Duran, the special — presented by iHeartMedia and P&G — will debut June 1 as a podcast series on the iHeartRadio app and an audio broadcast across iHeartRadio PRIDE stations.
The podcast series aims to raise visibility and funding for LGBTQ organizations, including the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
In partnership with Brandi Carlile’s Looking Out Foundation, additional funds will support LGBTQ organizations including CenterLink, GLAAD, the National Black Justice Collective, Outright International, SAGE, and The Trevor Project.
This year’s honorees include actor Jonathan Bailey, who launched The Shameless Fund to support LGBTQ charities; actress and producer Laverne Cox; and musician Melissa Etheridge, a longtime advocate for LGBTQ rights.
Also being honored are tennis legend Billie Jean King, country performer Orville Peck, and pop star Chappell Roan, who founded The Midwest Princess Project to support transgender youth.
The podcast special will feature candid, personal conversations with John, Furnish, and this year’s honorees. To mark the inaugural broadcast, multiplatinum recording artist Dove Cameron will deliver a special performance of “Your Song,” Elton John’s 1970 hit, in tribute to the singer’s legacy.
The special will feature conversations with John, his husband David Furnish, and this year’s honorees. Dove Cameron will also perform Elton John’s 1970 hit “Your Song.”
“I’ve always believed in the power of storytelling to connect us and challenge us,” John said in a statement. “These conversations bring together the people who have shaped LGBTQ+ culture and fought for dignity at a time when the world too often looked away. Some are friends who stood beside me through the AIDS crisis, others are carrying the torch forward with the new generation.
“Hearing their stories and reflecting on how far we’ve come, and how far we still have to go, is deeply humbling,” he added. “This is history that cannot be forgotten and these are voices that must be heard.”
The honorees were selected by John along with an advisory panel that includes Furnish, Porter, Brandi Carlile, Elton John AIDS Foundation CEO Anne Aslett, P&G’s Brent Miller, and iHeartMedia’s John Sykes.
The Elton John Impact Award was introduced in 2022 during “Can’t Cancel Pride,” a virtual benefit concert launched by iHeartMedia and P&G. Elton John was the inaugural recipient, recognized for his LGBTQ advocacy and work to combat AIDS.
Since then, the award has honored figures including Brandi Carlile and Billy Porter before expanding into the Elton John Impact Awards. Over five years, Can’t Cancel Pride has raised more than $17 million for LGBTQ nonprofits.
The U.S. Department of Education has opened a civil rights investigation into Smith College, accusing the all-women's school in Northampton, Massachusetts, of violating federal laws against sex-based discrimination by allowing transgender women to enroll.
The investigation marks the first time the Trump administration has targeted school admissions policies as part of its broader crackdown on transgender rights. Previously, the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights had focused primarily on transgender athletes competing on female sports teams and transgender restroom access.
Grindr will host its first-ever party tied to the White House Correspondents' Dinner, the annual Washington gathering celebrating the First Amendment and the media.
Hosted by the White House Correspondents' Association, the dinner raises money for journalism scholarships while bringing together media figures, politicians, business leaders, and celebrities for a night of networking and entertainment.
Historically, the event -- often dubbed the "Nerd Prom" -- features a stand-up comedian roasting political and media figures, along with a comedic speech, either live or videotaped, by the sitting president.
A lesbian couple in Key West has sued the city in federal court, alleging officials violated their First Amendment rights by fining them for painting their fence in rainbow Pride colors.
Nicole "Coley" Sohn and Linda Bagley-Sohn repainted a series of fence pickets in rainbow colors after Key West removed its rainbow crosswalks at the direction of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis -- part of a broader Trump administration push to eliminate LGBTQ-themed public art.
After Sohn and Bagley-Sohn repainted their fence, nearly 50 other Key West residents followed suit.
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
You must be logged in to post a comment.