DAWN AIREY CBE, BRADLEY RICHES, BALVINDER SOPAL AND NATHAN HENRY AMONG RAINBOW HONOURS 2026 WINNERS
- Dawn Airey CBE received Lifetime Achievement Award for her decades-long commitment to queer representation and visibility
- Emmerdale and Heartstopper star Bradley Riches named Celebrity LGBTQIA+ Champion of the Year
- Fellow soap favourite Balvinder Sopal, of EastEnders fame, picked up Celebrity Ally of the Year
- Nathan Henry collected the Media Moment of the Year prize for documentary Geordie Stories: Nathan & Dad
- Other winners included Trans is Human, Terrence Higgins Trust, Ocado and more across 19 categories
The winners of the Rainbow Honours 2026 were unveiled at a dazzling ceremony at the London Hilton on Park Lane, with light shone on the stars, charities, corporates and unsung heroes who dedicate themselves year-round to fighting the good fight for the LGBTQIA+ community.
The winners of the Rainbow Honours 2026 were unveiled at a dazzling ceremony at the London Hilton on Park Lane, shining a light on the stars, charities, corporations and unsung heroes who dedicate themselves year-round to fighting the good fight for the LGBTQIA+ community.
Trail-blazer Dawn Airey CBE deservedly took home the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of the seismic strides she made, and continues to make, in her rich and varied career in improving and highlighting the importance of LGBTQIA+ representation and visibility in the workplace and beyond.
With over 30 years’ experience in the media and creative industries, Dawn kicked down doors as an openly queer woman at the top of her game. She is the former chief of Channel 5 and, earlier this month, became the new chair of Arts Council England. Dawn also chairs the National Youth Theatre, and from the stage to the football pitch, the Women’s Super League.
Among the headline honourees was Bradley Riches after being named Celebrity LGBTQIA+ Champion of the Year. Best known for his small-screen roles in Emmerdale and Netflix’s Heartstopper, the actor and autism activist also published bestselling book Autistically Me and loudly and proudly advocates for the LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent communities.
EastEnders favourite Balvinder Sopal scooped the Celebrity Ally of the Year prize. The actress, who also competed on Strictly Come Dancing, delivers a powerhouse performance as Suki Panesar in the BBC soap. Critics have praised the ongoing storyline in which she and on-screen wife Eve (Heather Peace) navigate the trials and tribulations of same-sex adoption.
Reality TV stalwart Nathan Henry has come a long way from Geordie Shore after triumphing in the Media Moment of the Year category. Emotions run high in four-part documentary Geordie Stories: Dad and Me as he embarks on a life-changing journey with his father Glen, who is living with terminal cancer.
The annual awards, headlined by Paramount, were hosted by comedian and actor Stephen Bailey, who can currently be seen in Russell T Davies’s gripping C4 thriller Tip Toe. Guests, including Denise Welch, Paul Sinha, Tom Read Wilson and Sinitta, also enjoyed performances from singer Matt Terry and disco legends Boney M.
Other notable winners on the night included CurvyBlackWitch – real name Janae Owyn – for Influencer or Campaigner of the Year; Vanessa Varvas, of the University of East London, for Inspirational Role Model of the Year; Trans is Human, for Community Initiative of the Year; and Terrence Higgins Trust, for Charity of the Year.
Victory was in the air, too, for Fly With Pride, part of Manchester Airports Group, for Outstanding LGBTQIA+ Network of the Year; Ocado, for Large Brand or Organisation of the Year, Stonewall’s Proud Employers Programmes, for Global LGBTQIA+ Initiative of the Year; and Matt Foster, of Ogilvy UK, named LGBTQIA+ Changemaker of the Year.
Kat Parsons, CEO of Diversity Umbrella, said: “In times like these, it can be easy to focus on the challenges facing our community. The Rainbow Honours chooses to focus on the people creating real change. Visibility saves lives. Representation matters. And celebrating those who are breaking barriers, challenging prejudice and lifting others up has never been more important. These awards are about recognising excellence, but they are also about sending a message to every LGBTQIA+ person watching: you belong, you matter, and there is a community standing proudly beside you.”
FULL WINNERS LIST:
INSPIRATIONAL ROLE MODEL OF THE YEAR
WINNER:
Vanessa Varvas (University of East London)
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
Paul Stanley (Anglo American & De Beers Group)
CAMPAIGNER OR INFLUENCER OF THE YEAR (sponsored by CORECRUITMENT)
WINNER:
CurvyBlackWitch (Janae Owyn)
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
Hallie Clarke
OUTSTANDING LGBTQIA+ NETWORK OF THE YEAR (sponsored by MYGWORK)
WINNER:
Fly With Pride (MAG (Manchester Airports Group))
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
Wipro Europe Pride ERG (Wipro)
OUTSTANDING LGBTQIA+ NETWORK OF THE YEAR (UTILITIES)
WINNER:
LGBTQ+ at Sky (Sky UK Ltd)
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
Pride @ E.ON (E.ON)
OUTSTANDING LGBTQIA+ NETWORK OF THE YEAR (FINANCE)
WINNER:
LGBTQ+ AT TSB (TSB)
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
Bend the Bank (Starling)
OUTSTANDING LGBTQIA+ NETWORK OF THE YEAR
WINNER:
PROUD (Shoosmiths LLP)
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
Pride Network (Clyde & Co)
CORPORATE LGBTQIA+ CHAMPION OF THE YEAR
WINNER:
Tolu Osinubi (Deloitte UK)
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
Nick Johnson (Virgin Atlantic)
COMMUNITY INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR (sponsored by CENTRICA)
WINNER:
Trans is Human
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
Trans+ Solidarity Alliance
HEAD OF BELONGING, CULTURE OR DIVERSITY (sponsored by SKY)
WINNER:
Claire Semple (Informa)
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
Alicia McDonnell (MAG (Manchester Airports Group))
CORPORATE ALLY OF THE YEAR (sponsored by DEUTSCHE BANK)
WINNER:
Jane Cubbin (TransPennine Express)
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
Mark Given (Sainsbury’s)
OUTSTANDING LGBTQIA+ NETWORK LEAD OF THE YEAR
WINNER:
Trenton Tomlinson (Universal Music Group UK)
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
Harry Levey & Kayleigh Glover (Siemens Mobility UK&I)
GLOBAL LGBTQIA+ INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR (sponsored by GSK)
WINNER:
Proud Employers Programme (Stonewall)
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
Outsummit 2025 (Outright International)
LARGE BRAND OR ORGANISATION OF THE YEAR
WINNER:
Ocado
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
Sky UK Ltd
CHARITY OF THE YEAR
WINNER:
Terrence Higgins Trust
LGBTQIA+ CHANGEMAKER OF THE YEAR
WINNER:
Matt Foster (Ogilvy UK)
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
Lauren Thompson (Virgin Media O2)
CELEBRITY ALLY OF THE YEAR (sponsored by PARAMOUNT)
WINNER:
Balvinder Sopal
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
Kate Nash
MEDIA MOMENT OF THE YEAR
WINNER:
Geordie Stories: Nathan & Dad
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
Coronation Street – Same-sex domestic abuse storyline
CELEBRITY LGBTQIA+ CHAMPION OF THE YEAR
WINNER:
Bradley Riches
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
Rosie Jones
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
WINNER:
Dawn Airey CBE
