A star-studded shortlist for the inaugural Metro Pride Awards has been released and includes well-known celebrities, public figures and businesses that champion the LGBTQ+ community.
Taking place during the 20th anniversary of the UK’s LGBT+ History Month in February, the landmark ceremony will be the biggest celebration of talent, influence and allyship in the country.
Notable nominees include Graham Norton, Edward Enninful, Jade Thirlwall and Amanda Holden, with multiple categories celebrating the people and brands making an impact for LGBTQ+ visibility and inclusivity.
Among the impressive list of Celebrity of the Year nominees are beloved figures such as RuPaul, Russell Tovey, Nicola Coughlan and Jonathan Bailey, while icons of the stage and screen like Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa, supermodel Cara Delevingne and All of Us Strangers actor Andrew Scott have also earned nominations.
The Broadcaster of the Year category features high-profile names like Rylan Clark, Sue Perkins and Nick Grimshaw, who have long been champions of LGBTQ+ visibility on national platforms.
Meanwhile, the Music Hero category showcases legends such as Lizzo, Olly Alexander and DJ Fat Tony, while the Sports Hero category sees Tom Daley, Dame Kelly Holmes, and rising stars like Jake Daniels and Lioness Beth Mead being celebrated for their tireless work in advancing LGBTQ+ inclusivity.
The business awards are also set to be a highlight of the ceremony, with companies like Vodafone, Bentley, ScottishPower and Amazon nominated for their ongoing support of the LGBTQ+ community, demonstrating how corporate leaders can drive positive social change.
Richard Hartley Parkinson, Executive Editor of Metro, said:
‘The Metro Pride Awards is about celebrating the LGBTQ+ community across every sector of life, from entertainment and sport to business and activism. We are thrilled to announce such a diverse and inspiring list of nominees who represent the best of our community.
‘This event will be a historic occasion for the LGBTQ+ movement, bringing together leaders and allies in a unified celebration of progress, visibility, and change – values we are passionate about at Metro.’
Metro Pride Award winners will be decided by a mixture of public vote by Metro readers and a judging panel. The public can vote now at www.metroprideawards.com
The charity partner for the Metro Pride Awards is Diversity Role Models (DRM), an organisation dedicated to tackling LGBTQ+ bullying and promoting inclusion in schools and communities.
The full shortlist for the Metro Pride Awards 2025 is as follows:
Celebrity of the Year
- Nicola Coughlan
- Luke Evans
- RuPaul
- Russell Tovey
- Jonathan Bailey
- Edward Enninful
- Andrew Scott
- Cara Delevingne
- Ncuti Gatwa
- Graham Norton
Broadcaster of the Year
- Rylan Clark
- Jill Scott MBE
- Nick Grimshaw
- Scott Mills
- Mobeen Azhar
- Alex Scott
- Robert Rinder
- Dean McCullough
- Riyadh Khalaf
- Sue Perkins
Music Hero
- DJ Fat Tony
- Jodie Harsh
- Lizzo
- Olly Alexander
- Jess Glynne
- Jake Shears
- Will Young
- MNEK
- Peggy Gou
- Kehlani
Sports Hero
- Tom Daley
- Jake Daniels
- Beth Mead
- Carl Hester
- Cindy Ngamba
- Ralf Schumacher
- Jack Laugher
- Dame Kelly Holmes
- Jess Carter
- Lauren Hemp
LGBTQ+ Trailblazer
- Seán McGirr
- Mitchell Halliday
- Ian Steed
- Jay Birmingham
- Dan Price
- Alessandro Bucci
- Suki Sandhu OBE
- Simon Jones
- Joëlle Rotsaert
- Lexie Lenoir
Rising Star Award
- Kit Connor
- Yasmin Finney
- The Vivienne
- GK Barry
- Tia Kofi
- Jessica Gunning
- Mawaan Rizwan
- Phil Dunning
- Cat Burns
- Olly Shinder
Inspirational Ally
- Melanie B
- Sharleen Spiteri
- James Corden
- Annie Mac
- John Bishop (Ambassador for DRM, Winner of LGBT Ally Award)
- Sophie Ellis-Bextor
- Tyrone Mings
- Jade Thirlwall
- Amanda Holden
- Jennifer Saunders
Brand of the Year
- Vodafone
- Virgin Atlantic
- JustEat
- Arnold Clark
- Tesco
- British Airways
- ASOS
- Bentley
- Netflix
- Absolut Vodka
Marketing Campaign of the Year
- Deliveroo – “The Open Kitchen”
- The Romans x Millwall Romans Campaign
- Disney – “The Power of Pride”
- Uber Eats – “Serving Pride”
- Adidas – “Love Unites”
- McCann London and Clear Channel UK – “Fabruary”
- JCDecaux UK – “Just Like Us” Partnership
- Bentley – “Pride Car 2024”
- Virgin Atlantic and Lucky Generals – “See the World Differently”
- Open Media – #OpenAndProud
Grassroots or Charity Organisation of the Year
- MindOut
- AKT
- Kaleidoscope Trust
- Everton in the Community
- BlkOut
- Fighting With Pride
- Just Like Us
- Manchester Pride
- LGBT Foundation
- The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Best Breakthrough Business
- Evri
- Klarna
- Cinch
- Aer Lingus
- BYOMA
- Mildreds
- Zymurgorium
- Tonic Housing
- Stonegate Group
- Williams & Hirst
- Matalan
Outstanding Corporate Social Responsibility
- Liverpool Football Club
- KPMG
- Asda
- Nissan
- Hogan Lovells
- Network Rail
- IKEA
- Anthony Collins Solicitors
- Three Mobile
- Avanti West Coast
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Award
- Create Fertility
- MSB Solicitors
- Burberry
- Scottish Power
- National Grid
- United Utilities
- Pinsent Masons
- AXA
- Chelsea Football Club
- GSK
LGBTQ+ Network Group
- Spire Healthcare Group – LGBTQ+ Colleague Network
- Aer Lingus – ProudFlies
- KPMG – Breathe
- LGBT+@Sky
- Scottish Power – In-Fuse
- Proud@Shell
- Vodafone – LGBT+ and Friends Network
- Amazon – Glamazon
- Pfizer – OPEN
- Macquarie – Pride EMEA Employee Network
Business of the Year
- Softcat
- Virgin Atlantic
- DHL
- Macquarie
- GSK
- Farrer & Co
- Irwin Mitchell
- Shepherd and Wedderburn
- Dentons
- Wickes
Most Inclusive Employer
- LV= Insurance
- VISA
- Xero
- Aon
- Moody’s
- Linklaters
- DHL
- E.ON
- Coty UKI
- LSEG
LGBT+ Business Leader Of The Year
- Mitchell Halliday, CEO of Made By Mitchell
- David Hynam, LV
- Elliot Barton, Tatti Lashes
- Rick Jackson, DHL
- Julia Hoggett, London Stock Exchange
- Anna Deignan, The Premier League
- Emily Hamilton, RS Components
- Bruna Gil, LINKEDIN
- Jaron Soh, Voda
- Deon Pillay, Legal & General
Business Ally
- Emma Carey, MSB
- Angela Ogilvie, Linklaters
- Lauryn Yuen, TikTok
- Rebecca Short, Deutsche Bank
- Jasmin Fox, EA
- Ruth Rowan, Avanade
- Liz Kelly, St James’s Place
- Michael Salter-Church, Openreach
- Alan Holmes, Clyde and Co
- Rachel Pears, RPC Legal