The Elton John Impact Awards are set to honour LGBTQ+ icons and trailblazers, including Jonathan Bailey and Chappell Roan.
iHeartMedia and Procter & Gamble have teamed up to launch the inaugural awards, which aim to recognise “those whose lifelong work has inspired change and shaped culture while also giving back to LGBTQ+ organisations that uplift the communities they serve”.
As well as Bailey and Roan, 2026 honorees include Laverne Cox, Melissa Etheridge, Billie Jean King and Orville Peck.
Hosted by Billy Porter and Elvis Duran, the Impact Awards will launch on 1 June as a podcast series. The special will also feature a performance of John’s Your Song by Dove Cameron, along with candid, personal conversations with John; John’s husband, David Furnish, who is chair of the Elton John AIDS Foundation; and this year’s honorees.
Organisers said the program will also help boost awareness and funding for several organisations supporting the LGBTQ+ community, including the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
“I’ve always believed in the power of storytelling to connect us and challenge us,” John said. “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.”
