The annual celebration honoured the incredible work of individuals, organisations, and events
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY THE VAIN CARL SUKONIK
Electricity tingled in the air at the Gaydio Pride Awards 2025 as the crowd awaited a very special arrival on stage. Bursting with queer joy after a night of celebrating LGBTQIA trailblazers, the room exploded when demisexual icon Tulisa entered the stage.
Hosted at the iconic Hilton Hotel in Manchester, the Gaydio Pride Awards 2025 saw 13 winners take the stage, all celebrated for their passion and dedication to driving progress for the LGBTQIA community across the UK. Notable LGBTQIA icons were honoured for their incredible contributions to our community, including Lisa Power MBE who received the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award for their pioneering activism.
It’s A Sin and Queer As Folk screenwriter and producer Russell T Davies gave a rousing speech about the importance of centring love when accepting the brand new Gaydio Icon Award. Chappell Roan was awarded the Music Artist of The Year, perfectly coinciding with the release of her country track The Giver.
Alongside the awards themselves, guests were able to dance the whole night long with performances by Tulisa, Katy B, RuPaul’s La Voix, and BBC’s latest K-pop band DearALICE.
Throughout the night, guests, hosts, and recipients paid homage to the memory of The Vivienne, who tragically passed away earlier this year. Simon Jones, a close friend of The Vivienne, dedicated their award for Outstanding Entertainment Contribution to their legacy.
Other notable awards were given to AKT (Charity Of The Year), Logan Brown (Influencer Of The Year), London Titans (Sports Team Of The Year), UK Black Pride (Event of the Year) and Manchester Pride (Pride Organisation Of The Year).
Gaydio co-director and founder, Ian Wallace, said: “Celebrating the third year of the Gaydio Pride Awards has been truly special. Each year, the event continues to grow in both size and impact, and this year was no exception. It’s been an honour to celebrate the amazing work of those shaping a better future for the LGBTQ+ community across the UK. We’re incredibly proud to be shining a light on those who make such a difference and we can’t wait to do it all over again next year!”
For more information about this year’s Gaydio Pride Awards head to gaydioprideawards.co.uk.
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