Sue Perkins, Britain’s Got Talent, DC Comics and three from Team GB shortlisted for Stonewall 2012 Awards.
Evan Rachel Wood, Marcus Collins and Alison Steadman drama also shortlisted
Today Stonewall announces the shortlists for its seventh Awards ceremony to be held on 1 November 2012 at the V&A in London. The Awards are one of the most glamorous events in Stonewall’s fundraising calendar. They celebrate those who have made a positive impact on the lives of lesbian, gay and bisexual people in Britain in the last year.
Hip hop star Frank Ocean and comedian and broadcaster Sue Perkins are nominated for ‘Entertainer of the Year’, while Team GB athletes Claire Harvey, Carl Hester and Lee Pearson make the ‘Sports Awards’ shortlist. ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent and Alison Steadman’s BBC Four drama A Civil Arrangement are among the nominees battling it out for ‘Broadcast of the Year’. And the London Evening Standard, gay news website Gay Star News and Attitude magazine are three of those competing for ‘Publication of the Year’.
‘Journalist of the Year’ nominees include Hugo Rifkind from The Times, the Independent columnist Owen Jones, Guardian Weekend’s Lucy Mangan and Time Out’s Paul Burston. Jackie Kay, Jeanette Winterson, and V G Lee are among the ‘Writer of the Year’ nominees for Reality, Reality, Why Be Happy When You Could be Normal? and Always You, Edina.
Nominees for ‘Politician of the Year’ include Iain Stewart MP, Lynne Featherstone MP and Nicola Sturgeon MSP.
Winners from these categories will be chosen by a celebrity judging panel comprising broadcaster Alice Arnold, Channel 4 News Culture Editor Matthew Cain, former England rugby star Ben Cohen, author Val McDermid and UK Black Pride Managing Director Phyll Opoku-Gyimah.
Thousands of Stonewall supporters across Britain are currently voting for three other categories – ‘Stonewall Community Group’, ‘Hero of the Year’ and ‘Bigot of the Year’. ‘Hero of the Year’ nominees include Jessie J for proudly reaffirming time and again that she is bisexual.
Ben Summerskill, Stonewall Chief Executive, said: ‘This year’s Stonewall Award nominees include Olympic and Paralympic heroes, regional, national and industry publications, popular TV shows and popular lesbian, gay, bisexual and straight entertainers. The diversity of those nominated for an award demonstrates how gay equality is firmly embedded in 21st-century British life. That’s a real cause for celebration.’
The seventh annual Stonewall Awards ceremony takes place on Thursday 1 November at the V&A in London. Tickets are £155 plus VAT. To book your ticket visit www.stonewall.org.uk/awards or call 020 7593 1875.
