Attitude magazine – Europe’s biggest gay magazine – hosted the fifth annual Attitude Awards in association with Virgin Holidays, to benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

Presented by Alan Cumming, the exclusive, invitation-only, star-studded ceremony at 8 Northumberland welcomed a host of celebrity guests, these included: Graham Norton, Robbie Williams, global YouTube sensation Tyler Oakley, Wentworth Miller, Beverley Knight, Alan Carr, Kelly Brook, Emma Bunton, Paul O’Grady, Tom Daley, John Grant, Amanda Barrie, members of the Team GB Olympic Team and more. 

The Attitude Awards, in association with Virgin Holidays and to benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation, welcomed a range of celebrity guests to present this year’s winners, these included: Fearne Cotton, Emma Bunton, Myleene Klass, John Grant, Katie Piper, Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff, Nick Grimshaw, Clara Amfo, Greg Rutherford, Harry Judd and Rob Rinder. 

Currently starring as Rachel Marron in the award-winning musical, The Bodyguard, Attitude’s 2016 Ally Award winner Beverley Knight opened the show with a dazzling performance of Whitney Houston’s ‘I Have Nothing’.  

Breakthrough Artist Award winner MNEK also provided musical entertainment with an exclusive performance of ‘Never Forget You’. Other highlights of the evening included a very special video message from Adele, to accept the ‘Best British Album’ Attitude Award for ‘25’. 

Darren Styles, CEO of Stream Publishing and Publishing Director of Attitude magazine, said:

"The Attitude Awards are an important, and unrivalled, celebration of the great, the gay and the good. They send a powerful message ‎to the LGBT community, and well beyond, that sexuality no more defines what you can achieve or who you can be than the colour of your hair or eyes. 

"This is our night of the year, and alongside supporters, friends and allies we salute those who have made extraordinary contributions, safe in the knowledge that they will inspire generations to come. We could not be more proud."

Mark Anderson, Managing Director of Virgin Holidays, said:

"Virgin Holidays has sponsored the Attitude Awards for five years now, and I'm honoured that we do. At this years awards we unveiled our ambition to become one of the most inclusive and LGBT-friendly travel and tourism companies in the UK.  In conjunction with our key partners such as Attitude we are working towards a future of equal travel, where everyone has the confidence to take on the world"

The full list of Attitude Award 2016 winners are:

Culture Award

John Tiffany (director of stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child)

Man of the Year, supported by Virgin Holidays

Wentworth Miller

Music ICON Award, supported by Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board

Robbie Williams

Icon Award for Outstanding or Lifetime Achievement, supported by SKY 

Amanda Barrie

Most Stylish Man supported by Moss Bros

Pietro Boselli

Inspiration Award

Omar Sharif Jr

Best British Album

Adele (video acceptance)

Young Hero Award, supported by Virgin Holidays

Tyler Oakley (global YouTube sensation)

Honorary Gay

Geri Horner

Ally Award

Beverley Knight

Icon Award for Outstanding for Lifetime Achievement

Andreja Pejic 

Breakthrough Artist Award

MNEK

Icon Award for Outstanding or Lifetime Achievement, supported by SKY 

Alan Carr

Active Award supported by Jaguar

The eight LGBT members of Olympic Team GB (Tom Daley, Tom Bosworth, Nicola Adams, Susannah Townsend, Kate Richardson-Walsh, Helen Richardon-Walsh, Spencer Wilton and Carl Hester)

TV personality of the Year

Rylan Clark-Neal

Other awards not presented on the night were:

Artist of the Year

Frank Ocean

Media Recognition

Metro

Stage Performance of the Year

Paul Keating

Virgin Holidays has published the findings from its LGBT travel report into the issues faced by LGBT travellers worldwide.  The study reveals more than one in three (37%) LGBT travellers have experienced some form of discrimination whilst on holiday, with 6% experiencing a threat of physical violence due to their sexuality.

In response to this, Virgin Holidays has developed plans to address the issues faced by the LGBT community when travelling.  As part of their commitment Virgin Holidays will stage a LGBT equalities conference in conjunction with international tourism partners, encouraging partners in conservative regions such as the Caribbean to adopt more LGBT-friendly policies.

Virgin Holidays three-year plan includes components which focus on empowering staff, informing customers, and influencing partners.  It also involves joining lesbian, gay, bi and trans equality Stonewall, as a Diversity Champion. For more information on the campaign please visit virginholidays.co.uk/losethelabels

-Ends-

For more information, please contact:

Gloria Maydew, Attitude Media 

07972 892416

gloria.maydew@attitude.co.uk

Murray Chalmers PR (MCPR) 

sarina@murraychalmers.com

lottie@murraychalmers.com

sarah@murraychalmers.com

0207 361 0730 

www.murraychalmers.com