iHeartMedia and Procter & Gamble are honoring LGBTQ+ trailblazers with the new Elton John Impact Awards.
On Monday (May 18), iHeartMedia and P&G announced the inaugural Elton John Impact Awards celebrating LGBTQ+ icons and allies who have broken barriers and whose work has helped inspire change, uplift the community, and given back to LGBTQ+ organizations.
The Elton John Impact Awards, hosted by Billy Porter and Elvis Duran, will launch as a podcast series on the iHeartRadio app and will air as an audio special on iHeartRadio PRIDE stations on June 1, 2026, featuring a special performance of "Your Song" by Dove Cameron and recognizing this year's list honorees of trailblazers for their contributions to the LGBTQ+ community: Jonathan Bailey, Laverne Cox, Melissa Etheridge, Billie Jean King, Orville Peck and Chappell Roan.
The special will include personal conversations with Elton John, David Furnish, and the honorees, who will shared "stories, challenges, and defining moments that shaped [their] journey, told in their own words like never before," according to a press release.
"I've always believed in the power of storytelling to connect us and challenge us," said the "Rocket Man" musician. "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. Some are friends who stood beside me through the AIDS crisis, others are carrying the torch forward with the new generation. Hearing their stories and reflecting on how far we've come, and how far we still have to go, is deeply humbling. This is history that cannot be forgotten and these are voices that must be heard."
According to the release, the Elton John Impact Awards will also help bring awareness to and drive funding for organizations working nonstop to support the LGBTQ+ community, such as the Elton John AIDS Foundation and Brandi Carlile's Looking Out Foundation, with funds also being granted to GLAAD, CenterLink, the National Black Justice Collective, Outright International, SAGE and the Trevor Project.
Furnish, chair of the Elton John AIDS Foundation and John's husband of 20 years, shared how the awards will shine a spotlight on the ongoing work across the globe to protect the LGBTQ+ community.
"The Elton John Impact Awards spotlight the vital work of organizations protecting LGBTQ+ communities and advancing health equity around the world," he said. "At a time when LGBTQ+ rights and health equity remain under threat globally, investing in organizations on the frontlines has never been more important."
For more information, visit EltonJohnImpactAwards.com.