The LCR Pride Awards are returning after a three-year hiatus with a new date.
The awards ceremony celebrates those working to make the Liverpool City Region the "most LGBTQ+ friendly place in the UK". The event, delivered by LCR Pride Foundation, last took place in 2019 before the pandemic shut down large events.
It was initially supposed to return on Thursday, February 23, 2023, but has now been moved to Thursday, April 6. The decision to move the event was taken to align with wider city plans and the run-up to the Eurovision Song Contest coming to the city.
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Andi Herring, CEO and co-founder of LCR Pride Foundation, said: “This year is going to be a huge year for the Liverpool City Region, with Eurovision 2023 providing a global platform for the city.
“We want to ensure that people from our city’s amazing LGBT+ community are visible to the world and celebrated for their amazing work. Moving the awards to the spring aligns with the city’s exciting plans and also puts the event and its nominees at the centre of the action in the lead-up to Eurovision. The date move also means there is more time to nominate, so if there is someone you think deserves recognition, please get nominating.”
Nominations are now open for 14 categories including LGBT+ Friendly Business of the Year, Business Person of the Year and LGBT+ Community Group. New categories for 2023 include LGBT+ Workplace Group and LGBT+ Youth Group.
Each category will celebrate the bravest, brightest, and best of the region’s LGBT+ community and its allies, from grassroots campaigners and local performers to businesses and organisations undertaking wider national work.
Andi added: "Much has changed since the last time we came together for the LCR Pride Awards. There are so many local people and organisations that throughout the pandemic went above and beyond to help and support the LGBT+ community in the city region who deserve recognition. We’re really looking forward to seeing what comes in.”
Merseyrail returns as the headline sponsor for the second year jointly with Liverpool Football Club, which is supporting the event for the first time. Jane English, acting managing director from Merseyrail, said: “Merseyrail is incredibly proud to support the LGBTQ+ community. I’m sure it will be another superb evening to celebrate some incredible achievements, and Merseyrail is honoured to be there once again.
"Merseyrail, and our staff, love taking part in Pride marches in the city, and we have also created the Merseyrail LGBTQ+ & Allies employee network in 2020. We work hard to ensure Merseyrail is inclusive and diverse, as well as making sure that our passengers feel safe when travelling with us and are able to be who they are.”
Rishi Jain, senior equality, diversity and inclusion manager at Liverpool Football Club, added: “As a club, we are fully committed to promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion and incorporating it into everything we do as part of our Red Together work and more broadly in sport and wider society. We're looking forward to what should be a fantastic evening celebrating the LGBT+ community”
Nominations are now open to recognise work by the LGBT+ community and its allies that has taken place since October 2019 to date. The nomination deadline has also been extended until Tuesday, February 28 2023.
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