Paul O’Grady and Brookside star Claire Sweeney have been nominated for prestigious awards ahead of the Rainbow Honours award ceremony.
The shortlist revealed a major nomination for Paul with the Birkenhead-born star, who shot to fame as drag act Lily Savage, being tipped to win the Celebrity Champion accolade. The 66-year-old, who currently presents ITV's For The Love of Dogs, is one of the most prominent LGBT+ personalities in the mainstream media and has a longstanding commitment to championing equal rights for the community.
Liverpool actress Claire, who played Lindsay Corkhill on Channel 4's Brookside before launching a career in the West End, is shortlisted for the Celebrity Ally Award. She will be going up against Daniel Radcliffe, Dermot O'Leary and Lorraine Kelly. Everton FC have also been nominated for the Campaign of the Year accolade but will face competition from the likes of LGBT+ campaign group Stonewall and HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust to claim the trophy.
READ MORE: How Paul O'Grady's alter ego, Lily Savage, became a household name
The event, which has been postponed since 2019 due to COVID-19, will be hosted by comedian Julian Clary and RuPaul's Drag Race UK star Victoria Scone and is set to take place in front of a star-studded crowd in London on June 1.
Linda Riley, founder of the Rainbow Honours, said: “The Rainbow Honours will celebrate the LGBTQI personalities, celebrities, brands and allies who have stood in solidarity with the community during what has been an incredibly tough couple of years. The shortlisted nominees have all demonstrated a commitment to advancing LGBTQI rights, and the awards will help draw attention to the achievements which have been made and shine a light on what else needs to be done. Paul O'Grady and Claire Sweeney are both incredibly deserving of their nominations.”
Next To Me singer Emeli Sandé, who recently revealed she is in a same-sex relationship, is set to win a major prize on the night too for her years of support for diversity and equality. The first same-sex male partnership on Strictly Come Dancing, featuring Johannes Radebe and John Waite, has been shortlisted for Media Moment of the Year alongside Jonathan Bailey, best known for his role in the hit Netflix series Bridgerton. They will battle it out against American cartoon show The Simpsons, which has been nominated for its Smithers LGBT+ storyline.
