OUR 2026 WINNERS

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The evening was hosted by Deborah Frances-White with performances from Sans Soucis, Horse and Heather Peace! 

 

What a night! The DIVA Charitable Trust (DCT) Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony returned for another glitzy, powerful and inspiring evening to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ women and non-binary people making waves in our community. Taking place on 24 April, the event acted as a cornerstone of this year’s Lesbian Visibility Week (20-26 April). 

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Hosted by podcaster, author and screenwriter Deborah Frances-White, the evening also saw incredible performances from Sans Soucis and Horse. A particularly powerful moment saw Horse and Heather Peace come together on stage for a rendition of Donna Summer’s hit No More Tears. The room was packed full of game-changing LGBTQIA+ women and non-binary people from our community, including Christine McGuinness, Mzz Kimberley, Jessica Kellgren-Fozard and more. 

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The evening was kicked off with powerful speeches from DCT’s executive director, Lady Phyll and DIVA’s editor-in-chief, Roxy Bourdillon. A central focus of this year’s DCT Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony was to platform the incredible work of DCT. 

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Lady Phyll said: “Tonight is a celebration of brilliance, talent and leadership across our community, but it is also a reminder of why the work of DIVA Charitable Trust matters so deeply. At a time when too many LGBTQIA+ women and non-binary people are still navigating systems that were not designed with them in mind, spaces like this are not just about recognition, they are about visibility with purpose. Our role as a charity is to ensure that visibility translates into lasting change in culture, in policy, and in people’s everyday lives.”

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DIVA Awards 2026 winners 

 

myGwork LGBTQIA+ Network Champion Award

Winner: Alessia Cavallini, Kantar 

Highly Commended: Bobbie Saxon, Diageo

 

Kearney Innovation Award 

Winner: Voda 

Highly Commended: Erica Rose

 

CoreRecruitment Writer Award 

Winner: Isabella Dorta

Highly Commended: Ellen Jones

 

Centrica Media Moment Award

Winner: Women’s Rugby World Cup Final 2025

Highly Commended: Kesha and Trans Voices, Mighty Hoopla Festival 2025

 

Deutsche Bank Diversity Champion Award 

Winner: Tolu Osinubi, Deloitte

Highly Commended: Adelle Barker, Sky UK Ltd

 

LGBTQIA+ Network Award 

Winner: LGBTQ+ at Sky, Sky UK Ltd

Highly Commended: Spectrum, Barclays

 

London Women’s Clinic Creator Award

Winner: Jessica Kellgren-Fozard

Highly Commended: CurvyBlackWitch (Janae Owyn) and Oscar Davies 

 

UK Black Pride Community Initiative Award

Winner: Glitter Cymru

Highly Commended: Black Queers Connect 

 

Jackdaw Media Icon Award

Winner: Rita Hirani & DJ Ritu, Club Kali 

Highly Commended: jane fae

 

Inspirational Role Model Award 

Winner: Rebecca Paisis, Pride in London

Highly Commended: Dani St James

 

BNP Paribas Ally Award 

Winner: Jolyon Maugham

Highly Commended: Balvinder Sopal

 

Allianz Commercial Changemaker Award

Winner: Claire Harvey MBE, Founder of Not In Our Name (NION)

Highly Commended: Laïla El-Métoui, Founder & CEO of LEM Education

 

Diversity Umbrella Sport Award 

Winner: Lionesses

Highly Commended: Amanda Wah

 

Lifetime Achievement

Winner: Mzz Kimberley​​​​​​​