Singers Yungblud and Andy Bell and track star Kelly Holmes named Pride icons
Yungblood, known for songs including Cotton Candy and Fleabag, reflected on his sexuality in an interview with Attitude this month in which he said the label of pansexuality allowed him to 'be who I am'.
Of his music festival BludFest, which will be held in Milton Keynes, the singer said he felt proud of how young people are 'allowed to feel safe in our space, or come out in our space, or really feel loved in our space'.
He has had two number one albums in the UK chart with Weird! in 2020, and his self-titled album in 2022.
Dame Kelly won gold medals in the 800 metres and 1,500 metres at the 2004 Olympics in Athens at the age of 34 and was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year the same year.
She retired in 2005 having won 12 major medals across a 10-year span, including Commonwealth golds over 1,500m in 1994 and 2002.
Since retirement, Holmes has mentored young athletes, worked in TV and as a motivational speaker and written several books.
She was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II in the New Year's Honours of 2005 and appointed Honorary Colonel of the Royal Armoured Corps Training Regiment in 2018.
Andy Bell is best known for being half of the synth‑pop duo Erasure, the group behind the hit songs A Little Respect, Sometimes and Always.
The singer released a solo album, Ten Crowns, earlier this year which features a song with the lead singer from Blondie, Debbie Harry.
The Pride awards also honoured other 'heroes of the LGBTQ+ community', including Carla Antonelli, Spain's first openly transgender senator; Caroline Paige, the first openly trans officer in the British military; and the group Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners which featured in the 2014 film Pride and supported striking miners in 1984.
Darren Styles, publisher of Attitude magazine, said: 'The Peugeot Attitude Pride Awards Europe 2025, supported by British Airways, have once again shone a spotlight on the incredible work being done within and for the LGBTQ+ community.
'This year, we're thrilled to celebrate 10 remarkable individuals who embody the spirit of pride, resilience, and progress.
'Their stories and achievements inspire us all and remind us of the power of visibility and authentic self-expression.'
Mr Styles said the Attitude Magazine Foundation had raised almost £20,000 for LGBTQ+ causes through the event on Friday.
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The UK's Pride movement began in 1972 when a group called the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) decided that, as well as protesting, it was also important to celebrate the the time, same-sex couples showing affection in public could have seen them Pride events take part across the world, often combining protest, in the form of marches and rallies, with parties and live News has spoken to a number of Pride organisers about their worries for the future of Pride events, and what they believe is behind the drop in funding. 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Asked why a Pride event - which is seen by many as a form of protest first and foremost - costs this much to run, Dee told the BBC: "It's about making safe spaces, not just emotionally safe but physically safe for everybody there as well - it means paying for security staff, barriers, road closures."As Pride grows, and the numbers grow, the cost and the level of health and safety and other infrastructure grows as well. 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We'll hopefully come back bigger and stronger next year," Alex added. Charging for tickets is 'one of the most difficult decisions' In June, more than 6,000 people attended The Pink Picnic, an event organised by a team of volunteers from Salford Pride in the city's Peel in 2011, it's marketed by organisers as a small, community-focused Pride event and is seen as a quieter alternative to Manchester Pride, a ticketed multi-day event with celebrity headliners which takes place a few miles down the 2025, Salford Pride took the decision to charge for tickets for the first time in order to plug what they say was a £40,000 shortfall in sponsorships from corporate team, made up entirely of volunteers, decided to charge £5 per ticket, but estimate that the event costs around £18 per Holmes, event lead for Salford Pride, said it was "one of the most difficult decisions" his team of volunteers have had to make and that it led to some "being subjected to quite a lot of abuse online."Despite The Pink Picnic being a relatively small event, costs such as security and stewards - which Reece said are essential to run a public event - mean it costs around £100,000 a year to told the BBC: "We've had a 28% increase in costs from 2024, but we've also lost three corporate sponsors since then. "It's a mixture of economic issues and I think the political climate at the minute, I think [companies] are a little bit scared to support Prides."Reece said that without charging for tickets to cover some of the costs, the event would not have been able to go ahead."We're being forced to make these kinds of decisions due to a lack of funding, due to economic issues and due to the political climate."Although many Prides have told the BBC they are struggling financially, and may have to scale back or charge more for events in the future, Dee Llewellyn said there is "no chance" Pride as a movement will added: "We need to remember that we as a community are incredibly resilient."We have always been resilient and we always will be, so while we might go through this ebb and flow, and we've fallen off a cliff this year with corporate partnerships, we will find ways around that."We are going to club together, stand together and be stronger and more united and we will come back stronger."
Leader Live
14 hours ago
- Leader Live
Singers Yungblud and Andy Bell and track star Kelly Holmes named Pride icons
The annual Peugeot Attitude Pride Awards Europe was hosted by comedian and presenter Tom Allen at the Peninsula hotel in London on Friday and included performances by Bell and Frankie Grande, brother of singer Ariana. Yungblood, known for songs including Cotton Candy and Fleabag, reflected on his sexuality in an interview with Attitude this month in which he said the label of pansexuality allowed him to 'be who I am'. Of his music festival BludFest, which will be held in Milton Keynes, the singer said he felt proud of how young people are 'allowed to feel safe in our space, or come out in our space, or really feel loved in our space'. He has had two number one albums in the UK chart with Weird! in 2020, and his self-titled album in 2022. Dame Kelly won gold medals in the 800 metres and 1,500 metres at the 2004 Olympics in Athens at the age of 34 and was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year the same year. She retired in 2005 having won 12 major medals across a 10-year span, including Commonwealth golds over 1,500m in 1994 and 2002. Since retirement, Holmes has mentored young athletes, worked in TV and as a motivational speaker and written several books. She was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II in the New Year's Honours of 2005 and appointed Honorary Colonel of the Royal Armoured Corps Training Regiment in 2018. Andy Bell is best known for being half of the synth‑pop duo Erasure, the group behind the hit songs A Little Respect, Sometimes and Always. The singer released a solo album, Ten Crowns, earlier this year which features a song with the lead singer from Blondie, Debbie Harry. The Pride awards also honoured other 'heroes of the LGBTQ+ community', including Carla Antonelli, Spain's first openly transgender senator; Caroline Paige, the first openly trans officer in the British military; and the group Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners which featured in the 2014 film Pride and supported striking miners in 1984. Darren Styles, publisher of Attitude magazine, said: 'The Peugeot Attitude Pride Awards Europe 2025, supported by British Airways, have once again shone a spotlight on the incredible work being done within and for the LGBTQ+ community. 'This year, we're thrilled to celebrate 10 remarkable individuals who embody the spirit of pride, resilience, and progress. 'Their stories and achievements inspire us all and remind us of the power of visibility and authentic self-expression.' Mr Styles said the Attitude Magazine Foundation had raised almost £20,000 for LGBTQ+ causes through the event on Friday.
Metro
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