Elton John is launching a special podcast series with iHeartMedia to recognize the most prominent LGBTQ+ voices in entertainment today, the media company announced Monday.
Coined the Elton John Impact Awards, the first-of-its-kind podcast awards project will honor “Wicked” star Jonathan Bailey, Grammy winner Chappell Roan, actress and activist Laverne Cox, country crooner Orville Peck, rock legend Melissa Etheridge and tennis icon Billie Jean King — all handpicked by John himself.
The podcast, a Procter & Gamble co-production, will launch June 1 for Pride season and be hosted by Billy Porter and Elvis Duran. It will feature candid conversations with this year’s honorees and air across iHeartRadio Pride stations and stream on the iHeartRadio app and all podcast platforms. Dove Cameron has also been tapped to perform John’s classic “Your Song,” as a tribute to the awards’ founder’s legacy.
The awards recognize individuals whose work has shaped LGBTQ+ culture while driving funding to frontline organizations, including the Elton John AIDS Foundation. In partnership with Brandi Carlile’s Looking Out Foundation, grants will support CenterLink, GLAAD, the National Black Justice Collective, Outright International, SAGE and the Trevor Project.
“I’ve always believed in the power of storytelling to connect us and challenge us,” John said in a statement. “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.”
The Elton John Impact Award debuted in 2022 at Can’t Cancel Pride, a virtual benefit concert launched by iHeartMedia and P&G that honored Elton John for his decades-long advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights and the fight to end AIDS. The award has since recognized Brandi Carlile and Billy Porter. Over five years, Can’t Cancel Pride raised over $17 million for LGBTQ+ nonprofits.
The Elton John Impact Awards are created by iHeartMedia and P&G, with Elton John and David Furnish serving as executive producers. Catch a trailer for the upcoming Pride release here.
