Individuals and organisations that have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to promoting equality and diversity in the workplace are being urged to nominate ahead of next year’s NatWest-sponsored British LGBT Awards.
Dubbed Britain’s ‘gay Oscars’, the annual awards ceremony will return to London next May. Now in their sixth year, the British LGBT Awards recognise LGBT+ role models as well as Britain’s corporate straight allies. Previous award winners have included banking giant Barclays and professional services network PwC, who earlier this year scooped the employer of the year award.
Supermarket ASDA and online streaming service Netflix are among the other big business names to have picked up British LGBT Awards.
A series of major accolades will be up for grabs at the glittering event, including company of the year, corporate rising star and the inspirational leader award.
Business leaders can also submit nominations for the corporate straight ally award.
Co-founder of the British LGBT Awards, Sarah Garrett MBE, said businesses should nominate colleagues and employees who demonstrate a commitment to the LGBT+ community.
Sarah said:
“In many industries, there is still much more to do to make the workplace more inclusive for LGBT+ people. But increasingly, business leaders recognise that having a diverse workforce makes good business sense.
“A great many companies promote LGBT+ people to senior positions and actively embrace and support LGBT employees across all levels of the workforce. It is these organisations that the British LGBT Awards celebrates.
“The British LGBT Awards also highlights the very best in individual LGBT+ talent, as well as paying tribute to our much-needed straight allies. We want the 2018 ceremony to be bigger than ever so we’re calling on business leaders to be part of it by taking a look at who might be worthy of a British LGBT Award in their workplace and nominate.”
Marjorie Strachan, of headline sponsor NatWest, said:
“The British LGBT Awards are now ranked amongst the most important annual celebrations of diversity and inclusion in the UK, and we’re proud to be the headline sponsor for the sixth year running.
“Fundamentally, they acknowledge and reward those who deserve recognition for their outstanding commitment to the LGBT community.
“However, these awards are not just about celebrating the nominees and winners; they’re about creating a cultural shift towards acknowledging the benefit of inclusion and NatWest wants to be a part of that. Nominations ahead of next year’s awards ceremony are now open and we’re encouraging as many people as possible to get involved.”
As well as the corporate winners, previous British LGBT Award recipients include Olympian Tom Daley, TV funnyman Alan Carr, Sir Ian McKellen and HRH Prince William.
Rebecca joined the HRreview editorial team in January 2016. After graduating from the University of Sheffield Hallam in 2013 with a BA in English Literature, Rebecca has spent five years working in print and online journalism in Manchester and London. In the past she has been part of the editorial teams at Sleeper and Dezeen and has founded her own arts collective.
