LGBTQ football legends honoured at FvH Awards 2026 alongside Brentford, Proud Forest, Leftfooters and more
Seventh annual edition of Football v Homophobia Awards held at London Welsh Centre, with 200 guests attending; Joanie Evans and Aslie Pitter win FvH Lifetime Achievement Awards; Natalie Washington, Clapton CFC and Bristol Casual Football League also successful in their categories…
The Football v Homophobia Awards 2026 gala ceremony has been held in London, capped by special presentations to two LGBTQ icons of the game.
Joanie Evans and Aslie Pitter are pivotal figures in the histories of Hackney Women’s FC and Stonewall FC respectively. In an emotional finale to the night, both were surprised with FvH Lifetime Achievement Award presentations at the London Welsh Centre.
The honours, recognising their contributions to the UK’s first ‘out’ football clubs for lesbians and gay men and the wider LGBTQ community in the game, followed prizegiving in 11 categories,
The event was sponsored and supported by the Premier League, the EFL, Sky Sports, Fare, PGMO, Kick It Out, and the FSA through its Fans for Diversity initiative. It was the seventh annual edition of the FvH Awards, and was attended by 200 guests including VIPs from across the worlds of football, equality and inclusion, and LGBTQ advocacy.
After a sensational performance from singer Chanel No 5, it was over to She’s A Baller’s Chloe Morgan, who hosted the night with her customary charisma and class.
In the Professional Game Award category, sponsored by the EFL, Brentford FC were named first-time winners.
The Bees’ EDI manager Rhiannon Maher collected the trophy on behalf of the club, which worked alongside fan group LGBeeTs and community groups Middlesex Pride and West London Queer Project on a series of activations in 2025. Championship club QPR took the runners-up spot, with Brighton and Hove Albion in third.
Clapton Community FC claimed the Semi-Pro (Non-League) Game Award, sponsored by PGMO and presented by the reigning Football Black List LGBTQ Award winner, Jahmal Howlett-Mundle.
Clapton play in Division One South of the Eastern Counties Football League (Step 6), and were both FvH and FvT Champions in 2025, using their platform to advocate for inclusion. Dulwich Hamlet and York City were second and third respectively in this category.
Leftfooters FC took the Grassroots Game Award supported by Kick It Out, finishing in front of Mersey Marauders and Lincoln United LGBTQ FC.
In a stirring speech, Leftfooters manager Garry Brown emphasised the need for trans-inclusive football activism in the current climate and how the London club, founded back in 1999, would always be proud to live and breathe its values.
The Premier League’s sponsored category was the Community Trust or Foundation Award, and it was Sheffield United Community Foundation who took top honours for their outstanding education workshops and football sessions. Chesterfield FC Community Trust were in the silver-medal position, ahead of QPR in the Community Trust.
Bristol Football Casual League won the Women’s Game Award, sponsored by Sky Sports. The league was set up back in 2012 with LGBTQ inclusion at its core, and along with its member teams, was prominent in its support for trans players in the wake of the April 2025 Supreme Court ruling and subsequent FA-affiliated football bans. Solent Sports Women were runners-up, with South London’s League of Our Own taking third.
The highly coveted Supporters Group Award with Fans for Diversity went to Proud Forest, the LGBTQ fan group of Nottingham Forest, who in only its second full year, delivered an impactful ‘Proud at the Ground’ campaign, a successful inclusive tournament, and shifted wider club culture through representation on Forest’s Fan Advisory Board.
The category shortlist was expanded to five this year to recognise all the great work being done by fan groups. Ibrox Pride (Rangers FC’s LGBTQ fan group) were second, with Rainbow Owls (Sheffield Wednesday) third, and Proud Sky Blues (Coventry City) and QPR Rainbow Rangers both highly commended.
Also expanded this year was the shortlist of contenders for the prestigious FvH Hero Award. The winner was Natalie Washington, with the category’s judging panel recognising her ceaseless campaigning work on behalf of the trans community in football, alongside her public speaking and consultancy contributions.
Rainbow Owls founder and chair Chris Ledger was named runner-up, with Goal Diggers FC’s Becky Taylor-Gill – a galvanising figure in the fightback against the English FA’s trans ban – completing the FvH Hero podium. QPR Rainbow Rangers chair Richard Young and Leeds DIY Footy’s George Ellis, who helped to set up and run a series of inclusive football projects in West Yorkshire, were both highly commended.
The FvH Cymru Award went to Jaz Haines, founder of Cardiff’s first small-sided FLINTA football league. Kinmel Bay FC, who play in the fourth tier of Welsh men’s football, were second, with Cardiff Dragons FC and Her Game Too Training Centre goalkeeper coach Billy Radbourne third.
Ibrox Pride’s determination and resilience in a tough 2025 was rewarded with the FvH Scotland Award, ahead of two superb community queer football projects, Stenhousemuir Rainbow Warriors and Edinburgh’s Slay FC.
For the first time in FvH Awards history, all those shortlisted in the International Award category were in attendance on gala night.
Taking the Fare-sponsored trophy were Dublin club Bohemian FC, who combined groundbreaking LGBTQ football research across Ireland with workshops and activities. Romania’s Club Sportiv Ocazional were runners-up, and the Mexican footballer and activist Nicolas Pineda Salazar was third.
For more background on all the shortlisted entrants in each category, read our article here
The judging panel for the Football Media Award category selected Sports Media LGBT+ for first place due to its LGBTQ football coverage in a topsy-turvy 2025, with BBC Sport journalist Emma Smith in second, and Zack Leader – formerly of Lincolnshire FA, now with Grimsby Town, and a driving force at Lincoln United LGBTQ FC – taking third.
The two FvH Lifetime Achievement Award presentations to Joanie Evans and Aslie Pitter rounded off proceedings.
Joanie received her trophy from her old Hackney teammate Meryem Hassan, who shared powerful memories of their playing days together.
Joanie’s courage, confidence and ability marked her out as a dynamic force for change in LGBTQ-inclusive sport, which she developed further during her decade-long co-presidency of the Federation of Gay Games.
Stonewall FC’s first-team manager Eric Najib and club chair Alex Baker were on hand to honour Aslie with his award, flanked by present-day players summoned to the stage during an emotional tribute.
Guests also heard from Aslie’s former clubmates Colin Grant, Denis Hanslip, Jon Edwards and Pete ‘Dolly’ Shuttleworth, who sent in video messages of congratulations.
The FvH Month of Action continues throughout February, with the Football v Transphobia Week of Action in late March, providing more opportunities for clubs, leagues, fan groups etc to achieve their LGBTQ football targets.
The FvH Awards will return in 2027.
FULL LIST OF WINNERS
Professional Game Award, sponsored by EFL
Brentford; Queens Park Rangers; Brighton and Hove Albion
Semi-Pro (Non-League) Game Award, sponsored by PGMO
Clapton Community FC; Dulwich Hamlet FC; York City FC
Grassroots Game Award, with Kick It Out
Leftfooters FC; Mersey Marauders; Lincoln United LGBTQ FC
Community Trust or Foundation Award, sponsored by the Premier League
Sheffield United Community Foundation; Chesterfield FC Community Trust; QPR in the Community Trust
Women’s Game Award, sponsored by Sky Sports
Bristol Football Casual League; League of Our Own; Solent Sports Women
Supporters Group Award, with Fans for Diversity
Proud Forest; Ibrox Pride; Rainbow Owls; Proud Sky Blues and QPR Rainbow Rangers
FvH Hero Award
Natalie Washington; Chris Ledger; Becky Taylor-Gill; George Ellis and Richard Young
FvH Cymru Award
Jaz Haines; Kinmel Bay FC; Billy Radbourne
FvH Scotland Award
Ibrox Pride; Stenhousemuir Rainbow Warriors; Slay FC
International Award, sponsored by Fare
Bohemian FC (Ireland); Nicolas Pineda Salazar (Mexico); Club Sportiv Ocazional (Romania)
Football Media Award
Sports Media LGBT+; Emma Smith; Zack Leader
FvH Lifetime Achievement Awards
Joanie Evans and Aslie Pitter
READ ABOUT THE SHORTLISTED ENTRIES AND SEE THE FULL FvH AWARDS ROLL OF HONOUR HERE
Special thanks to the event’s sponsors and supporters – the Premier League, the EFL, Sky Sports, Fare, PGMO, Fans for Diversity via the Football Supporters’ Association, and Kick It Out.
Do you have a working role in football and want to contribute towards making the game more inclusive? Check out the LGBTQ+ Professionals in Football Collective – a network group supported by FvH, Kick It Out, Women in Football, Sports Media LGBT+ and others. Email hello@lgbtqfootball.com to learn more!
Sports Media LGBT+ is a network, advocacy, and consultancy group that is helping to build a community of LGBTQ+ people and allies in sport. We’re also a digital publisher. Learn more about us here.
We’re interested in your news and stories. Share with us and tap into a worldwide audience through our Google News affiliate website and our popular social channels with over 25,000 followers. Contact us to discuss how we can help you.
