Jun 1, 2026 · 1 hr 2 min · 22 segments
Elton John has spent decades advocating for LGBTQ+ equality. Now fellow legends - Jonathan Bailey, Laverne Cox, Melissa Etheridge, Billie Jean King, Orville Peck, and Chappell Roan – are honored in…
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Billy PorterHost
Elvis DuranHostMelissa EtheridgeGuest
Orville PeckGuestLaverne CoxGuestChappell RoanGuest
Jonathan BaileyGuest
Elton JohnGuest
Billie Jean KingGuest
Brent MillerGuest
David FurnishGuest
We've got Billie Jean King, whose electrifying defiance changed everything for LGBTQ+ people and women athletes.
It's how we impact other people's lives, how we contribute to them that matters.
We've got Melissa Etheridge, whose soul-baring anthems made gay musicians mainstream.
And Laverne Cox, a true original whose visibility forever changed the way trans people are depicted on screen.
Chappell Roan, whose out-and-proud glitter-coated hits have taken over the world.
There are small things every day that you can do to protect the queer community, and protecting love is what will keep you sane in such uncertain times.
Jonathan Bailey, a masterclass of depth and authenticity, who channels his stardom into service.
And Orville Peck, who's making space for queer longing and desire in country music.
Welcome to the Elton John Impact Awards, presented by iHeartRadio and P&G, in partnership with the Elton John AIDS Foundation and Brandi Carlile's Looking Out Foundation.
These awards are all about recognizing those who cleared the path for us and the ones who are lighting the way for future generations.
It seems that every time we take 10 steps forward, we slip two steps back or [laughs] a lot more than that.
And I know because I'm a first-generation post-Civil Rights baby, and I came out in 1985, and we went straight to the front lines to fight for our queer lives during the AIDS crisis.
But the real truth is we are the change that we wanna see, and the mission continues.
We've got Billie Jean King, whose electrifying defiance changed everything for LGBTQ+ people and women athletes.
It's how we impact other people's lives, how we contribute to them that matters.
We've got Melissa Etheridge, whose soul-baring anthems made gay musicians mainstream.
And Laverne Cox, a true original whose visibility forever changed the way trans people are depicted on screen.
Chappell Roan, whose out-and-proud glitter-coated hits have taken over the world.
There are small things every day that you can do to protect the queer community, and protecting love is what will keep you sane in such uncertain times.
Jonathan Bailey, a masterclass of depth and authenticity, who channels his stardom into service.
And Orville Peck, who's making space for queer longing and desire in country music.
Welcome to the Elton John Impact Awards, presented by iHeartRadio and P&G, in partnership with the Elton John AIDS Foundation and Brandi Carlile's Looking Out Foundation.
These awards are all about recognizing those who cleared the path for us and the ones who are lighting the way for future generations.
It seems that every time we take 10 steps forward, we slip two steps back or [laughs] a lot more than that.
And I know because I'm a first-generation post-Civil Rights baby, and I came out in 1985, and we went straight to the front lines to fight for our queer lives during the AIDS crisis.
But the real truth is we are the change that we wanna see, and the mission continues.
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