On 30th October 2023, Variety, the Children’s Charity, will host the highly-anticipated Variety Club Disability Sports Awards – the UK’s only annual disability sports awards – at the Queen’s Hotel, Leeds. Tickets and table bookings are now available to the public.
The inaugural Variety Club Disability Sports Awards recognises and celebrates the outstanding achievements of UK athletes with disabilities across a range of sports. Awards will be up for grabs in nine prestigious Awards categories, in addition to a tenth special achievement award presented by Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson.
The Awards evening will be hosted by comedian and disability advocate Adam Hills MBE, and Chief Executive Officer of GB Snowsport and Chair of British Surfing, Vicky Gosling OBE. There will also be special performances from comedians Rosie Jones and Katerina Vrana.
Event partners include Channel 4, British Paralympics Association, England Cricket Board, England Golf, Leeds United, Leeds Rhinos, British Rowing, GB Wheelchair Rugby, Motorsport UK, and more.
Tickets and table bookings for the event are also available to the public, and can be purchased via the Variety website here.
With awards categories across different ages, levels, roles, locations, and sports, the highly anticipated event aims to make the sporting world a more diverse and inclusive place. Awards will be presented in the following nine awards categories*.
- Accessible Sporting Venue Award
- Rising Star Award
- Innovation Award
- Champion for Change Award
- Community and Clubs Award
- Leeds Local Legend Award
- Unsung Hero Award
- Outstanding Team Achievement Award
- Sports Icon Award
All entries will be judged by Variety’s expert nominations committee, which includes representation from eight disability-centred sports federations, Vicky Gosling – CEO of GB Snowsport and a key player in the launch and growth of the Invictus Games – and special support from ParalympicsGB.
Shortlisted nominations for each category will be announced in late September, and the official winners will be announced at the Awards event on 30th October.
In addition to the above, Britain’s best-known Paralympian, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, will be presenting a tenth Special Achievement Award on the night.
Variety, the Children’s Charity provides practical support to disabled and disadvantaged children through providing wheelchairs, specialist equipment, their fully accessible Sunshine Coaches to SEND schools, and experiences on their Great Days Out.
Tushar Prabhu, Variety Trustee and Awards organiser, said, “We are incredibly excited to welcome people to the Variety Club Disability Sports Awards in October. While there has been great progress made by sport and disability in recent years, we have still not reached a place of equity in the sporting world. At Variety, we believe that everyone should have the chance to succeed, and these awards aim not only to celebrate inclusivity in sports, but to give athletes with disabilities the recognition they deserve.”
Adam Hills MBE says: “I am so happy to say I will be hosting the Awards in October. I am passionate about making the sporting world an inclusive place for everyone, and these awards are very important for recognising the achievements of people with disabilities. It’s fantastic to see such a step forward towards inclusivity.”
Channel 4 Head of Sport Pete Andrews said, “We are thrilled to be partnering with Variety to support the Inclusive Sports Awards. As the Paralympic Broadcaster, Channel 4 are used to celebrating the medal-winning exploits of ParalympicsGB elite athletes, but this is a fantastic opportunity to shine a light on the achievements of all disabled sports people at every level, across the UK.”
Head of Disability Cricket, England & Wales Cricket Board, Ian Martin, said, “We are delighted to be supporting the Variety Club Disability Sports Awards as we recognise the significant contribution that the disabled community make to our sport. We are committed to making cricket a game for everyone.”
Jessica Runicles, Head of Sustainability, Motorsport UK, said, “It is important for the work done by members of the disabled motorsport community to be celebrated. Ambassadors such as Nathalie McGloin and Nicolas Hamilton, and car clubs such as Loughborough, have shown that sustained success is possible on track, but have also allowed the disabled community to access – and subsequently enjoy – motorsport. Recognising those efforts via the Variety Awards will not only showcase their pioneering efforts but also inspire others to follow the opportunities they have created.”
To find out more about the Variety Club Disability Sports Awards, visit www.variety.org.uk/event/disability-sports-awards-2023/
To find out more about Variety, the Children’s Charity, visit www.variety.org.uk/
