8 October 2026<\/time>\n <\/p>\nOrville Peck called for men to “do a lot better” as he picked up the Man of the Year award at the Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards 2026 on Wednesday (07.10.26).<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Orville Peck at the Attitude Awards<\/p>\n
The country singer performed The Breeze, The Grass, The Mourning Dove and Me at the event, which took place at The Roundhouse in London, before he was presented with his prize by Drag Race Down Under vs The World winner Michael Marouli.<\/p>\n
Orville said in his speech: \u201cThank you so much for this award. It is always a humbling and lovely feeling to be recognised.<\/p>\n
\u201cMan of the Year\u2026 feels like an interesting title to receive. I will say it feels a bit conflicting to be celebrating any man these days, as we seem to be the cause of so many terrible things in the world right now.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\u201cI think a lot about my role as a cis white man and the privilege that brings me and more so \u2013 the responsibility that ought to carry all like me, in our community.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cLiving in a time when trans rights are used for political scapegoating, people of colour are being vilified and deported, young women are being sexually assaulted on college campuses with no recourse and genocides are being casually watched from our phones \u2013 I believe men could be doing a lot better.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI will take this award with gratitude but I want to say to all the men in this room \u2013 we have been born with a social silver spoon \u2013 look around at what you could be doing better.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cBe of service and be an example to others. God knows I\u2019m not always one \u2013 but I do strive to be a better one each day. Thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nElsewhere at the ceremony, the Pet Shop Boys were presented with the Legend Award by Sir Ian McKellen.<\/p>\n
\nIntroducing the musical duo to the stage, the Lord of the Rings actor – who appeared in the group’s music video for Heart – said: \u201cA couple. A man and a woman? No. Two women? No. Two men\u2026 no! These legends are two boys? YES.<\/p>\n
\n\u201c1988 \u2013 the best year of my life \u2013 that\u2019s the year I stopped hiding and came out. It\u2019s also the year I met the two boys in question. My agent called: do you fancy being in a music video?\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI wasn\u2019t sure what a pet shop was, but I knew about boys, so I said yes. And that\u2019s how I met Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant \u2013 recipients of this year\u2019s Legend Award, supported by Virgin Atlantic.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cLater that year, they appeared in a show I was involved in organising with other gay activists to raise money to finance Stonewall, which had just been founded to fight against the notorious Section 28. Before the Act \u2013 I think it was the first time they had ever performed live in public.”<\/p>\n
\nAccepting their award, the Pet Shop Boys thanked \u201cthe whole queer, trans and LGBTQ+ community\u201d for the support they have shown over the \u201cpast 40-plus years\u201d.<\/p>\n
\nNeil added: \u201cYour lives are our lives, and that\u2019s something we try to express in our songs. Thank you for the inspiration. We are all legends. And of course, we\u2019d like to thank all our musical and creative collaborators. Ian was one of them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nOther winners included Icon Award recipient Donatella Versace, David Furnish, who took the Gamechanger Award for his work as chair of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, while Jordan Stephens picked up the Ally Award, Sugababes – who closed off the night with a selection of their hits – won the Music Award, the Television Award went to Tip Toe, and Michael Johnston’s role in Obsession saw him scoop the Film Award.<\/p>\n
\nThe full list of winners at the Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards 2026, in partnership with M+S and electrified by Polestar:<\/p>\n
\nThe Icon Award:<\/p>\n
\nDonatella Versace \u2013 presented by Ncuti Gatwa and Natasha Poly<\/p>\n
\nThe Gamechanger Award, supported by M+S:<\/p>\n
\nDavid Furnish<\/p>\n
\nThe Film Award:<\/p>\n
\nObsession star Michael Johnston<\/p>\n
\nThe Comedy Award:<\/p>\n
\nSuzi Ruffell<\/p>\n
\nThe Ally Award, supported by Polestar:<\/p>\n
\nJordan Stephens<\/p>\n
\nThe Culture Award:<\/p>\n
\nJuno Dawson<\/p>\n
\nThe Music Award, supported by M+S:<\/p>\n
\nSugababes<\/p>\n
\nThe Inspiration Award:<\/p>\n
\nThe Dru Project<\/p>\n
\nThe Honorary Gay Award, supported by Polestar:<\/p>\n
\nAlison Hammond<\/p>\n
\nThe Legend Award, supported by Virgin Atlantic:<\/p>\n
\nPet Shop Boys<\/p>\n
\nThe Television Award:<\/p>\n
\nTip Toe<\/p>\n
\nThe Man of the Year Award, supported by Virgin Atlantic:<\/p>\n
\nOrville Peck<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
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