2026 LGBTQ Sports Hall of Fame Induction Gala Thursday, June 25

NEW YORK - June 25, 2026 - PRLog -- The LGBTQ Sports Hall of Fame Induction Gala at will be held Thursday, June 25 at Sony Hall in New York City.  This year's class recognizes trailblazers who have made significant contributions to sports, advocacy, and inclusion. This year's honorees have demonstrated unwavering commitment to equity, representation, and leadership in athletics. Inductees will be:

• Maybelle Blair
• Nikki Hiltz
• Bill Kennedy
• Phaidra Knight
• Anthony Nicodemo
• Ryan O'Callaghan
• Robin Roberts
• Rick Welts
• Sue Wicks
• Dan Woog

The LGBTQ Sports Hall of Fame will also hold a special tribute honoring Jason Collins. Collins will receive the Glenn Burke Award for Advocacy and Activism. (Burke was the first Major League Baseball player to come out as gay after his playing career.) The award celebrates individuals whose courage and authenticity transformed the sports landscape. Collins embodied Burke's legacy by breaking barriers, fostering inclusion, and inspiring future generations to live openly and proudly. Collins exemplified these values as the first active NBA player to come out publicly.

Crave, Canada's largest homegrown streamer, will be honored with the LGBTQ Sports Hall of Fame Trailblazer Award. The Trailblazer Award recognizes organizations that have set a powerful example in the world of sports by advancing visibility, inclusion, and cultural change through bold leadership and storytelling. Crave is being recognized for its groundbreaking original programming that elevates LGBTQ+ voices in sport and reshapes how queer athletes and communities are represented on screen.

Crave's original series Heated Rivalry and its upcoming comedy SLO Pitch exemplify the platform's commitment to authentic, joyful, and unapologetic LGBTQ+ sports storytelling. Through these productions, Crave has helped expand representation, challenge stereotypes, and foster broader cultural inclusion of LGBTQ+ people in athletic spaces.

Background on the event

The LGBTQ Sports Hall of Fame honors athletes, coaches, executives, and advocates who have made an enduring impact on the sports world through leadership, visibility, and commitment to inclusion.

For more information on the LGBTQ Sports Hall of Fame inductees, NYC celebration event – including ticketing and sponsorship opportunities contact HOF Committee Chair, Scott Bova at scott@sportsequalityfoundation.org.

About the LGBTQ Sports Hall of Fame

Originally founded in 2013 as the National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame, this institution honors LGBTQ athletes, coaches, advocates, and organizations whose efforts have meaningfully shaped the sporting world. By 2015, 61 individuals had been recognized, spanning a period of groundbreaking visibility and inclusion. In 2025, the Sports Equality Foundation relaunched the Hall of Fame to strengthen its mission: celebrating diversity, promoting inclusion, and inspiring future generations through stories of courage, perseverance, and achievement in sport.