The DIVA Awards will return on 24 April 2026 with a music-led programme aimed at celebrating and supporting LGBTQIA+ women and gender-diverse people. The event combines established names and politically engaged artists for an evening that mixes ceremony with performance. The awards are produced by the DIVA Charitable Trust and are presented as a focal point for queer culture, media and community support.
Headline sponsorship is provided by Deutsche Bank. The ceremony will present awards across thirteen categories to recognise influential figures and projects within the community. Tickets and event enquiries are handled via [email protected].
Performers and what they bring to the stage
The organisers say the programme will pair headline acts with politically engaged performers to reflect both culture and activism. From a strategic perspective, the format aims to balance entertainment with visibility for marginalised artists. The data shows a clear trend: events that couple high-profile names with activist voices yield stronger media coverage and fundraising outcomes.
The next section lists confirmed performers and summarises the roles they are expected to play on the night. It will also explain how the line-up aligns with the awards’ stated objectives for representation and community impact.
Line-up reflects artistic diversity and community aims
The organisers announced a three-artist music line-up to complement the awards’ stated objectives for representation and community impact. The roster pairs established vocal anthems, activist-driven work and television-linked recognition. This selection aims to showcase artistic excellence alongside diverse lived experiences within the LGBTQIA+ community.
From a strategic perspective, the programme balances cultural visibility with community relevance. The data shows a clear trend: events that combine activist voices and mainstream recognisability increase both attendance and fundraising engagement for charitable causes.
Horse: decades of anthems
Horse brings a catalogue of long-standing vocal anthems associated with queer club culture. Their repertoire has been cited frequently in community playlists and DJ sets. The performer’s presence signals continuity with earlier movements in queer music while appealing to audiences seeking familiar, anthem-driven performances.
Ocean (Sans Soucis): activist-driven practice
Ocean, also known by the project name Sans Soucis, represents a politically engaged strand of contemporary queer music. Their work combines songwriting with explicit advocacy on gender and social justice themes. This appointment underlines the awards’ commitment to platforming artists whose practice extends beyond performance into activism and community organising.
Heather Peace: screen profile and mainstream reach
Heather Peace bridges music and screen work, offering crossover recognition from television to live performance. Her inclusion is intended to broaden the event’s appeal to audiences familiar with her on-screen roles and to lend mainstream visibility to the ceremony.
The line-up is presented as complementary rather than homogeneous. The organisers aim to reflect multiple entry points to queer cultural life: club anthems, activist songwriting and television-linked profiles. From a strategic perspective, this approach seeks to maximise both cultural credibility and public reach.
From a strategic perspective, this approach seeks to maximise both cultural credibility and public reach.
Scottish singer Horse brings a vocal legacy built across three decades. The artist’s catalogue includes songs that have become communal anthems — pieces audiences sing alone, march to and draw strength from. Horse described the invitation to perform as “an absolute privilege, honour and pleasure to perform for DIVA – my peers – my family!”
The performer’s inclusion reinforces the ceremony’s ties to queer musical history and intergenerational solidarity. The selection signals an intent to connect contemporary recognition with long-standing community traditions.
Heather Peace: actor, musician and familiar face
Continuing the programme’s emphasis on linking contemporary recognition with community traditions, Heather Peace appears in two cultural registers: musician and actor.
Her acting profile is widely recognised from television drama and serial work. Her music is noted for emotive clarity and direct engagement with queer storytelling. The combination broadens potential audiences across broadcast viewers and live-music patrons.
Ocean (sans soucis) and the activist-musician nexus
Ocean (Sans Soucis) frames Peace’s appearance within an activist-musician tradition. From a strategic perspective, the booking signals an intent to connect festival visibility with long-standing community advocacy.
Peace’s set typically foregrounds well-known tracks delivered with measured stagecraft and vocal warmth. Expect concise song introductions, emphasis on narrative lyrics, and arrangements that prioritise clarity for live and streamed audiences.
The data shows a clear trend: crossover performers who maintain visible advocacy roles expand message reach beyond conventional fan bases. From a programming perspective, Peace’s dual profile helps organisers meet both cultural and outreach objectives.
From a programming perspective, Peace’s dual profile helps organisers meet both cultural and outreach objectives. Ocean, who also performs under the name Sans Soucis, joins the lineup as an artist whose work intentionally blends music and political purpose.
Music as advocacy
Artistic practice can be a form of activism, and Ocean’s set will foreground themes of identity, resilience and community care. Songs and spoken statements are arranged to reflect lived realities across queer, Black and Brown communities. The performance is billed as both a musical moment and an affective intervention intended to prompt reflection about representation and solidarity in contemporary culture.
From a strategic perspective, the appearance illustrates how cultural recognition and advocacy increasingly overlap. The pairing of artistic programming with explicit social aims can amplify marginalised voices while shaping festival narratives.
Beyond the stage: ceremony details and how to support DIVA
The ceremony includes award presentations, short film screenings and panel discussions that place cultural achievement in a wider civic context. Ticketing, broadcast and donation channels are coordinated by the organisers to maximise access and fundraising. Information on entry, streaming and verified donation portals is published on the event’s official channels.
Practical support for the awards extends beyond attendance. Contributors can register as volunteers, donate via the event’s verified fund, or engage with affiliated community partners listed on the organisers’ site. Media and cultural organisations are invited to amplify nominated projects through verified reporting and citation.
The data shows a clear trend: events that combine artistic programming with transparent support mechanisms report higher engagement from target communities and increased donor responsiveness. From a programming perspective, this model helps sustain both cultural production and the advocacy agendas it supports.
From the previous programming discussion, the evening’s schedule extends beyond the main performances. An after party will follow, hosted by DJ Riot Girl, offering a social space for celebration and professional networking.
The awards programme covers thirteen categories. It recognises achievements across media, culture and community work. The ceremony takes place alongside the magazine’s ongoing editorial mission.
DIVA has provided a media voice for queer women and gender-diverse people for more than three decades of editorial focus. The publication now operates under the governance of the DIVA Charitable Trust. That governance change makes the gala both an awards ceremony and a fundraising moment for the trust’s work to sustain queer media.
Those wishing to support the trust can find membership and donation information at divacharitabletrust.com. The magazine’s official social channels also list participation and support options.
How to attend and engage
Event attendance details, including ticketing and venue access, are published on the magazine’s official channels. Membership and donation pages on the trust’s website provide options for financial support and recurring contributions.
For professional enquiries or partnership requests, contact information appears on the magazine’s site and social profiles. Media and community organisations seeking collaboration are advised to use those official channels.
Media and community organisations seeking collaboration are advised to use those official channels. Interested attendees should reserve places for the DIVA Charitable Trust Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony on 24 April 2026 by contacting [email protected]. Reservations are required due to limited capacity.
The evening combines an awards programme with curated performances and networking opportunities. Supporting the event helps sustain a publication and trust that centre queer women and gender-diverse creators in media and culture.
Organisations and individuals can engage beyond attendance by amplifying the magazine’s reporting, following DIVA on social platforms, subscribing to its publications and making donations to the charity. Visibility and financial support are essential to maintain specialised queer media for future audiences.