The Independent is pleased to announce the shortlist for the British LGBT Awards 2017.

The awards celebrate community activists, public figures and straight allies who work to advance the rights of LGBT communities. The Independent is the British LGBT Awards Media Partner for 2017.

The Independent is official media partner for the British LGBT Awards 2017

Top 10 LGBT+ celebrities include Laverne Cox, a transgender activist and actress who came to prominence on Netflix series Orange Is The New Black, and Kate McKinnon, impersonator and comedian, who shot to fame on Saturday Night Live after her portrayal of Hillary Clinton during the 2016 US presidential race.

Top 10 media moments include the inclusion of a lesbian kiss in the BBC's broadcast of A Midsummer Night's Dream, as well as the moment the cast of Broadway musical Hamilton took to the stage to address Vice President Mike Pence in the audience and implore him to respect minority rights.

British LGBT Awards founder Sarah Garrett MBE said: “The 2017 NatWest British LGBT Awards shortlist features inspirational people who have and continue to use their platform to promote and enhance LGBT rights all over the world.

“All nominees are absolutely deserving of their place on the shortlist but it is now down to the public to choose their winners ahead of the ceremony which is set to be the biggest yet when it takes place in London on 12 May.”

Top 10 media moments

Black Mirror's San Junipero Episode

Broadway Musical Hamilton Delivers Message To Vice President Pence

Cyndi Lauper Rewrites Kinky Boots In Support Of Trans Rights

Gaycation, A Worldwide LGBT+ Cultural Journey, Airs On Viceland

India Willoughby Features On Loose Women Panel

News Coverage Of Worldwide Orlando Vigils

Rio Olympics Features Most LGBT+ Athletes Ever

Russell T Davies Introduces A Lesbian Kiss To The BBC's A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Rylan And His Husband Dan Present This Morning On ITV

Supergirl's Sister Alex Danvers Comes Out As A Lesbian

Adidas Top 10 LGBT+ Celebrities

Olly Alexander

Laverne Cox

Cara Delevingne

Lady Gaga

Lauren Jauregui

Dustin Lance Black

Kate McKinnon

Ellen Page

RuPaul

Russell Tovey

Mhairi Black says the government can always find money for a war in Syria so why don't women's pensions (Getty Images)

Top 10 LGBT+ Celebrity Rising Stars

Saara Aalto

Munroe Bergdorf

Shannon Beveridge

Mhairi Black MP

Dino Fetscher

Stephanie Hirst

Matt Lister

Calum Scott

George Shelley

Annie Wallace

Crowd of people hold LGBT dance party outside Mike Pence's house

JK Rowling was a prominent and proactive ally in 2016 (Getty)

Virgin Holidays Top 10 Celebrity Straight Allies

James Corden

Ariana Grande

Anne Hathaway

Thierry Henry

Annie Lennox

Macklemore

Prince William

J.K. Rowling

Patrick Stewart

Emma Watson

Barcelona has been shortlisted in the Destinations category (Oh Barcelona/Flickr)

Signature Living Top 10 Best Destinations

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Barcelona, Spain

Miami, Florida

New York, New York

Palm Springs, California

Richmond, Virginia

San Francisco, California

Stockholm, Sweden

Sao Paulo, Brazil

Vancouver, Canada

GMB Top 10 Charities or Community Initiatives

401 Challenge/Foundation

Albert Kennedy Trust

Diversity Role Models

GIRES (Gender Identity Research and Education Society)

Happy Hippy Foundation

Kick It Out (LGBT)

Mermaids

R U Coming Out?

Stonewall

Thrive NE

LGBT+ rights around the globe Show all 9 1 /9 LGBT+ rights around the globe LGBT+ rights around the globe Russia Russia’s antipathy towards homosexuality has been well established following the efforts of human rights campaigners. However, while it is legal to be homosexual, LGBT couples are offered no protections from discrimination. They are also actively discriminated against by a 2013 law criminalising LGBT “propaganda” allowing the arrest of numerous Russian LGBT activists. AFP/Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Brunei Brunei recently introduced a law to make sodomy punishable by stoning to death. It was already illegal and punishable by up to 10 years in prison AFP/Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Mauritania Men who are found having sex with other men face stoning, while lesbians can be imprisoned, under Sharia law. However, the state has reportedly not executed anyone for this ‘crime’ since 1987 Alamy LGBT+ rights around the globe Sudan Both male and female same-sex sexual activity is illegal under Sudanese law. Men can be executed on their third offence, women on their fourth Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Saudi Arabia Homosexuality and gender realignment is illegal and punishable by death, imprisonment, whipping and chemical castration Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Yemen The official position within the country is that there are no gays. LGBT inviduals, if discovered by the government, are likely to face intense pressure. Punishments range from flogging to the death penalty Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Nigeria Both male and female same-sex sexual activity is illegal and in some northern states punishable with death by stoning. This is not a policy enacted across the entire country, although there is a prevalent anti-LGBT agenda pushed by the government. In 2007 a Pew survey established that 97% of the population felt that homosexuality should not be accepted. It is punishable by 14 years in prison Reuters LGBT+ rights around the globe Somalia Homosexuality was established as a crime in 1888 and under new Somali Penal Code established in 1973 homosexual sex can be punishable by three years in prison. A person can be put to death for being a homosexual Reuters LGBT+ rights around the globe Iraq Although same-sex relationships have been decriminalised, much of the population still suffer from intense discrimination. Additionally, in some of the country over-run by the extremist organisation Isis, LGBT individuals can face death by stoning Getty

Sure Perkins’ role on GBBO catapulted her popularity sky-high last year (Getty Images) (Getty)

Top 10 Broadcasters or Journalists

Clare Balding

Rylan Clark-Neal

Jane Hill

Owen Jones

Rachel Maddow

Graham Norton

Paul O'Grady

Tyler Oakley

Sue Perkins

Adele Roberts

Adele is one of this year’s nominated music artists (Getty Images)

Viacom Top 10 Music Artists

Adele

Elton John

Miley Cyrus

Fifth Harmony

Kele Okereke

Madonna

Katy Perry

Troye Sivan

Tegan and Sara

Years & Years

Adidas’s Valentine's Day Instagram post from last year supported the brand’s entry into Campaigns shortlist (Adidas)

Top 10 Brands or Marketing Campaigns

Adidas Pride Pack campaign

BBC's Christmas advert campaign

Dove

Economist

H & M

Lloyds Bank’s #HeSaidYes campaign

Netflix’s LGBT+ Programming

Sainsbury's

Skittles

Virgin Holidays

Activist Fox Fisher has been nominated for an Outstanding Contribution award

Top 10 Outstanding Contributions to LGBT+ Life

Peter Bull, Above the Stag theatre

Cat Burton, trans British Airways pilot

Alex Ferguson, Herts 1125 campaigner

Fox Fisher, trans activist

Father Andrew Foreshew-Cain, LGBT+ campaigner

Jack Lewis and Ben Hunte (Our Swirl Life), YouTube vloggers

Greg Owen, co-founder of iwantPrEPnow.co.uk

Jay Stewart, founder of Gendered Intelligence

Chardine Taylor-Stone, founder of Stop Rainbow Racism

Jen Yockney MBE, bisexual campaigner

LGBT traffic lights

Top 10 LGBT+ Corporate Rising Stars

David Bufton, Linklaters LLP

Rafael Campos Valdez, TSB

Carl Clarke, Vodafone

Gary Coetzee, Lendlease Group

Craig Dillon, Sky

Becki Gibson, ASDA

Esther McDermott, Dentons

Christina Riley, Balfour Beatty

Nina Smith, Channel 4

Warrant Officer Class 2 Karen Styles, Army

Karin Cook was shortlisted for her work at Lloyds

Top 10 Corporate Straight Allies

Simon Allcock, Riverside

Tamara Box, Reed Smith

Louise Bradley, Oliver Wyman

David Bryan, Cheshire Police

Karin Cook, Lloyds Banking

Martin Egan, BNP Paribas

Jan-Coos Geesink, Thomson Reuters

Benny Higgins, Tesco Bank

Diana Holland OBE, Unite the Union

Mike Roemer, Barclays

Societe Generale Top 10 Diversity Champions

Catherine Hennigan, Goldman Sachs

Vinay Kapoor, BNP Paribas

Angela Kay, Bupa

Miles Lanham, Genesis Housing Association

Samantha Jayne Nelson, Marsh UK

David Pearson, KPMG

Daisy Reeves, B.L.P. Law

Isobel Sheldon, Johnson Matthey Battery Systems

Chris Wood, Royal Navy

Martin York, Fujitsu

Barclays Top 10 Employers or Companies

Aon

Bloomberg

Cisco

EDF

HSBC

IBM

J.P. Morgan

Manchester Airport Group

Pinsent Masons

PwC

Reed Smith Top 10 LGBT+ Inspirational Leaders

Jo Rzymowska, Celebrity Cruises UK

Rob Davey, Clarivate Analytics

Nick Crofts, Co-op Group

Pips Bunce, Credit Suisse

Sue Baines, Barclays

Ken Janssens, J.P. Morgan

Jude Satchell-Foley, Atos

Misa von Tunzelman, JLL

Jonathan McClelland, M&G Investments

Daniel Gerring, Travers Smith

Network Rail has asked a director mentoring consultancy to review the effectiveness of its board every year as it struggles with spiralling costs (PA)

Top 10 LGBT+ Network Groups

Archway the LGBT network, Network Rail

Celebrate LGBT, Action for Children

Walt Disney Company LGBT+ Network, The Walt Disney Company Limited

Pride UKI, Cisco

ITV Pride, ITV

Égalité UK, Publicis Groupe

Unity - EY's LGBTA Network, EY

Norton Rose Fulbright Pride network, Norton Rose Fulbright

RoyaLGBT & Friends, King Digital Entertainment

RBS Rainbow Network, RBS