Country star Orville 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).
Orville 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).
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.
Orville said in his speech: “Thank you so much for this award. It is always a humbling and lovely feeling to be recognised.
“Man of the Year… 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.
“I think a lot about my role as a cis white man and the privilege that brings me and more so – the responsibility that ought to carry all like me, in our community.
“Living 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 – I believe men could be doing a lot better.
“I will take this award with gratitude but I want to say to all the men in this room – we have been born with a social silver spoon – look around at what you could be doing better.
“Be of service and be an example to others. God knows I’m not always one – but I do strive to be a better one each day. Thank you.”
Elsewhere at the ceremony, the Pet Shop Boys were presented with the Legend Award by Sir Ian McKellen.
Introducing the musical duo to the stage, the Lord of the Rings actor – who appeared in the group’s music video for Heart – said: “A couple. A man and a woman? No. Two women? No. Two men… no! These legends are two boys? YES.
“1988 – the best year of my life – that’s the year I stopped hiding and came out. It’s also the year I met the two boys in question. My agent called: do you fancy being in a music video?”
“I wasn’t sure what a pet shop was, but I knew about boys, so I said yes. And that’s how I met Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant – recipients of this year’s Legend Award, supported by Virgin Atlantic.
“Later 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 – I think it was the first time they had ever performed live in public.”
Accepting their award, the Pet Shop Boys thanked “the whole queer, trans and LGBTQ+ community” for the support they have shown over the “past 40-plus years”.
Neil added: “Your lives are our lives, and that’s something we try to express in our songs. Thank you for the inspiration. We are all legends. And of course, we’d like to thank all our musical and creative collaborators. Ian was one of them.”
Other 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.
The full list of winners at the Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards 2026, in partnership with M+S and electrified by Polestar:
The Icon Award:
Donatella Versace – presented by Ncuti Gatwa and Natasha Poly
The Gamechanger Award, supported by M+S:
David Furnish
The Film Award:
Obsession star Michael Johnston
The Comedy Award:
Suzi Ruffell
The Ally Award, supported by Polestar:
Jordan Stephens
The Culture Award:
Juno Dawson
The Music Award, supported by M+S:
Sugababes
The Inspiration Award:
The Dru Project
The Honorary Gay Award, supported by Polestar:
Alison Hammond
The Legend Award, supported by Virgin Atlantic:
Pet Shop Boys
The Television Award:
Tip Toe
The Man of the Year Award, supported by Virgin Atlantic:
Orville Peck
Attitude’s Man of the Year Orville Peck calls for men need to ‘do a lot better’
