Northern Pride are delighted that their Pride in the City 2024 festival is up for a prestigious award, which will be the first of its kind in a shake-up to the North East England Tourism Awards.
For the first time in the history of the North East England Tourism Awards, Destination North East, the team behind the awards, are giving the public the opportunity to decide the winner of one of three new categories including the Tourism Festival and Events category, which was introduced for the 2024-25 awards cycle.
Finalists in the three new categories, designed to shine a light on the tourism industry’s amazing volunteers, up-and-coming new talent and the unforgettable events and festivals that have delighted audiences over the past 12 months have been revealed ahead of the glitzy final in March.
The new categories – Volunteer of the Year, Tourism & Hospitality Rising Star and Event or Festival of the Year – were introduced following feedback from the region’s visitor economy to ensure even more of the area’s tourism industry could be showcased at the annual awards ceremony in Spring 2025.
Rigorous judging has been taking place since entries closed in December 2024 with finalists from across the region eagerly awaiting the results.
Designed to champion those dedicated volunteers who keep our visitor economy ticking, the Volunteer of the Year category was open to those volunteering within the tourism and hospitality sector. Celebrating those new to the industry, whether they are fresh out of training or exploring a new career, The Rising Star Award will shine a light on the most exciting new talent in the visitor economy, from amazing apprentices to superstar trainee managers to those making a real impact on their business or organisation. The Tourism Festival or Event category is for all of the unforgettable live events and festivals that light up the region and entertain visitors and locals alike.
After the huge success of 2024’s Pride in the City campaign, Northern Pride are thrilled to be announced as a finalist, alongside, Durham Fire & Ice, Kynren, and Northumberland County Show.
Ste Dunn, Director of Northern Pride said, “We’re deeply honoured to be nominated for this prestigious award, and it’s a reflection of the incredible support we’ve received from both our festivalgoers and the local community. Over 80,000 people attended last year, and our festival created a £4 million impact on the local economy, making a meaningful difference in so many ways. Most importantly, we’ve worked hard to create a space where the LGBTQIA+ community came together, celebrate, and feel seen. We now turn to our supporters to help us win this award, every vote matters, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone who supports our bid to win.”
Chair of Destination North East England John Marshall said, “We are delighted to be able to showcase even more of our tourism and hospitality superstars with these new local categories, designed especially for North East England. From showstopping events to brand-new tourism talent and the army of volunteers who delight visitors throughout the year, these new categories are truly reflective of our varied and diverse visitor economy.
“Best of luck to our finalists – it’s going to be an unforgettable night in March as we announce the winners!"
Ste added, “We need your help to win this award, and it’s easier than ever to show your support! The public vote opens on Wednesday, January 22nd at 10 am, and we’ll have three weeks to rally together and make a difference. The voting period will close on Wednesday, February 12th at 5 pm, and your vote will directly decide the winner in this category. This is our chance to showcase the incredible impact our festival has had on the LGBTQIA+ community and our commitment to being “unapologetically visible”, let’s make sure our festival gets the recognition it truly deserves!”
“A huge thank you to everyone that made the festival possible, our team of volunteers, the creatives, artists and performers, our sponsors and partners, and of course the queer community for supporting our first ever city-wide takeover in 2024!”
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