“I’ve really enjoyed working with Scoop, the whole team are so friendly, approachable and knowledgeable. Nothing seems to be too much trouble. the team have helped us with every request we have had all while showing extreme patience. We have been very happy with our relationship across all facets including local press, national press and organising events. Overall a very positive experience with a cool bunch of people.”
Louder Every Year: Turning Up the Volume on LGBTQ+ Celebration with Gaydio Awards
- Client: Gaydio Pride Awards
- Communications, Influencers, Launch Campaign, Live Event
- Date:
In 2023, Gaydio, the UK’s biggest LGBTQ+ radio station, launched their very own Pride Awards: a brand-new awards ceremony celebrating LGBTQ+ lives across the UK, from grassroots heroes to high-profile icons of the community. And they wanted the whole country to hear about it.
Scoop’s mission? To take the Gaydio Pride Awards from a brand new ceremony to the must-attend LGBTQ+ event of the year – building buzz, media presence, and national recognition year after year.
Our strategy?
- Make noise around a brand-new awards show
- Build serious credibility from day one
- Drive ticket sales and sponsorships – laying the groundwork for long-term success
By year three, that mission had evolved. Now, it was about cementing the Gaydio Pride Awards as a standout moment in the national LGBTQ+ calendar – with a focus on landing heavyweight media coverage and turning heads well beyond the LGBTQ+ community.
The Challenge.
While the Gaydio Pride Awards had strong community roots and an established audience from previous years, the challenge for 2025 was clear: how do you take an event that’s already growing in popularity and make it truly unmissable?
By this stage, Gaydio’s wide reach, combined with past coverage and attendance had built a solid foundation, but we needed to push it further. We needed to lock in bigger names and higher-profile guests to keep the momentum rolling, all while managing the risk of last-minute dropouts that could really impact the results we saw off the back of the event.
At the same time, we had to make sure we didn’t burn out regional media coverage or lose sight of what mattered most. While we knew celebrity appearances would help drive tabloid headlines, it was the powerful, authentic moments – like celebrating grassroots winners and showcasing the community’s efforts – that really delivered on the core aim of celebrating and serving the LGBTQ+ community.
The Solution.
From the get-go, we treated the Gaydio Pride Awards like the red (or rather, purple) carpet moment it was set to be – and built year-on-year momentum through press office strategy, headline media invites, influencer invites, and high-impact moments.
- In 2023, we turned the brand-new event into a national talking point – kicking things off with an announcement that made both local and national media take notice. We packed out the purple carpet with key Manchester-based influencers and secured 24 pieces of coverage from the ceremony alone – including Metro, Mail Online, and Mirror. The press and social buzz helped set the stage for even more media interest the following year, giving national titles a clear picture of the event’s scale, energy, and guestlist.
- In 2024, we dialled it up – kicking off with a shortlist reveal event in London, where we brought together key LGBTQ+ influencers and local press to build early buzz outside of Manchester. We also expanded our creator guestlist for the ceremony, inviting more talent from across the UK – with Max Balegde joining us to get the showcase the night. Carefully curated invites meant we packed out the press table at the ceremony with titles like PinkNews, Manchester Evening News, and Metro generating 2.9M in social reach alone.
- By 2025, the Gaydio Pride Awards had become a key fixture in the LGBTQ+ calendar. The purple carpet set the stage for an even more impressive turnout, with an elevated guestlist that included top-tier influencers and media. ITV Granada Reports captured the energy of the evening with a 4-minute prime-time feature, while national media like The Guardian, Daily Express, and The Independent covered the event following a powerful speech from Russel T Davies. Plus, a curated list of LGBTQ+ creators from across the UK such as Star Holroyd, Zack Hipps, and Ellie Diamond played a pivotal role in driving the conversation across social media.
Our Approach.
We worked year-on-year to build the hype and keep it rolling – making sure each awards night felt bigger, bolder, and more unmissable than the last.
Press Office:
From day one, we made the press strategy local-first. By regionalising every shortlist and winner release, we gave grassroots nominees and winners a spotlight in their hometowns – all while building national love for the awards.
As momentum grew, so did our media game. Each year, we carefully curated press invites, bringing in a mix of key regional titles, national press, and LGBTQ+ media to help tell the story. On the night, we managed everything from purple carpet exclusives to following up with key highlights of the night – making sure every standout moment got its moment in the press.
By 2025, the results spoke volumes. National titles were in the room, and ITV Granada Reports broadcast a dedicated 4-minute segment filmed live on the purple carpet – a first for the awards. Broadcast across the North West, it brought the significance of the night to a wider audience and marked a major moment for the awards’ visibility.
Event Management:
From wrangling celebs on the carpet to coordinating behind-the-scenes logistics, we have worked as an extension of the Gaydio team year after year – making sure the show runs smoothly from start to finish.
We’ve managed the purple carpet since the first ceremony and by 2025, things had levelled up again. With a bigger guestlist and more eyes on the event, we have overseen paparazzi and photographers across the venue – flagging newsworthy names and making sure no big moment went unmissed. Every detail is handled so the Gaydio team can focus on delivering an unforgettable show.
Influencer Attendance:
We took our creator strategy further every year – moving from a handful of local MCR faves to a full roster of national LGBTQ+ voices who felt right for the awards.
By 2025, the creator impact hit new heights. The carpet saw the likes of long-time supporter, Charley Marlowe, Shell Rowe and Amy Spalding – all sharing content that felt genuine, joyful, and built for their audiences. The result? Scroll-stopping content that took the awards from a live event to a real talking point amongst their followers.
“A huge thank you to all of the Scoop team’s exceptional work at the Gaydio Pride Awards this year – we’re all feeling very chuffed this morning and I think there’s a feeling that this has been the biggest and best year yet. From the ITV live broadcast to some pretty instant coverage in the nationals, we’re flying! I know we can all get caught up in the moment, and it’s hard to take stock at the time it’s all happening but from the red carpet management, paparazzi, photography – team Scoop should be so bloody proud!”
What our clients say
John Gillespie, Phenix Salon Suites
“Scoop and the team really took on board what our aim was and worked with us throughout the period to deliver excellent results. Communication and updates were made very easy and we honestly felt It was well worth it! We have already recommended scoop PR to other business owners.”
Shaza Ul-Hassan, Frurt
“Pippa and her amazing team at Scoop helped us to connect with some great networks and partnerships in the Manchester and Cheshire area. The team always goes the extra mile to support on any project or task needed and have been a pleasure to work with helping us deliver some great quality press and influencer content during our peak booking months.”
Annie Ramrachia, Secret Spa
“I would highly recommend Pippa the team, they were a pleasure to work alongside and really impacted our marketing direction. The initial workshop created by the team was a fantastic way to gather the data around who we are as a business and where our strengths lie. Pippa and the team have their finger on the pulse with current marketing trends and I would highly recommend their services if you’re looking to expand your brand to new audiences, yet keep your current customers engaged in your product.”
Acacia Cairns, Partington’s Holiday Parks
“Pippa and her team originally worked with us to deliver the PR for the launch of our Manchester restaurant, but we’ve since expanded their remit to lead the PR & marketing for all of our venues nationally. The team really get stuck in, are a pleasure to work with, reliable and deliver incredible results across the board.”
Paul Goodale, PizzaLuxe
“A huge thank you to all of the Scoop team’s exceptional work at the Gaydio Pride Awards this year – we’re all feeling very chuffed this morning and I think there’s a feeling that this has been the biggest and best year yet. From the ITV live broadcast to some pretty instant coverage in the nationals, we’re flying! I know we can all get caught up in the moment, and it’s hard to take stock at the time it’s all happening but from the red carpet management, paparazzi, photography – team Scoop should be so bloody proud!”
- Brett Harris, Head of Marketing and Partnerships at Gaydio
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