Adelaide United midfielder Josh Cavallo has been shortlisted for the 2022 British LGBT Awards.
Cavallo gained admirers from far and wide in October when the 22-year-old Australian made history by becoming the only openly gay top-flight male footballer in world football.
The ground-breaking social-media announcement was greeted by a series of positive responses, with Milan superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Barcelona’s Gerard Pique, Atletico Madrid loanee Antoine Griezmann and Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford among the huge names to back the Isuzu UTE A-League star.
Now, Cavallo has been nominated for the central Sports Personality award along with United States star Megan Rapinoe, British diver Tom Daley, New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard, Paralympic gold medallist Emma Wiggs, Manchester City’s England left-back Demi Stokes, Olympic champion Caster Semenya, athletics legend Colin Jackson, Arsenal forward Beth Mead and American skateboarder Alana Smith.
The awards ceremony will be held on June 24, with public voting taking place.
Cavallo’s impact can be felt in Australia and beyond, with Adelaide set to become the first A-Leagues team to host pride games.
Adelaide’s doubleheader at Cooper’s Stadium on February 26, when their A-League Women’s team face Melbourne Victory before the men’s team play Central Coast, will both be pride games.
Both the Isuzu UTE A-League and Liberty A-League teams will wear rainbow numbers and names on the backs of their jerseys in a show of solidarity, while Adelaide are partnering with Pride Cup for the day.
Meanwhile, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is also up for an award, headlining the 2022 edition alongside Cavallo.
Klopp has been nominated for the Celebrity Ally award, which recognises and thanks those outside the LGBT+ community who support the challenges around equality and inclusion.
The German boss has been a supporter of the Rainbow Laces campaign, while Klopp continues to tackle homophobia in football.
