Winners of the world’s first awards celebrating those who support the well-being of men and boys were announced by the Men and Boys Coalition on International Men’s Day 2020.
The National Men and Boys Awards, founded by the Men and Boys Coalition charity, recognise individuals and organisations who have made an outstanding contribution to promoting care, compassion and social change for men and boys in the UK.
The winners include fatherhood champions; campaigners for men and boys’ health; academics researching male victims of domestic abuse; grassroots support for isolated older men following the coronavirus pandemic and leading practitioners supporting male victims of rape.
It is understood that these were the first such awards to have taken place not just in the UK, but anywhere in the world.
The National Men and Boys Awards took place as an online event, with videos of each of the three shortlisted nominees for each award category, shared on Twitter in the days running up to November 19th.
Dan Bell, CEO of the Men and Boys Coalition, said: “There is an incredible network of charities, practitioners and academics in the UK who are doing crucial, unsung work on the ground to support men and boys and raise awareness of the many issues they face — often on a shoestring budget and with a lack of support from policy makers.
“The Men and Boys Coalition was founded to champion the men and boys sector in the UK — and what better way to do that than to shout about this work with our inaugural National Men and Boys Awards.
“I am absolutely delighted to announce our award winners, whose work is quite literally re-shaping the understanding of, and provision for, issues of disadvantage that disproportionately affect men and boys in the UK.”
Videos announcing the winning nominees were shared on International Men’s Day itself:
Winners:
https://twitter.com/MBCoalition/status/1329346493728296961?s=20
Nominees:
https://twitter.com/MBCoalition/status/1327545779582627841?s=20
Winners in each of the six categories were:
- Activist of the Year — For an individual showing outstanding achievement in providing care, compassion or social change for men and boys
Peter Baker, Director, Global Action on Men’s Health, HPV Action campaign to secure gender-neutral HPV vaccination for boys and girls
- Project of the Year– For a charity, organisation or project showing outstanding achievement in providing care, compassion or social change for men and boys
Survivors Manchester, actions in support of the survivors of serial Manchester rapist, Reynhard Sinaga
- Award for Public Understanding — For a writer, academic or media creative who has made an outstanding contribution to our understanding of men and boys and their needs this year
Dr Elizabeth Bates, Senior Lecturer in Psychology University of Cumbria, for research into experience of male victims of domestic abuse
- Diversity and Inclusion Award — For any individual or organisation that has made an outstanding contribution to combatting unfair prejudice and discrimination against men and boys in all their diversity
Music.Football.Fatherhood, fatherhood and lifestyle platform, for their work creating a space for men to explore what it means to be a man and a father and in offering a platform and voice for black fathers in the UK
- Lifetime Achievement Award — For any individual or organisation that has made a significant lifelong contribution to supporting men and boys
Prof Phil Rumney, Professor of Criminal Justice at De Montfort University, for his 25 years of research and writing into male victims of rape and sexual assault
- 2020 Special Crisis Award — A one-off award for the individual or organisation that has demonstrated exceptional response to the COVID-19 Coronavirus Crisis.
UK Men’s Sheds, for their outstanding and innovative response to supporting the well-being of their community of older men following the outbreak of Covid-19