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The Trevor Project Honors Dua Lipa with Mental Health Champion of the Year Award

BY: Trevor News
Photo of Spencer Liff
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The Grammy-winning global superstar and activist has been a fierce advocate for The Trevor Project’s life-saving mission to end suicide among LGBTQ+ young people across the U.S. and Mexico.

November 19, 2024 – The Trevor Project, the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people in the U.S. and Mexico, proudly honors Dua Lipa (she/her) with the 2024 Mental Health Champion of the Year Award. The award recognizes influential public figures who use their platform to advocate for mental health awareness and issues impacting LGBTQ+ young people. Dua Lipa is the fourth annual recipient of this award, and joins past honorees Lil Nas X (2021), Janelle Monáe (2022), and Dylan Mulvaney (2023).

Dua has been a fierce, longtime advocate for The Trevor Project’s life-saving mission – in 2020, she dedicated an NBC TODAY Show segment to spotlight and raise funds for the organization, explaining that “getting to grips with your sexuality can be quite a daunting experience no matter the circumstance, and for some LGBTQ+ youth it can be a period of real trauma. And it’s a very vulnerable time, and the really sad reality of it is that some people don’t survive it.” On November 7, 2024, the day following the U.S. election, Dua shared a link to The Trevor Project’s crisis services to her 87.5 million Instagram followers.

In accepting the award, Dua stated: “I am unbelievably moved and honoured to receive this year’s Mental Health Champion of the Year Award. The Trevor Project is an organization that is near and dear to my heart, and I am humbled to play a part in shining a light on mental health awareness for LGBTQ+ young people. You are a beautiful, unstoppable community, and I am constantly in awe of the courage and strength you demonstrate when you stand proudly in your truth. To every young person out there: know that you are loved, you are not alone and The Trevor Project is a wonderful organization that is always there for you. The LGBTQ+ community have been my biggest champions since the start of my career, and I will continue to fight to make sure your voices are heard, your rights are protected, and you are treated with respect for being just the way you are.”

A three-time Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter, Dua Lipa is one of the most prominent artists in the world, amassing over 45 billion streams across platforms and 125M followers across social media. She uses her massive global reach to speak out in support of marginalized communities, fighting for racial justice, women’s rights, and LGBTQ+ equality. When Dua received the 2020 Attitude Music Award from British LGBTQ+ publication Attitude Magazine, she teared up during her emotional acceptance speech: “I’m urging all of us, if there is someone you think is vulnerable, someone you think could do with a hug, even if it’s virtual, please don’t wait for them to reach out to you. Let’s wrap our arms around the young people in this community and help them to feel safe, heard, and loved.”

In addition to Dua’s unwavering support of the LGBTQ+ community, she is a dedicated mental health activist, frequently discussing her own struggles over the years and how she maintains her well-being. In 2021, she opened up to British Vogue regarding her anxieties around social media, revealing, “I would get anxiety. And I was like, ‘This shouldn’t be the way that I’m experiencing this once-in-a-lifetime experience.’ It was messing with my confidence. I’d be super-nervous, wondering what everyone’s gonna say.” During a candid interview on Q with Tom Power in May, Dua shared how she copes with bad mental health days: “Sometimes when things are so intense and so overwhelming and you’re like, ‘This is the worst day of my life’…sometimes before I go to bed I go, ‘Okay I never have to live through that day ever again. And tomorrow I’ll just figure it out some other way.’”

“Dua Lipa’s outspoken support for LGBTQ+ rights and her candor around her own mental health struggles make her the ideal recipient for this year’s award,” says Jaymes Black (they/she/he), CEO at The Trevor Project. “Dua sets an excellent example for how allies can use their platforms to amplify the challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community, including access to culturally competent mental health care. Now, more than ever, it’s crucial that LGBTQ+ young people feel safe and supported in their mental health journeys. We’re witnessing another record-breaking year of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation across the country, and we know that the dangerous rhetoric surrounding these policies can have real-life impacts on the mental health of LGBTQ+ youth. The Trevor Project’s research found that a staggering 90% of LGBTQ+ young people said their well-being was negatively impacted due to recent politics. When public figures like Dua Lipa spread awareness around these issues, it signals to LGBTQ+ youth that their feelings are valid and their experiences matter.”

Following the outcome of the 2024 U.S. election, The Trevor Project’s crisis services saw an overall volume increase of nearly 700% on November 6, 2024 compared to the weeks prior. According to The Trevor Project’s 2024 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People, 39% of LGBTQ+ young people seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, including 46% of transgender and nonbinary youth. Furthermore, 66% of LGBTQ+ young people reported experiencing recent symptoms of anxiety, and 53% reported recent symptoms of depression. Despite these alarming findings, 50% of LGBTQ+ youth who wanted mental health care in the past year were not able to access it.

To donate in support of Dua’s honor, please visit trvr.org/DuaGives.

EDITOR’S NOTE: News outlets may download images here, and have permission to use them when reporting on this news. Credit: Courtesy of Dua Lipa.

For media inquiries, please contact:
[email protected]

If you or someone you know needs help or support, The Trevor Project’s trained crisis counselors are available 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386, via chat at TheTrevorProject.org/Get-Help, or by texting START to 678678.

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