In recognition of World Mental Health Day, The Trevor Project, a leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people, honors Megan Thee Stallion with the 2025 Mental Health Champion of the Year Award. The annual award celebrates influential public figures who use their voice to challenge stigma, shift culture, and advocate for the mental health of LGBTQ+ young people. Megan is the fifth honoree to receive the award, following past recipients Dua Lipa (2024), Dylan Mulvaney (2023), Janelle Monáe (2022), and Lil Nas X (2021).

Megan Thee Stallion, a three-time, Grammy-winning superstar, philanthropist, entrepreneur, and activist, consistently uses her global platform to destigmatize mental health conversations and push for access to inclusive care and resources, particularly for marginalized communities.

She is also the founder of the Pete & Thomas Foundation, a non-profit organization that was named in honor of her late parents and focuses on empowering women, children, senior citizens, and underserved communities with initiatives in Houston and worldwide centered on education, housing, health, and wellness.

As part of her foundation’s philanthropic work, Megan launched a free wellness hub created to spread mental health awareness as well as provide mental health resources, directories, and LGBTQ+ community helplines to those seeking support. The site includes therapy directories, mental health organizations, and crisis hotlines – including The Trevor Project – ensuring that healing is not just talked about, but made more accessible.

“I’m honored to receive this year’s Mental Health Champion award from The Trevor Project,” Megan Thee Stallion said. “My goal has always been to use my platform to help break stigmas around mental health and provide resources for those seeking safe spaces to have honest and heartfelt conversations. Mental health impacts all of us, so it’s important to lead with love and empathy. I’m grateful for organizations like The Trevor Project that are committed to spreading awareness and supporting our LGBTQ+ youth in powerful ways.”

 

 

Most recently in 2024, Megan partnered with the California Department of Public Health on the “Never A Bother” youth suicide prevention campaign to share her own mental health journey and highlight the importance of reaching out for help.

In 2023, she also joined the Ad Council’s “Seize the Awkward” campaign to encourage young people to talk openly about their mental health. In the PSA, she shared: “I’ve always been told I gotta be strong. Thick-skinned. Stiff upper lip. Tough as nails. But to be everything for everybody – it wears on you. Black don’t crack, they say. But it can. I can. We all can. Y’all, it’s okay to not be okay. Reach out to a friend if you see them going through it. No matter who you are, being vulnerable is what makes us whole.”

Over the course of her career, Megan has been recognized as one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People (2020), the first Black woman to appear on the cover of Forbes 30 Under 30 (2022), and was awarded the key to the city of Houston in 2022 for her advocacy efforts. Megan has also been a champion for the LGBTQ+ community, notably headlining Los Angeles Pride in 2023 and speaking out against homophobia in music.

“Megan Thee Stallion is a mental health champion in every sense of the word,” said Jaymes Black, CEO of The Trevor Project. “Her raw honesty, bold advocacy, and deep love for her community make her an extraordinary role model – particularly for Black LGBTQ+ youth, who face some of the highest rates of discrimination, mental health challenges, and suicide risk. Megan’s activism doesn’t just stop at words; she builds real, tangible resources for vulnerable communities that are too often overlooked or left behind. As a queer Black person, I wish I had someone like Megan to look up to when I was growing up. Her courage, her authenticity, and her unwavering commitment to mental health advocacy will echo for generations. The Trevor Project is proud to honor her incredible impact, especially at a time when LGBTQ+ young people are being stripped of life-saving resources. Megan Thee Stallion’s voice is not just powerful. It’s essential.”

This year’s award comes at a time of urgency for LGBTQ+ mental health. In July, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) officially terminated the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s LGBTQ+ Specialized Services program, eliminating the option for youth to “press 3” or “text PRIDE” to connect with trained LGBTQ+ crisis counselors. Since its launch in 2022, the program had served over 1.5 million LGBTQ+ youth.

According to The Trevor Project’s research:

• 39% of LGBTQ+ young people seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year – including 46% of transgender and nonbinary youth. LGBTQ+ youth of color reported higher rates than White peers.
• One in five (21%) Black transgender and nonbinary young people reported a suicide attempt in the past year.
• Over two-thirds (70%) of Black cisgender LGBQ youth and 83% of Black transgender and nonbinary youth experienced at least one form of discrimination related to their race, sexual orientation, or gender identity in the past year.
• More than half of LGBTQ+ youth (50%) who wanted mental health care were unable to access it.