At Spotify, our commitment to the LGBTQIA+ community is year-round. Through GLOW, our global music program, we celebrate and amplify the contributions of queer creators—because when artists are free to be themselves, more voices are heard, more stories are told, and culture moves forward.

Since its launch in January 2023, GLOW has supported more than 130 ambassadors through marketing, editorial, and partnership opportunities. The program’s playlists have generated 451 million streams and 106 million discoveries, helping connect artists with new fans around the world. 

This Pride Month, GLOW Tapes return with playlists curated by more than 10 LGBTQIA+ personalities, with new takeovers dropping weekly in our GLOW hub. The hub serves as a dedicated space to highlight LGBTQIA+ voices across formats. On the podcast front, we’ve refreshed our two shelves—Queer Creators We Love and Spotlighting LGBTQIA+ Stories—with a selection of shows and episodes. For audiobook lovers, fans will find dedicated Pride curation in many regions, with shelves built around themes like Moving Memoirs, Queer Love, and Transport to New Realms (sci-fi/fantasy). The hub also includes new music video playlists like Pride Party Videos and Gay Music Video Night.

And this year, the celebrations extend offline with events across the globe. On June 6-7, GLOW will bring creators and listeners together with a dedicated space at the Tokyo Pride parade. Then, on June 24, GLOW will host LGBTQIA+ songwriters, producers, and artists for a summer social in London. And on July 31, a GLOW mixer at our Stockholm HQ will provide a space for connection and collaboration for emerging and established creators.

Meet our 2026 GLOW spotlight ambassadors

To bring our annual Free to Be theme to life, GLOW has partnered with four artists whose work and stories are moving culture forward: Deb Never from the U.S., Honey Dijon from the U.K., Guitarricadelafuente from Spain, and Tove Styrke from Sweden.

These artists are featured on the refreshed GLOW global playlist, which they’ve co-curated with their favorite music by LGBTQIA+ artists and will feature rotating artwork throughout June. They’ll also appear in social campaigns and on billboards in New York and Los Angeles.

So what does it mean to be truly free as a creator in 2026? Deb Never, Guitarricadelafuente, and Tove Styrke weigh in.

What does “Free to Be” mean to you right now?

Deb Never: Being free to me means doing what you love, being who you are, and not letting anything or anyone else define you.

Guitarricadelafuente: Right now, being free means allowing yourself to evolve without having to apologize for it. To change, to feel deeply, to contradict yourself, and not always have all the answers.

Tove Styrke: To me, it means trusting your own instincts before outside expectations. I think there’s a lot of pressure now to constantly explain yourself, brand yourself, or fit into categories that make other people comfortable. Freedom is staying connected to the weird, emotional, and intuitive parts of yourself anyway. It’s about allowing yourself to evolve publicly without apologizing for it.

How does being free move culture forward?

Deb Never: If artists weren’t comfortable enough to push boundaries or experiment, I don’t think anything would move forward. It’s important to not be bound by anything, to be free and keep progressing.

Guitarricadelafuente: Culture evolves when people feel free enough to express themselves honestly. New ideas, aesthetics, identities, and ways of loving emerge when we stop fearing judgment and start showing ourselves as we truly are.

Tove Styrke: Culture moves forward when people dare to express something truthful before it’s fully understood. A lot of the art, music, and ideas that end up changing people first seemed strange, emotional, or too different. When people feel free enough to create from an honest place instead of a strategic one, it gives others permission to do the same. That’s usually where new movements begin.

The soundtrack to being seen

We also asked each of our four spotlight ambassadors to share a song that makes them feel seen:

“That’s Us/Wild Combination” by Arthur Russell
selected by Tove Styrke 

“There’s something deeply human and open-hearted about his music that makes me feel less alone. The song feels both fragile and euphoric at the same time, like it’s embracing every contradiction in being a person. It reminds me that freedom doesn’t always have to be loud or performative. Sometimes it’s just allowing yourself to fully exist in all your complexity.”

“Miss Me Blind” by Culture Club
selected by Honey Dijon 

“Hope There’s Someone” by ANOHNI and the Johnsons
selected by Guitarricadelafuente

“If I Was Your Girlfriend” by Prince
selected by Deb Never

From the studio to the stage, and in the quiet moments of creation, these LGBTQIA+ artists and many more are helping shape the future of music. GLOW is proud to be a platform that supports their work and shares their stories with the world.

Explore the GLOW hub and stream the global playlist on Spotify.