Heated Rivalry star François Arnaud Wins Queerties Award
The hit queer hockey drama Heated Rivalry continues its awards streak after winning Best TV Drama at the annual Queerties Awards.
Star François Arnaud also picked up Best TV Performance for his role as Scott Hunter in the series.
The wins mark another milestone for the show, which has quickly become one of the most talked-about LGBTQ+ dramas on television.
Awards Momentum Continues for the Queer Hockey Drama
The latest recognition follows the show’s recent success at the GLAAD Media Awards, where Heated Rivalry won Outstanding New TV Series earlier this year.
Based on the popular hockey romance novels by Rachel Reid, the series follows rival professional hockey players whose secret relationship evolves into a powerful love story.
The drama centers on Ilya Rozanov, played by Connor Storrie, and Shane Hollander, played by Hudson Williams, whose on-ice rivalry hides their private romance.
Alongside their story, the show also explores the relationship between Scott Hunter (Arnaud) and Kip Grady, portrayed by Robbie GK.
François Arnaud Shares Emotional Acceptance Speech
Arnaud was unable to attend the ceremony in person but appeared in a pre-recorded video message to accept his award.
During the speech, he said the recognition meant a great deal to him and emphasized the importance of authentic representation.
He also dedicated the award to his co-star Robbie GK, highlighting their on-screen partnership.
“I want to share this with my scene partner Robbie GK,” Arnaud said. “Whatever I did in there, we did it together.”
François has recently also hit out at online trolls in the fandom, after a wave of online harassment targeting members of the cast.
Other Queerties Winners Honoured
The ceremony, hosted by Trixie Mattel, also celebrated a number of major LGBTQ+ figures across film, music and television.
Among the honorees were Jonathan Bailey, who received the Badass Award, and pop icon Lady Gaga, whose song Abracadabra won Best Anthem.
Meanwhile, Cynthia Erivo received Best Film Performance for her role in Wicked: For Good and was also honoured for her memoir Simply More.
Additional winners included comedian Margaret Cho, who received the Icon Award, Megan Stalter with the Vanguard Award, and Mae Martin with the Groundbreaker Award.
Season Two of ‘Heated Rivalry’ in Development
The success of Heated Rivalry shows little sign of slowing down.
A second season is already in development and is expected to adapt The Long Game, another novel from Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series.
Production is reportedly scheduled to begin later this year, with the next season expected to premiere in 2027.
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