Acclaimed broadcaster and former footballer Gary Lineker has been awarded the Hay Festival Medal for Broadcast Journalism at Hay Festival, Hay-on-Wye 2024.

One of English football’s most successful players ever, Gary Lineker’s latest act has seen him launch a podcasting empire. As founder of Goalhanger Productions, Lineker produces hit shows The Rest is History, The Rest is Entertainment, The Rest is Football and The Rest is Politics, adding much-needed nuance and insight into our national discourse. 

Awarded annually since Britain’s 2012 Olympic year, Hay Festival Medals draw inspiration from the original Olympic medal for poetry. Medals are given to extraordinary writers, thinkers and creatives and crafted locally by silversmith Christopher Hamilton. All feature an Athenian owl, copied from an ancient Greek silver coin dating between 450 BC and 406 BC, and are engraved with the name and category of each winner.

Gary joins Huw Stephens (Medal for Music), Laura Bates (Medal for Non Fiction), and Judi Dench (Medal for Drama) as Hay Festival Medal winners 2024. 

Hay Festival CEO Julie Finch said: “Hay Festival Medals this year will be awarded to honour exceptional work in the arts we celebrate five inspirational figures at Hay Festival Hay-on-Wye 2024. In a turbulent world, this spring’s edition offers a programme of hope, innovation and creativity.”

Hay Festival Hay-on-Wye 2024 is supported by lead sponsors Welsh Government, Arts Council England and Arts Council Wales, lead media partner the BBC and digital media partner TikTok.

Launching the best new fiction and non-fiction, while offering insights and debate around significant global issues, the programme sees writers, policy makers, pioneers and innovators take part from around the world, offering big thinking and bold ideas. 

Hay Festival Hay-on-Wye runs to 2 June. Discover the full programme and book individual events online now at hayfestival.org/hay-on-wye