The stars of legendary British soap opera Coronation Street dedicated a BAFTA win to Sophie and Sylvia Lancaster during the awards show broadcast last night.
Sophie Lancaster's 2007 murder was the inspiration for a long-running storyline in the soap which began last year and centred on two goth characters being attacked by a group of teenagers. Sophie's mother Sylvia, who died last month, set up the Sophie Lancaster Foundation in the wake of her daughter's murder, spending the following years raising awareness over the discrimination experienced by people from alternative subcultures.
Sally Dynevor, who plays Sally Metcalfe in Coronation Street, paid tribute to the Lancasters as she accepted the BAFTA for Best Soap & Continuing Drama alongside her co-stars.
"Working on this show is just a privilege," said the actress. "The drama and the comedy go so well on Corrie. One of the most important stories we've told this year was the hate crime story, so we would like to dedicate this to Sophie Lancaster and her mother Sylvia Lancaster."
"We were blown away and completely honoured by Coronation Street dedicating last night's BAFTA award for Best Soap and Continuing Drama to Sophie and Sylvia," commented the Sophie Lancaster Foundation in a statement on Instagram. "The hate crime storyline was huge for us and Sylvia was so proud they were using their platform and talents to raise awareness of Sophie's story and the true horrors of hate crime."
Sophie died after she and her boyfriend were attacked in a park in Bacup, Lancashire by a group of teenage boys, with police later linking the attack to the couple's goth image and alternative style. Sylvia received an OBE in 2014 for her dedication to tackling hate crime.
Watch the Coronation Street acceptance speech below.
