Flavor Flav will be recognized for his advocacy on behalf of women athletes at the 2026 Clio Sports Awards, where he will be honored alongside Michael Strahan and Kelley O’Hara.
The 67-year-old Public Enemy cofounder is set to receive the Clio Sports Impact Award, recognizing his efforts to increase both visibility and investment in women’s teams. The ceremony will take place Dec. 8 at The Edison Ballroom in New York City.
Flav’s work in women’s sports has included championing Team USA’s female athletes during the 2024 Summer Olympics and 2026 Winter Olympics. His support has extended to U.S. water polo, bobsled and skeleton through financial assistance, sponsorships and efforts to keep athletes in the public eye.
He also created the SHE Weekend initiative, which connects female Olympians and Paralympians with fans and potential sponsors. That project forms part of a wider push to create opportunities for athletes beyond their appearances on the podium.
Michael Strahan and Kelley O’Hara Join the Honorees
Strahan, 54, will receive the Honorary Clio Sports Award for his influence across sports, media and popular culture. He is being recognized as an NFL Hall of Famer who went on to become an Emmy-winning broadcaster.
O’Hara, 38, will receive a separate Clio Sports Impact Award presented by AT&T. The honor recognizes athletes who represent the company’s “She’s Connected” platform, which highlights women athletes making a difference in business, entrepreneurship and their communities, as well as on the field.
O’Hara is being honored as both a soccer star and producer, adding another dimension to a ceremony focused on figures whose work reaches beyond competition itself.
Journalist, podcaster and television host Pablo Torre will lead the 2026 event. His podcast, Pablo Torre Finds Out, received the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for Audio Reporting.
Flav’s Music Legacy Meets His Sports Advocacy
While the Clio honor is tied to Flav’s support of women’s sports, it arrives after a long music career with Public Enemy. He cofounded the group with Chuck D in 1985.
Public Enemy was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2013, during the group’s first year of eligibility. The Recording Academy later presented the group with a lifetime achievement award in 2020.
The Clio Sports recognition places a spotlight on a different part of Flav’s public work: his use of his platform and resources to help female athletes secure greater attention, connections and support.
Clio Sports launched in 2014 to celebrate achievement in sports advertising and marketing. In addition to its broader awards program, it presents special honors to athletes and public figures who have made a significant impact on sports through creative work that advances their industries and influences popular culture.
ShowBiz Take
Flavor Flav’s Clio Sports Impact Award is notable because it specifically recognizes sustained action rather than celebrity enthusiasm alone. The cited work spans multiple Olympic disciplines, financial and sponsorship support, and an initiative designed to connect Olympians and Paralympians directly with fans and prospective sponsors.
The lineup also illustrates the range of influence Clio Sports intends to celebrate. Flav is being honored for advocacy, Strahan for an impact reaching across sports, media and popular culture, and O’Hara for work that includes business, entrepreneurship and community engagement beyond the field of play.
What Happens Next?
Flav, Strahan and O’Hara are scheduled to receive their respective honors when the 2026 Clio Sports Awards convene at The Edison Ballroom in New York City on Dec. 8, with Torre fronting the ceremony.