With a record-setting number of unique nominees for the 31st Annual Gay Appreciation Awards, it’s no surprise that within the first three days, we surpassed the total number of votes received last year! This year, 5,347 people cast their votes in 38 categories.
Three additional awards will be presented for a total of 41 awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award to be presented to Larry Bagneris Jr, Theater Critics’ Choice Award presented by Tony Leggio and Brian Sands, and the Red Carpet Oscar Award presented by Tiffany Alexander and Felicia Philips to the best dressed.
Please join us on July 20 at 6 pm at Oz New Orleans for the 31st Annual Gay Appreciation Awards Gala. Tickets are $10 at the door with proceeds from the gala benefitting Southern Decadence. RSVP to the Facebook event for updates!
Without further ado, here are the top five finalists for each award. For those listing six finalists, there was (shockingly) a tie for fifth place. Awards and finalists are listed in alphabetical order 😉
Advocate for Transgender Rights: Gulf Coast Transgender Alliance, Louisiana Trans Advocates, Malaysia Walker, P-Flag New Orleans, and Transgender Advisory Committee of CrescentCare
Artist/Art Gallery of the Year: Arthur Roger Gallery, Drew Enderlin, Funeral Gallery, Oleander, and Ryan Leitner
Bartender of the Year: Dakota Goldman, Danny Starnes (Princess Stephany), Jeremy Larkin, Kara Coley, and Wayne Penton
Best Beer Bar: Bayou Beer Garden, Black Penny, Bourbon Pub and Parade, The Avenue Pub, and The Phoenix Bar
Best Happy Hour: Bourbon Pub and Parade, Friendly Bar, Golden Lantern Bar, GrandPre’s, The Corner Pocket, and The Crossing
Best Hotel: Bourbon Orleans, Harrah’s Hotel, Hotel Monteleone, Hyatt Regency New Orleans, and Windsor Court
Best Signature Drink: Golden Lantern Bar Bloody Mary, Good Friends Bar Separator, Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Purple Drink, The Bourbon Pub Cherry Bomb, The Crossing Bar Martinis, and The Page Michelle Obama
Bitch of the Year: Aubrey Synclaire, Persana Shoulders, Princesse Stephaney, Tiffany Alexander, and Toby Lefort
Brunch of the Year: Drag Brunch at The Country Club, Drag Brunch Starring The Ladies of Trinity, Eat New Orleans, Mama Honey’s Drag Brunch at Cru NOLA, and Poppy’s Pop Up Drag Brunch
Buzzy Fanning AIDS Award: Access Health Louisiana, CrescentCare (NO/AIDS Task Force), Dorian Gray-Alexander, Misti Gaither, and Toby Lefort
Cheridon Comedy Award: Bianca del Rio, Gia GiaVanni, Ivy Dripp, Persana Shoulders, and Tittie Toulouse
Coffee House of the Year: Cafe Envie, CC’s on Esplanade, PJ’s Coffee House on Royal Street, Rue de la Course on Oak Street, and Who Dat Coffee Cafe
Dance Club of the Year: Oz New Orleans, Poor Boys Bar, Sipps Bar Gulfport, Splash Baton Rouge, and The Bourbon Pub & Parade
DJ of the Year: Brendan Thompson (VJ Brendan), Brett Labauve (Bouffant Bouffant), Chris Allen, Missy Hall, and Tim Pflueger
Donnie Jay Performing Arts Award: Jessica Champagne, Kresli Washington, New Orleans Gay Men’s Chorus, Southern Rep Theater, and Tennessee Williams Theater Company
Event of the Year: Gay Easter Parade, Hit It! (Underwear Party), Lords of Leather Bal Masque: Forbidden, New Orleans Pride, and Southern Decadence
Fly Fashion Glamour Award: Aubrey Synclaire, Chi Chi Rodrigue, Connie Hung, Ivy Dripp, and Vinsantos Defonte
Gay Man of the Year: Brandon Hebert, Clint Taylor, Jim Meadows, Tiffany Alexander, and Vinsantos Defonte
Gay Mardi Gras Ball of the Year: Apollo Lafayette, Krewe of Armeinius, Krewe of Petronius, Lords of Leather, and The Krewe of Amon-Ra
Gulf Coast LGBTQ Bar of the Year: B-Bobs, Bourbon Pub and Parade, Oz New Orleans, Sipps Bar Gulfport, and The Phoenix
Hair Salon or Stylist of the Year: Headquarters Hair Salon, Jonathan Baxter, Michael (Moanalot Fountain) Maldonado, Tristan Meiou, and Two Guys Cutting Hair
Kinkster of the Year: “Switchy” Kyle Pollio, Cody Devon McLain, Fatsy Cline, Kristen (PirateKrissie) Coulon, and Neon Burgundy
Leather Bar of the Year: Cafe Lafitte in Exile, Rawhide 2010, The Phoenix Bar, and The Roundup Pensacola
Leather Person of the Year: “Switchy” Kyle Pollio, Brock Andersen, Clint Taylor, Kristen (PirateKrissie) Coulon, and Ross Ransom
Lesbian of the Year: Ashley Chauvin, Jenna Jordan, Kara Coley, Misti Gaither, and Tank Morales
LGBTQ Business of the Year: Avita Pharmacy, Bourbon Pride, Sipps, The Phoenix Bar, and Wonderlust
LGBTQ Nonprofit of the Year: Crescent Care & NO/AIDS Task Force, Halloween New Orleans, New Orleans Advocates for GLBT Elders (NOAGE), PFLAG New Orleans, and Saints + Sinners LGBTQ Literary Festival (of the Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival)
Lifetime Achievement Award: Larry Bagneris Jr
Marcy Marcell Entertainer of the Year: Adonis DeLorean, ChiChi Rodriquez, Fatsy Cline, Ivy Dripp, and Nicole Dubois
Neighborhood Bar of Year: 700 Club, Cafe Lafitte In Exile, GrandPre’s, The Corner Pocket, The Crossing, and The Phoenix Bar
Photographer of the Year: Barrett DeLong, Craig Fremin, Douglas Adams, Dwain Hertz, Randy Schmidt, and Reba Douglas
Real Estate Agent of the Year: Bill Trapp, Darrin Duplissey, David McElveen, Michael Styles, and Mina Hernandez
Red Carpet Oscar Award: To be determined and presented by Tiffany Alexander and Felicia Philips to the best dressed at the 31st Annual Gay Appreciation Awards Gala.
Restaurant/Deli of the Year: Chef Ron’s Gumbo Stop, Clover Grill, Eat New Orleans, Faubourg Bistro, and Louisiana Pizza Kitchen Uptown
Show Club of the Year: Bourbon Pub & Parade, Golden Lantern, Oz New Orleans, Splash Baton Rouge, and The Allways Lounge and Cabaret
Sports League Team Spirit Award: Big Easy Bears Nola Softball, Geaux Cups Nola Softball, Lowered Expectations Stonewall, Nine Inch Males Stonewall, and Red Balls and Vodka
Sports Most Valuable Player Award: Andrew Palermo, Beau Moss, Cameron Tillman, Michael Styles, and Rob Gerhart
Theater Critics’ Choice Award: A Raisin in the Sun, Voices in the Dark Repertory Theatre and Ashé Cultural Arts Center, Barbecue, Radical Buffoon(s), Flowers for Halie, Southern Rep, Suddenly Last Summer, The Tennessee Williams Theatre Company of New Orleans, The Henchman: A Shakespeare Story, The NOLA Project and the New Orleans Museum of Art, and The Night Fiona Flawless Went Mad, Slotted Spoon Productions
Transgender Person of the Year: Dillon King, Malaysia Walker, Mercedes L’Oreal, Regina Adams, and Rikki Redd
Writer/Reporter of the Year: Brian Sands, Frank Perez, Jason “JD” Disharoon, Jim Meadows, and Scot Pilie’
Young Leadership Impact Award: Bryan Fuenmayor, Lana O’Day, Laveau Contraire, Marcus Gandy, and Zach Booth
