With awards season fully underway, the Golden Globes done & dusted, while with the GRAMMY’s, the BAFTA’s and the BRIT’s come our way as February unfolds, these ahead of the biggie, The OSCAR’s, we find fitting neatly into the schedule, London gay scene mag rag Boyz & their own awards, this our brief look into the why’s and where for’s.
It’s official, February very much is awards season and while the first of the clutch of ceremonies has already gone, The Golden Globes the only major one of the bunch occurring in January and seeing a veritable feast of home grown silver screen stars stealing the show, the focus very much switches to this side of the Atlantic with the BAFTA’s taking place next Sunday (14th Feb), the pendulum swinging back state side for the GRAMMY’s on the 15th, to only swing our way again with the BRITS on the 24th , while the captivating curtain call on this sensational season is gifted to the OSCAR’s which weighs in with the most sparkling spectacle of all on the final Sunday of this month. However, fitting neatly in between all of these major awards meets, is one we have followed here in London for years, our support for gay rag Boyz and its annual accolades not quite matching the 25 years it is celebrating in 2016, but nevertheless have no hesitation in flying the flag for editor David Bridle and his team by giving our own brief insight to the important institution on the gay scene, detailing a brief synopsis of how their annual awards work, how to vote and then point towards the celebratory event itself. So while many faces will be focussed on which film, director et all receive a rapturous reception as they are awarded best in category, the categories we will be focussing on are the likes of best D.J., best weekend club, best cabaret act & plenty more besides.
As we hinted on earlier, the Boyz awards have been running pretty much as long as the magazine itself and while many others of the same ilk have waxed & waned during the quarter of a century that this scene stalwart, based just off Brewer Street in Soho, has been holding its annual celebration of what you, the reader, considers as the best in the business, this marvellous magazine has not only endured & survived, but thrived, meaning it currently is the only and so the most prominent awards accolade proposition of its kind around. And with a respectable weekly following of both its free publication that is available through gay outlets, clubs, pubs & bars across the capital, as well as down in Brighton, no February would feel quite the same without the Boyz awards. So, giving that resounding introduction and with the time very much ticking on your opportunity to cast your votes, what is it all about? Well, like its more famous ceremonies, the Boyz awards celebrates, through a considerable range of categories, who has made the biggest impression over the previous twelve months. Indeed, this year, its 25th, the mag makes it really easy for you, as they have pre-selected the nominees in the various categories, meaning that you literally just scan down the options and select the one who you feel is most deserving of the applicable award. However, as the system will only allow you one opportunity to cast your votes, make sure you choose carefully, access to voting online only by going to http://boyz.co.uk/ and clicking on the awards banner or by simply selecting this direct link, https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/XG2XWW2.
Now, you don’t have long, as the voting closing date is Thursday 18th February, following which the results will be computed by chief organiser and damn fine fellla Dave Cross, in time for the celebratory ceremony event the following Thursday (25th Feb), held & hosted at The Two Brewers in Clapham, further details to be announced in the press immediately following voting close. We will, naturally, be hot footing it down to Jimmy Smith’s gaff on Clapham High street to report back on the riders, the rejoicer’s and the rest, no doubt shouting for & supporting our own stars of the scene in the process, so reckon you should do too. (DISCO MATT)
