On Saturday, May 21, the movers and shakers of various industries that intersect within the nightlife community in Brooklyn, New York, came together to celebrate one another's accomplishments -- and one another.
Curated by Brooklyn drag queen Merrie Cherry, the Brooklyn Nightlife Awards are a chance for a large-scale queer community to be recognized for individual work as creatives. Now in its fourth incarnation, the range of awards is widespread, from "Best Drag Queen" to "Best Fashion Designer" to "Best Visual Artist."
As HuffPost Queer Voices explored in the series "After Dark," nightlife acts as a major source of cultural production for a multitude of other industries, both within the context of the queer community and the fabric of our society as a whole. The BNAs provides a platform to recognize this.
"Who doesn't like a good excuse to dress up and show out?" Merrie Cherry told The Huffington Post. "That aside, I think it is important to represent the people and places that keep the Brooklyn queer scene alive. This isn't just a Brooklyn thing -- many people on a national and international level are on the pulse of our subculture we have created. The BNAs let them know who is killing the game in our community... I found my family in New York. I found my purpose. I will always love this community."
Check out the list of winners below, as well as a selection of photos courtesy of Cameron Cole.
Drag Queen of the Year: Aja
Best Event Producer: The Culture Whore
Best DJ: Horrorchata
Best Fashion Designer: Bcalla
Hall of Fame: Thorgy Thor
Best Fashionz: Sussi
Drag King of the Year: Goldie Peacock & K. James
Best Visual Artist: Diego Montoya
Best Bartender: John Lowther
Best Writer: JamesMichael Nichols
Best Circus Performer: Madame Vivien V
Best Drag Performance Show: Mondays on Mondays
Best Vocal Artist/Group: Macy Rodman
Best Burlesque/Boylesque Performer: Vic Sin
Best Event Photographer: Cameron Cole
Best Reason To Leave Brooklyn: Frankie's at The Jane
Scene Kid: Kelsey Dagger
Best Party: Be Cute
Best Bar/Club: Metropolitan Bar
Best Event Publisher: Next Magazine
Best Late Night Food Spot: Bagelsmith
Best Burlesque/Boylesuqe Show: Straight Acting
Best Social Media: Hamm Samwich