Los Angeles Blade to Celebrate 2024 ‘Best of LGBTQ Los Angeles’ Awards

Saturday, January 27, 8:00 p.m. @ Heart Weho

Nation’s only LGBTQ Media member of the White House Press Corps set to celebrate its 6th Annual Awards with performances by rising new musical stars Damez and Eloise Alterman

Ariadne Getty Foundation’s Hero Award to honor Reverend Troy Perry and Jewell Thais-Williams; Game Changer Award to honor Gilead Sciences for its ongoing role in supporting LGBTQ nonprofits, HIV education, treatment and prevention and support of the LGBTQ press

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Los Angeles Blade, LA’s only LGBTQ newspaper and nation’s only LGBTQ Media member of the White House Press Corps, partner newspaper of the venerable Washington Blade in DC, will present the 2024 Best Of LGBTQ Los Angeles Awards at Heart Weho on Saturday, January 27 from 8:00 p.m.

This glittering event will be emceed by noted Drag Performer and musical Artist Rhea Litre and Los Angeles Blade Publisher Troy Masters and promises to be a night of dazzling performances and important recognitions of some extraordinary pioneers of the LGBTQ community, its businesses, agencies, leaders and social life.

In 2021, Los Angeles Blade publisher Troy Masters honored Los Angeles based philanthropist Ariadne Getty for her landmark donation to Gay Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) community. In 2022, the Los Angeles Blade honored David Geffen and presented him with the award. In 2023, the recognition went to former LA County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl.

This year’s Hero Award recipients are the Reverend Troy Perry, Founder of the Metropolitan Community Church, an LGBTQ affirming Christian Church that has a presence in over 20 countries, and on every inhabitable continent that reaches hundreds of thousands of people. He also established LA Pride, the world’s first celebratory Pride Parade; Also being honored is Jewel Thais-Williams, an extraordinary woman whose vision saved lives, establishing HIV services when there was very little to no support and who was a force in integrating the LGBTQ community by establishing safe-spaces and creating a vibrant alternative nightlife scene in Catch One, the LA version of Studio 54.

“For the past seven years, Los Angeles Blade has hosted the ‘Best of LGBTQ LA’ Awards and each year the event has become more powerful and more important to the community and to the future of the newspaper. "We are thrilled this year that we can celebrate at Heart Weho, a venue that is quickly becoming center stage to LA's dynamic music scene," Troy Masters stated.

With over 30 prestigious categories, the Los Angeles Blade “Best of LGBTQ LA” Awards will shine a spotlight on diverse stories and artists, activists and community notables and others who have championed critical LGBTQ issues and connected so powerfully with the community.

For the first time, the event will have a music focus, featuring two incredibly powerful performers.

Presenting a special honor to Gilead Sciences, performer Damez, a rising musical talent who has recently graced the cover of Out Magazine and others and who was celebrated by the GLAAD Media Awards for the past couple of years, will pay tribute to Gilead’s powerful role in prevention and treatment of HIV and their philanthropy to LGBTQ causes, including journalism.

And emerging star Eloise Alterman, a noted ally who has worked with Marin Morris and is a rising pop star, will honor the Ariadne Getty Hero Award recipients and other award recipients with a musical tribute.

"We are profoundly proud to feature phenomenal new talent who are pushing boundaries and amplifying the voices and needs of our community. Amidst challenges and misrepresentations we increasingly face, their work ignites understanding, fosters love, and celebrates the extraordinary richness of our journeys,” added Masters.

Best of LGBTQ Awards will be presented in the following categories:

• Best Drag Performer
• Best Drag Show
• Favorite Influencer
• Best Queer Artist
• Best LGBTQ Bar
• Best Neighborhood Bar
• Best LGBTQ Party
• Best GoGo Dancer
• Best Brunch
• Best Restaurant
• Best Radio or TV Station
• Best Coverage of LGBTQ issues by a mainstream news outlet
• Best Cannabis Retailer/Lounge
• Best LGBTQ Owned Business
• Best LGBTQ Social Group
• Best House of Worship
• Most Committed Activist
• Favorite Public Official
• Most LGBTQ-Friendly City
• Best Local Pro Sports Team
• Best Real Estate Firm
• Best Ally
• Best Salon/Spa
• Best Car Dealership
• Best Doctor/Medical Provider
• Best Fitness or Workout Spot
• Most LGBTQ-Friendly Workplace
• Best Non-Profit
• Best Actor
• Best Museum or Art Gallery
• Best Theater
• Best Music Venue
• Best Hotel
• Favorite Musical Artist
• Best LGBTQ Event
• Best Regional Pride
• Best Streaming Service
• Most LGBTQ friendly Entertainment Company
• Best LGBTQ Friendly Employer (100+ employees)
• and Best LA Region Airport.

With live performances, special presentations, and the electrifying buzz of recognition, it's an event no LGBTQ Angeleno can afford to miss.

So, join us on January 27th as we raise a glass to the media trailblazers and storytellers who illuminate our journeys and light the path towards a brighter future. Let the Los Angeles Blade Awards be your beacon of hope, your anthem of pride, and your unforgettable night of belonging! Click here to RSVP.

Stay tuned for further updates on nominees, presenters, and exciting surprises ahead!

In the meantime, mark your calendars, grab your glitter, and let's prepare to celebrate the brilliance of the LGBTQ community at the 2024 Los Angeles Blade Best of LGBTQ Los Angeles Awards!

The 2024 LA Blade’s Best of LGBTQ LA Awards are sponsored by Gilead Sciences, Visit West Hollywood, Equality California and AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

Heart Weho | January 27, 2024 | 8:00 p.m.
For a full list of nominees and other details, visit www.losangelesblade.com
For press and media inquiries please reach out to [e-mail]

About Los Angeles Blade:

Los Angeles Blade is the only LGBTQ newspaper serving Los Angeles and is the nation’s only LGBTQ Media Member of the White House Press Corps. The newspaper’s website is the nation’s number one newspaper website serving the LGBTQ community, focusing on local and national news, politics, entertainment, the arts, opinion, travel and nightlife. Los Angeles Blade is a partner publication with the Washington Blade in DC and was founded in 2017. Publisher Troy Masters can be reached at [e-mail]