It's been quite a year for the nightlife community of New York City , and this weekend marked an occasion for a specific segment of it which came together in an act of community and communion.
The Brooklyn Nightlife awards took place on Saturday, March 21, and individuals from all across the spectrum of nightlife in Brooklyn, New York recognized and celebrated one another's accomplishments and triumphs. Curated by drag icon Merrie Cherry, this was the third year the BNAs were held and they honored community members with more awards than any year prior.
"A lot will change in the next five to 10 years in Brooklyn," Merrie Cherry previously told The Huffington Post. "People will move away for whatever reason, some people will stop doing nightlife and some people will inevitably die. But I feel like the BNAs are a legacy of what has happened over the last several years. The most [historical context] we get of the nightlife community from the '90s are cute photos and hazy memories from people who got really fucked up -- and oftentimes it just feels over-glorified and self-serving. The awards show puts a stamp on our individual names and, even if we don't get on TV like so many kids from the '90s are now, this is something that will help leave an imprint for what we've accomplished as a community."
Check out some photos from the 2015 Brooklyn Nightlife Awards below courtesy of Santiago Felipe, as well as the full list of this year's winners (including HuffPost Gay Voices Associate Editor JamesMichael Nichols for Best Writer).
2015 Brooklyn Nightlife Awards
Hall of Fame: GAG & Murray Hill
Best DJ: Juliana Huxtable
Best Fashionz: Cameron Cooper
Drag King/Queen of the Year: Untitled Queen
Best Writer/Blogger: JamesMichael Nichols
Event Producer of the Year: The Culture Whore
Best Visual Artist: Ethan Weinstock
Best Bartender: Pietro Scorsone
Best Circus Performer: Madame Viven V
Best Performance Show: Hot Fruit
Best Vocal Artist/Group: Will Sheridan
Best Burlesque/Boylesque Performer: Rify Royalty
Best Event Photographer: Santiago Felipe
Best Event to Leave Brooklyn For: Hot Rabbit
Scene Kid: Biblegirl666
Best Mixed Party: MixFest
Best Bar/Club: Metropolitan Bar
Best Event Publisher: The Culture Whore
Best Late Night Food Spot: Bagel Smith
Best Fashion Designer: BCALLA
Best Social Media Presence: Hamm Samwich
Craving more Brooklyn Nightlife? Head here to check out our series "Queer New World: Brooklyn Drag Culture."