Attitude’s Editor on the importance of the Attitude Awards

The Attitude Awards 2014 are right around the corner – the trophies are being polished, host Ana Matronic is rehearsing her lines and the red carpet is getting rolled out from the Attitude vaults.

Before the winners are revealed at the ceremony next Monday (October 13), I grabbed Attitude’s editor, Matthew Todd, to find out more about why he started the awards and what they mean for the LGBT community in 2014.

Why did you decide to launch the Attitude Awards back in 2012?
“It was one of those things I’d thought about doing for a long time. In America they have the GLAAD Media Awards, but we don’t have anything like them, so we wanted to do something similar to that. I guess we thought that there was an opportunity to do something really fun that would celebrate all the people that shape our readers’ lives – the people who are political and have made strides in gay rights and all the rest of it, but also in the field of entertainment. It was an opportunity to celebrate with all the people that form the basis of what we do here at Attitude.”

Do you think that gay people and role models get enough recognition?
“Well, normally we give three icon awards every year, which is a great opportunity to celebrate and say thank you to the people that have influenced our readers’ lives – people like Ian McKellen and Peter Tatchell. Last year we gave them to Paul O’Grady, Marc Almond, and a posthumous one to Alan Turing. It’s an amazing way to celebrate the achievements of the LGBT community and have a fantastic night out! When I was a kid of 11 or 12, it would have been really awesome to see a night where all these big celebrities that you see day in, day out on your TV happily come along to an event that celebrates the LGBT community. So hopefully it reaches out on some level to a kid who’s not having a great time or feeling alone; that the people whose records or films they’re buying support them too.”

What are you looking for when you decide who to give awards? Do they have to be gay?
“No, there’s a mixture of people, as with the magazine itself. The things I like in my life – the films I go and see, the music I buy – does have a heavy gay focus but it’s not all gay, so we want to celebrate the artists, actors, performers and comedians and people that have shaped our lives, whether they’re gay or not – but obviously the ones who are allies of the gay community! For instance, Gary Barlow won out Most Stylish Man Award 2012 because we thought he was the most stylish man of the year and he’s always been really gay supportive. So it’s about celebrating LGBT but also supporting our friends and allies.”

Which are the awards you’ve handed out that have meant the most to you personally?
“It was amazing to co-present an award with Antony Cotton to Sir Ian McKellen in 2012; I was welling up as I was speaking! And giving an award to Alan Turing’s family last year was incredible. It was a complete honour to be able to meet them and do that. It’s also great to support people like Paul O’Grady who’s been on the gay scene for so long, and has really been a huge part of our community, who’s risen from the clubs to become a huge celebrity. I enjoy all of it really. It’s a really nice mix of the frivolous and the more important bits, the fun and more serious. Oh and Clare Balding! That was a great award as well, when she had her great year at the 2012 Olympics – it nearly brought the house down.”

What’s the atmosphere like on the night?
“I would use the word ‘electrifying’. I don’t think there’s any other time where the leading figures of the LGBT community come together with lots of other big celebrities. There aren’t many other nights where you can have Christopher Biggins rubbing shoulders with Daniel Radcliffe and Cher!”

Is there a message you’d like to send to both Attitude readers and this year’s award-winners?
“Just that this is a chance for the community to celebrate who we are and what’s happened this year, and it’s been an incredible year with the introduction of gay marriage. I really hope that it’s something fun for the readers and excites them, seeing if they agree with all the winners or not! But I also hope it inspires them if they’re in a place where they’re not feeling massively great about being open, that there’s a big world of amazing people – gay and straight and everything in between – who support them.”

This year’s Attitude Awards, in association with Virgin Holidays, will take place next Monday (October 13) at Banqueting House, Whitehall, London. Attitude would also like to thank other sponsors and supporters of the event including Sky, Renault, Marriott, M&S, Little Miracles, Naked Wines and Hip Hotels.