Attitude’s Icon Award: Yoko Ono

Activist, artist and survivor, we are thrilled to honour one of the world’s most iconic women, Yoko Ono, with our Icon Award for Outstanding Achievement, supported by Sky. In our new issue, DJ and writer Princess Julia pays her a unique tribute – here’s a taste:

What about the time Yoko Ono did a public appearance at gay London nightclubs Crash and The Ghetto to promote remixed dance tracks that she had released in the noughties? There she was in the middle of a sea of topless boys yelling out her words of wisdom. I wonder if she ever thought she’d be the queen of disco when she started out.

But then Yoko never puts anything out of the question. Nevertheless, I think she might have been secretly in awe at the impact she had. She sang a revamped version of Everyman/Everywoman, that added new words to the original in support of gay relationships and marriage, which resonated within the community: ‘Everyman has a man who loves him, Everywoman has a woman who loves her’.

“Isn’t it amazing?” she said, “I think it’s great. But it should not be great, it should be normal.” Back in 2005 the long fight for equal marriage rights hadn’t become the widespread cause it was to become. Yoko can add visionary to her list of talents.

She’s a slight little lady dressed in all black, wearing dark glasses and her signature hat, but it’s her huge presence that really blows you away. Her interests are wide and varied; she’s curious about everything and everyone. It’s hard to believe she’s 82!

You can read Princess Julia’s full piece on Yoko – plus features on all the winners of the Attitude Awards in association with Virgin Holidays – in our new issue. It’s available to download from 11pm tonight at attitudedigital.co.uk, and in shops tomorrow (October 15).