In the spirit of awards season, it’s about time where we think back on the last year of the ‘twenty-teens’, and celebrate the people and things that made 2019 a great one. Hold on tight: it’s the second annual Pride Awards! Here’s hoping your faves made the list…
Breakout Fave – Megan Thee Stallion (pictured above)
Sometimes, a woman really can have it all – and in Megan Thee Stallion, it’s proven. Not only does she have looks, charisma, and a body that makes everyone want to dive head first into the gym, the rap sensation fresh out of Houston, Texas has bags and bags of talent, and 2019 made it clear that she’s someone here to stay.
Her debut mixtape, Fever, became something of a viral sensation when it was released in May 2019, with songs such as ‘Cash S**t’ and ‘Sex Talk’ making themselves welcome on party playlists both here and in the US and beyond. Her success this year is made all the more remarkable for the things that she’s dealt with in her personal life; her mother and manager, Holly Thomas, passed away from a brain tumour in March 2019 as Megan was just having her first waves of wider success with single ‘Big Ole Freak’, and performances on American late-night talk shows, such as The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Oh – and throughout it all, she’s remained a student at Texas Southern University. After graduating, she hopes to use her degree in Health Administration to launch assisted living facilities in Texas. At this point, we’re not sure if there’s anything she can’t do.
Comeback King – Stormzy
After the release of debut album Gang Signs and Prayer in 2017, Stormzy grew from being an underground sensation whose freestyles had us laughing, thinking and mean-muggin’ all in equal measure, to the nation’s darling. Mums, grandparents, and everyone else wanted to talk about Stormzy, with hit single ‘Blinded By Your Grace: Part 2’ being a particular example of his versatility.
Though he hadn’t officially gone anywhere, Stormzy had taken a bit of a break from the public eye since then, presumably spending some time with family and actually basking in the successes he’d racked up. He’d taken a break from posting on social media, and seemingly deleted Twitter entirely – and while having some quiet time is understandable, fans were keen to have him back. Fast forward to June 2019, and not only is the south London star’s name back on everyone’s lips, but he’s taking centre stage at the UK’s – and possibly, the world’s – most prolific festival, Glastonbury. Following Skin of Skunk Anansie, he was the second Black person to headline the event and created a real cultural moment of appreciation for the stories and perspectives of young Black Londoners. 2019 tracks ‘Vossi Bop’, ‘Crown’ and a feature on Ed Sheeran’s venture into grime, ‘Take Me Back To London’ showed that Stormzy’s talents are only getting stronger — and with the recent release of second album, Heavy Is The Head, and a world tour on the cards, we’re sure he’ll have a 2020 full of even greater praise. Go on, Stormzy!
Woke Bae – Rihanna
With a discography of bangers and a fashion and beauty empire that seems to get larger with each passing week, Rihanna gives us endless reasons to admire her. However, it’s her political engagement that, in 2019, made her that much more special to us at Pride. Riri has had a philanthropic element to her for years, with her Clara Lionel Foundation, in support of education and emergency response programmes across the world, going strong. It’s her response to a question about the Super Bowl, though, that scooped her the title of Woke Bae this year.
Speaking to American Vogue for their November 2019 issue, the Bajan star explained that while she’s been asked to perform the landmark concert at the annual final game of the NFL, she’s declined out of solidarity with Colin Kaepernick, a former football player who’s been effectively frozen out of his career for protesting the treatment of Black people in America. Rihanna explained: ‘I couldn’t dare do that. For what. Who gains from that? Not my people. I just couldn’t be a sellout.’ Now that’s a sign of a true ally – someone who turns down a lucrative opportunity in favour of standing with people who’ve been wronged. Some of her musical counterparts might do well to take note…
Man Crush Everyday – Ovie Soko
Not everyone can have an immediate impact upon the nation after a late entry into the Love Island villa. Heck, not everyone can even make a long impact on our overly-stimulated brains much longer after the end credits – but for Ovie Soko, all the exceptions are made. From the very first ‘Message!’ – his series catchphrase, borrowed from Nineties Black classic Don’t Be A Menace – viewers were enamoured; of course, his good looks are immediately noticeable, and his stance at six foot seven is one to make many weak at the knees. But beyond that, viewers were introduced to someone who was a caring friend, a person respectful of women, and someone confident enough in himself to act like a big ol’ goofball from time to time. Beyond the show, he’s had modelling success, a collaboration with fashion brand ASOS and has lent his voice to discussions of masculinity and the portrayal of Black people in the media. We hope he’s not just here for a good time, but a long time – the world needs more Ovies!
Actress of the Year – Lupita Nyong’o, Us
After winning her first Oscar in 2014 for her haunting performance in Steve McQueen’s 12 Years A Slave, Lupita Nyong’o has barely rested! Film appearances in the likes of Star Wars, The Jungle Book and Black Panther, as well as Broadway stints, and penning her first book, ‘Sulwe’, have kept the Kenyan-Mexican actress booked and busy, yet always putting out work of the highest quality. In 2019, she’s arguably hit her highest peak yet, as her performance in Us, the second film from Jordan Peele, was a true standout of the year in film.
The creepy horror sees the central family (headed by Nyong’o and Winston Duke) and their neighbours terrorised by The Tethered – exact versions of them but physically and mentally tormented. As a result, most actors played a double role: Lupita Nyong’o played Adelaide Wilson and her ‘Tethered’, Red, who spoke in a laboured, pained manner and was out for blood and vengeance. While the film itself has been subject to debate, one thing that most can agree on is that Lupita Nyong’o did a fantastic job of bringing two characters to life at once. With awards season fast on the horizon, fingers crossed the voting panels keep her in mind – she deserves!
Actor of the Year – Jharrel Jerome, When They See Us
Jharrel Jerome had an amazing 2019; his appearance in Ava DuVernay’s When They See Us as Corey Wise won him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie. The rising star’s gut-wrenching performance also made him the first Afro Latino and Dominican in history to win an acting Emmy for Best Lead.
Wonder Writer – Bernadine Evaristo
Now, you can’t be the first Black woman, and the first Black British person ever to win the Booker Prize, and not score the ‘Wonder Writer’ accolade, can you? It’s been a long time coming for Bernadine Evaristo, who was awarded the prestigious literary gong in October 2019 for her expansive novel ‘Girl, Woman, Other’. Consistently bringing the stories of Black women of the UK, and in the diaspora, centre stage, Evaristo is creating a canon of work in which Black women can see themselves – and the importance of this is something that we cannot celebrate enough.
Read our piece on Bernadine Evaristo’s bittersweet win, right here!
Star Influencer – Kelechi Okafor
Though there are many reasons whereby people get the title of ‘influencer’, we feel that it’s especially deserved, and important in the cases of those who use their platforms to share important messages in the world. And with this in mind, there’s a person who satisfies this criterion and then some: actress and fitness entrepreneur Kelechi Okafor. With her podcast, Say Your Mind, Okafor speaks on a near-weekly basis about the things that need to be said: from the failings of politicians to sharing personal gripes about overfamiliarity and unwarranted advice from strangers, she has the magical combination of being educational and entertaining all at once. With over 56k followers on Twitter at the time of writing, her following is ever-growing with people keen to hear her voice – and her hilarious, self-produced Sally In HR animated series, displaying the frustrations that are often felt when simply being Black in the workplace, is an extra string on her bow.
However, being passionately vocal unfortunately often means that there will be those who oppose you. In November 2019, there was a spiteful attempt made to silence Okafor on Instagram, after she rightfully called out a midwife and parenting blogger who’d admitted to making harmful remarks against Black women online. Though she was banned from Instagram for a short period, her online community rallied in droves of complaint to get her account reinstated. But with or without social media, one thing’s for sure – Kelechi Okofor won’t be stopped, nor her messages stifled, and the sooner the world realises it, the better.
Power Performer – Burna Boy
After an electric performance at his sold-out show in Wembley Arena, it’s only right that the self-proclaimed African Giant takes the title for power performer. Since bursting into the scene Burna Boy has changed the way we party: there’s nothing like a crowd shouting the lyrics to ‘Ye’ or enthusiastically jerking their shoulders to ‘Gbese’. Burna Boy’s pivotal presence in the music industry has helped propel Afrobeats to the worldwide phenomenon it is today – and for that, we have to give him the praise he’s due.
Viral Sensation – Keke Palmer
Actress and music artist Keke Palmer was our viral sensation of 2019 – and really, could there be anyone else? Her televised interviews and social media snippets are often things of gold, with her unique turns of phrase and naturally bold facial expressions giving us a good laugh. However, her place on this list was confirmed in short video clip for Vanity Fair, in which she played a lie detector game and was unable to recognise America’s former VP Dick Cheney. Looking at the photo, she drew a complete mind blank and upon admitting not knowing who he was, said ‘Sorry to this man’ – and there, a moment was born. Nearly instantly, the phrase spread across all social media platforms, with people putting their own spin on the meme and recreating it to their heart’s content. Thanks for the laughs, Keke – more in 2020, please!
Iconic Couple – Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade
When you think of a celebrity relationship between an A-list actress and a hugely-successful basketball player, you might think that the combined star power (and attention from, ahem, outsiders) might make this a recipe for disaster. However, the duo, who celebrated their fifth year of marriage in the summer, has been the centre of everyone’s attention since the birth of their daughter Kaavia James in November 2018 – and have become a favourite pairing for many. From the cute matching Halloween costumes to their family selfies featuring unbothered facial expressions and hilarious side-eyes, their #shadybaby has been a wonderful addition to our Instagram feeds. Also, their public support of their son Zion, who is LGBTQ+, by attending Pride parades with him and standing up for him against criticism, adds to why they’re such an iconic couple. We wish them nothing but many more years of happiness!
Film of the Year – Harriet (directed by Kasi Lemmons)
The life of Harriet Tubman is a story that deserves to be told and heard across nations. Born a slave, Tubman risked her life by running away and gaining freedom, however instead of adapting and becoming comfortable she decided to go back and free others. Tubman’s courageous, fearless and selfless act led over 300 slaves to freedom, without losing a single person. For the first time ever Tubman’s story has hit the screens in a biopic played marvellously by British actress, Cynthia Erivo – and we cannot recommend you watching enough.
TV Series of the Year – Top Boy
When news broke of the return of Top Boy, the Internet went into a frenzy. After its last series aired in 2013, the show was cancelled and despite the high demand very little was said about a potential new season.
However, Drake came to the rescue and as a fan of the show, he used his celebrity influence and financial power to bring more Top Boy to Netflix. When the highly anticipated third season aired, it quickly became the most watched title that week and its cliffhanger ending means that season four could be on the way… and we are ready.
Event of the Year – Afro Nation
Afro Nation’s is the biggest urban music beach festival in Europe. In the summer of 2019 lovers of Afro music flew to Portimão, Portugal to endlessly shaku to their heart’s content. The event spanned over four days and showcased world-class music spanning across afrobeats, hip-hop, UK rap, reggae and dancehall, with performances from Burna Boy, Alkaline, Wizkid, Stefflon Don and Davido. It’s no wonder Afro Nation Portugal was nominated for Best Overseas Festival Award and has a winning spot on our Pride Awards.
Words by Nicole Vassell and Emmanuella Ngimbi
