The Feather Awards continue to raise the bar 10 years after its inception.
The nomination party for this year’s awards ceremony was held on Wednesday at the iconic Constitution Hill, in keeping with celebrating what would have been Mama Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s 82nd birthday.
Feather Awards co-founder Thami Kotlolo says the vision of the event still remains the same, although it has grown in leaps and bounds.
“The awards have grown and every year it is a challenge for me to say ‘what am I doing that is new, what am I taking on? How have people received this and what do they want to see that is new?’ That is what I am working on now,” says Kotlolo.
To highlight growth, the organisers have made significant adjustments, including renaming the Feather of the Year category to the Simon Nkoli Award.
This in recognition of the late LGBTI+ activist. Nkoli was a leading anti-apartheid, gay rights and Aids activist in the country.
“Renaming this category is a big deal for us because Simon Nkoli is a big name. I think we don’t do enough as the LGBTI+ community to make sure that we acknowlegde the history of LGBTIs.
“Its been 20 years since he passed on and it makes sense for us to honour him in that fashion,“ says Kotlolo.
Picture: Nokuthula Mbatha/African News Agency/ ANA
“I would like for the Feathers to be a huge big deal. I have attended award ceremonies and I am always inspired by how big they are. If you look at the red carpet all over, eve internationally... I’ve always wanted to shut down a street, light it up, possibly colour it like a rainbow, etc.
“So I think all I want to achieve with this platform is to present the city in a different way, like it has never been done before, “ he adds about making the presence of the awards felt.
Kotlolo’s activism journey started with him speaking out about things that affected him, and being invited to share his views and making his opinion matter.
“I created this platform because I wanted the discussions to continue and the topics around LGBTI+ stuff to continue. From just discussing these, I am at a point where I must host these discussions, have the dialogues - and before you know it, you are an activist,” says the man who describes himself as a unicorn who has the magic to create.
The 10th anniversary ushers in a new category; the Social Media Award. This will go to an individual whose online presence is hard to ignore.
It is for someone who has a significant number of followers, who are kept hooked and entertained through a very active timeline that causes unmissable waves on the social media streets.
Nominees in different categories, friends and industry giants came out in droves to celebrate the upcoming do. Somizi Mhlongo, who was announced as this year’s solo host, was among the high-flying personalities in attendance.
Other A-listers were actors Renate Stuurman, Rami Chuene, Bohang Moeko, model Refilwe Modiselle and radio jock Smash Afrika.