Nicky Awards: Annual event honors the best in the San Diego LGBT community

During the early 1970s, gay communities in major cities like San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles began to establish community award shows to honor outstanding achievement in the LGBT community. San Diego established its own honors in 1974, when long-time gay activist and current City Commissioner Nicole Murray Ramirez created the Nicky Awards.

Nicky Awards are presented in more than 40 categories, covering business, activism, social and political subcategories. There are more than 600 businesses, events and people nominated this year. Voting was conducted throughout the last month, with the winners being announced at the awards ceremony, Aug. 28, 6:30 p.m. at The LGBT Center (3909 Centre St. in Hillcrest).

In addition to recognizing the best in San Diego, the Nicky Awards were also established to raise funds for community causes. The first Nicky Awards were a benefit for the Gay Center and the Metropolitan Community Church. Since the 1970s, the awards show has raised thousands of dollars for numerous LGBT causes.

Because of his very busy schedule and other commitments, Murray Ramirez’s involvement with the awards show has diminished greatly as he has turned it over to “a new generation of activists.” The Nicky Awards are now produced by a board of governors with the 2011 co-chairs being Lisa Sanders and Allan Spyere.

The Nicky Awards now hold the distinction of being one of the longest running gay awards shows on the West Coast and have been referred to by the media as “The gay Academy Awards of San Diego.” The Nicky Awards have been hailed and honored by governors, members of Congress, mayors and other elected officials – many who have attended the awards show.

The board of governors has announced two recipients of the 2011 Mayor George Moscone Award to two allied supporters: Police Chief William Lansdowne and the first woman executive director of the San Diego Imperial Counties Labor Council (AFL-CIO), Lorena Gonzalez.

The highest gay honors are the Harvey Milk Awards, which were first presented at the 1979 Nicky Awards. Receiving the Milk Award for lifetime achievement in the arts is world-renowned photographer Mike Ruiz, who is also a star of Logo’s A-List. Also receiving Milk honors is 26-year-old Navy veteran Sean Sala, who organized the active duty military contingent in this year’s Pride parade, plus Big Mike Phillips and Tom Brown, who organized a benefit to support Hillcrest fire victims.

A Michael Portantino Outstanding Achievement in the Media Award has been established in honor of the former Gay and Lesbian Times publisher. The first recipient is the progressive weekly publication, CityBeat.

The Nicky Awards ceremony includes a silent auction and cash bar with all the proceeds benefiting The Center, Lambda Archives and the Imperial Court. The ceremony also features live entertainment, including nationally renowned circuit diva Flava, J.C. Jones and impersonator Grace Towers.

Tickets are $50 general and $75 for VIP seating. For more information, call 619-300-1232 or log on to nickyawards.com.