The ceremony is over and the winners have been revealed for this year’s GQ Men of the Year awards. Every year, the modern gent’s style bible celebrates various personalities and celebrities and their contributions and successes in their respective fields. Typically, the event takes place at a ritzy gathering in Los Angeles and involves legions of absurdly well-turned-out guests.
To celebrate the awards, GQ put out an issue with five different covers, featuring Justin Timberlake, Matthew McConaughey, hip hop star Kendrick Lamar, Will Ferrell and of course, the late, great James Gandolfini, who passed away earlier this year.
The winners
- Hugo Boss Most Stylish: Dan Stevens
- Comedians: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Edgar Wright
- Politician: Boris Johnson
- Oracle: Russell Brand
- Breakthrough Menswear Designer Brand: Jonathan Saunders
- Lifetime Achievement: Sir Bobby Charlton
- Radio Personality: Nick Grimshaw
- Entrepreneur: EvgenyLebedev
- Chef: Jason Atherton
- Sportsman: Carl Froch
- Writer: Charles Moore
- Woman: Emma Watson
- Editor’s Choice Award: Roger Daltrey
- The Serpentine Gallery GQ Art Award: Tracey Emin
- Band: Arctic Monkeys
- Remy Martin Breakthrough: Eddie Redmayne
- TV Personality: Piers Morgan
- Performer: Pharrell Williams
- Inspiration: Lou Reed
- Icon: Noel Gallagher
- Designer: Tom Ford
- Genius: Sir Elton John
- Legend: Michael Douglas
Despite his lack of popularity on these shores, Piers Morgan won ‘TV Personality of the Year’, praised by GQ for his tireless crusade for stricter gun control in the US. One week after Congresswoman Gabby Giffords was shot along with 18 other people, Morgan’s talk show made its debut on CNN, with him campaigning loud and clear against the ease with which guns can be purchased in America.
He enraged the pro-gun lobby so much that they campaigned to get him taken off the air and even out of the country. But he triumphed. It’s fair to say that while not solely responsible for the shift in attitudes, Morgan has definitely contributed to public opinion noticeably changing, with 90 per cent of Americans believing that there should be tighter gun laws in place.
When it comes to the winner of the grand title ‘legend’, Michael Douglaswas triumphant. Born into Hollywood royalty in 1944, his stellar career first took flight in the 1970s when he starred in the classic TV series The Streets of San Francisco. He’s been in the headlines for less celebratory reasons lately, because of having been diagnosed with tongue cancer. This clearly hasn’t stopped him or dimmed his drive, as can be seen from his flamboyant turn as Liberace in Behind the Candelabra, for which he received rave reviews. He is now set to play Ronald Reagan in the upcoming film, Reykjavik.
Sir Bobby Charlton was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, simply for the remarkable things he has accomplished over the last 75 years. Famously, he was a 1966 World Cup winner, captain of Manchester United and the first ever Englishman to lift the European Cup. By the time he retired from the pitch, he was England’s all-time top goal scorer.
But retirement didn’t end up being about a lack of activity for Moore. He lent his support to various charitable causes over the years and became a director of Manchester United, playing a hand in the appointment of Alex Ferguson.
All in all, a stellar line-up of creativity, skill and passion, duly rewarded!
