...this night had no undertone of
competition or of animosity. Instead you
had a clear vision of appreciation of
differences...
The 2015 Alternative People’s
Choice Awards was as chalk full of
chatter and high spirits, as it was
of swoon-worthy human beings
and high fashion. There was an
almost tangible buzz in the air as
guests, entertainers, and nominees
filtered through the doors of Lee’s
Palace in downtown Toronto. From
rockabilly queens and burlesque
beauties to beloved bad boys
and old Hollywood icons, the best
of Toronto’s alternative community
were once again all under the one
roof. The energy was consistently
escalating, the bar was busy, and
you could easily feel the positivity
in the room as groups of people
piled into the pre-show photo
booth to strike some poses.
The entertainment was soothing for
the wallflowers and engaging for
the more livelier guests, creating
a typically hard to find but more
than welcome balance. Host
and comedian Daniel Woodrow
opened the floor for the nominees
with his fun, comedic style,
peppered with just the right amount
of raunchiness for a classy event,
while Tia Brazda and her fantastic
swing band entertained throughout
Missy/Ink | Issue 18
the night with both renditions of
vintage classics and their own
retro-inspired singles. There was
laughter, there was dancing and
there may have even been a few
lovers sneaking kisses. The air was
tinted with what could only be
called magic.
There were also speeches –
as one would expect – that
were consistently heartfelt and
reflective of the winner in the
spotlight. The most memorable were
Kassandra Love’s instantly iconic,
relatable, and simple response of
“F*** YEAH!” and Haley Benoit’s
emotional statement of solidarity
and accomplishment in the name
of her fellow curvy and diverse
women looking to break molds in
the modeling industry.
This night had no underlying sense
of competition or animosity. Instead,
there was an appreciation of
differences, genuine happiness for
other people’s accomplishments,
and the ideology that we were
all working together towards one
goal. It was all about the idea
that lifting one person up lifts us all
up and that it’s not about the all-
66
encompassing “I” but rather about
the more important “we.” This was
a night dedicated to being humble
and giving credit to our peers
where it’s damn well due.
We have needed to set a precedent
for how we honour and respect
our alternative communities and
contributors for a long time now.
This was our chance to recognize
the man that spent years honing his
craft before tattooing your mother
for her 50th birthday; to praise the
small-business owner who sold your
sister a beautiful shawl that was
painstakingly created through love
and dedication; to acknowledge
the young woman that helped you
cash out your groceries yesterday
afternoon but who also happens to
be an accomplished dancer, living
a life of literal duality to support
her dreams and to further her
creativity. The APCAs have done
a magnificent job of drawing this
need for recognition talent to the
surface and answering the call.
As of late, Toronto has been abuzz
with the cries of, “Come Together,”
yet little do people know that… we
already have.