THE WINNERS FROM THE GUAP GALA 2022

Fashion Music

BY Letty-Rose Smith

October 9, 2022

*Natural History Museum* was the befitting venue for GUAP’s fairytale-themed gala

GUAP’s ethereal fairytale-themed gala took place on Friday 7th October at the Natural History Museum. The night itself made history, setting a clear precedent for how we should celebrate underrepresented creatives, in the befitting month of black history. The night began with guests showcasing their elaborate fairytale & folklore-inspired garments on a buzzing red carpet before the award ceremony began. The winners of each category were presented with GUAP’s stunning trophies and climaxed in an afterparty to remember within the stunning museum. Here is an overview of the GUAP’s amazing winners in each category.

Best In Glam

Winner Bernicia Boateng

“There are no words to describe how much I appreciate you all. I started doing makeup in my Mum’s kitchen, so to come this far and have your support means the world to me.”

Model Of The Year

Winner Kai Isaiah Jamal

” I grew up not seeing a version of me, and when I started the job my biggest duty was to allow other people to see a version of them. I have a saying that I switch all my M’s to W’s, because this isn’t me this is we. Without everyone in this room, this industry wouldn’t be what it is.”

Stylist Of The Year

Winner Toni Blaze

“This is ten years in the making. From an intern to Editor-in-chief of one of the biggest style magazines in the UK, so I’m going to give myself my props. And this is beyond me – everyone that looks like me, this is for you.”

Presenter Of The Year

Winner Henrie Kwushue

“I want to say shout out to every black woman in the building. It’s not easy being a Black woman in this industry, especially being from South London.”

Online Show Of The Year

Winner Does the Shoe Fit

“Big up Jamal Edwards – without Jamal we never would’ve started Mandem on the Wall, we never would’ve started The Wall of Comedy, and we never would’ve started The Wall of Entertainment. The biggest thing is, hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”

Creative Business Of The Year

(SPONSORED BY SQUARESPACE)

Winner DLT

“To win this award, at the first ever GUAP Gala especially, means a lot to us.”

The Creative Business of the year category is sponsored by Squarespace, the all-in-one platform that empowers millions of creators with the tools they need to grow an online business. This category features some of the most impactful and creative businesses operating in the UK creative industry, who over the past 12 months have been building up incredible momentum in their fields.

SOCIAL PLATFORM OF THE YEAR

Winner Chop Daily

“This has been a long run – this isn’t the first platform we’ve started, from Facebook to Myspace to every platform there’s been. This is the one that stuck, and we just want to thank God.”

MUSIC ARTIST TO WATCH

Winner Flo

“We can’t believe we won, this is our first award, and we are so sad we can’t be there to share this moment with you all. We are so grateful to GUAP and everyone who voted for us, love you all.”

ACTOR TO WATCH 2022

(SPONSORED BY NETFLIX)

Winner Precious Mustapha

“I’m so grateful to be in a room full of black excellence, everyone looks amazing. Let’s get turnt!”

VISUAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Winner Shaquille Aaron Keith

“In my artwork I try to tell my story as much as I can. I didn’t come from much but I did come from the best my mother could do. Tonight is about celebrating those stories, being black, being beautiful, breaking thresholds so we can do more stuff like this.”

PODCAST OF THE YEAR

Winner Cocktails and Takeaways

“My supporters, the bad boys and bad girls I love you. I also want to share this award with every single person that has sat across the table from me. I have been so honoured to sit with some of the most phenomenal talent in the UK, a lot of you are in the room right now, thank you for laughing with me, thank you for crying with me, thank you for being vulnerable with me.”

PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

Winner By Nwaka

INDUSTRY PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR

Winner Ginelle Appau

“If you know my story and my journey you know that this is God, and I’m just so blessed”

FASHION BRAND OF THE YEAR

Winner Daily Paper

“Those of you who have worked with us over the years, you know that this is deeper than clothes. If it doesn’t go through the three pillars of creativity, community and culture, we aren’t interested.”

DJ OF THE YEAR

Winner Donch Deejay

“I did not expect to win, I thought I was a little fish in this, thank you so much.”

DANCER OF THE YEAR

Winner Its Just Nife

“This is a big deal, especially for dancers. I want to thank my God, family, my manager, and everyone who has supported me.”

CULTURAL HERO OF THE YEAR

Winner Kwajo Housing

“The amount of estates I’ve had to climb trying to get a message across – I’m so glad I’m here today because it means that message is finally getting through.”

CONTENT CREATOR OF THE YEAR (SUPPORTED BY INSTAGRAM)

Winner Munya Chawawa

“When I was younger I moved from Zimbabwe to Norwich, there were no black people, no people of colour, I remember walking around my neighbourhood thinking will I ever be surrounded by people like me – people who create, entertain, have wild imaginations. In this room today I feel really at home, so thank you.”

WRITER OF THE YEAR

Winner Nadine White

Unfortunately, Nadine was unable to attend the gala however we would like to congratulate her again and cannot wait to read what she writes next.

DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR

Winner Gabriel Moses

“We all work super hard so this is super nice. Thank you so much to Ibrahim and Jide, the first people to support my thing. Appreciate you all.”

LEGACY AWARD

Winner Jamal Edwards

“I didn’t have too many people to look up to – without Jamal, I wouldn’t be here today, this event wouldn’t be happening.” – Jide Adetunji, GUAP Co-founder.

“When we were coming up, Jamal Edwards was the only person that already had a platform that supported us. He holds a very big place in our heart.” Ibrahim Kamara, GUAP Co-founder.

“Jamal was a man who led with his heart in a world where it’s easy to get lost in our thoughts. I encourage you all to remember your hearts, especially in this business. As Jamal also said, with self belief we can truly change things, even when they seem impossible.” Vanessa, Executive Assistant at SBTV.

“Jamal was a true force of nature and lived for and believed in British art, from all disciplines, and breaking down barriers. We must continue to support the next generation to break through and we must continue to be risk takers to ensure diverse ideas and voices break through. Jamal once tweeted “We all die. The goal isn’t to live forever, it is to create something that will.” Rest in peace Jamal Edwards. – Brenda Edwards, Jamal’s mother.

A huge congratulations to all of our winners, and all of you that voted. Last but not least, thank you to our sponsors at Squarespace, Netflix, Instagram and Adidas.

Squarespace is a leading all-in-one platform with everything to sell anything, providing customers in approximately 200 countries and territories with all the tools they need to sell physical products, digital content, classes, appointments, reservations and more. Powered by best-in-class design for a consistent brand experience across all touchpoints, our suite of fully integrated products enables anyone to manage their projects and businesses through websites, domains, e-commerce, marketing tools, and scheduling, along with tools for managing a social media presence with Unfold and hospitality business management via Tock. For more information, visit www.squarespace.com.

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