Inside GQ’s First-Ever Global Creativity Awards

Last night, GQ hosted its first-ever Global Creativity Awards in New York. Nearly 200 of the world’s most impactful innovative leaders and creative pioneers flocked to WSA, a new cultural center in Lower Manhattan. In the fading evening light, fans and passersby gathered to watch the arrival of luminaries like Anna Wintour, ASAP Ferg, Donald Glover, Edgar Ramirez, and Luka Sabbat.

Once inside the skyscraper, attendees crammed into an intimate lobby. Cocktails circulated as anticipation built. Suddenly, a surprise Yohji Yamamoto fashion show began. Models in the Japanese designer’s collection descended the escalator, crisscrossing in a hypnotic and gravity-defying display. The presentation set the tone for a night of many surprises. Afterward, the eclectic crowd dressed in tuxedos, jeans, gowns, and sweatsuits headed to the 28th floor for a decadent dinner.

Will Welch, global editorial director of GQ, took the stage to introduce the awards and his mission. The evening had a lofty purpose: to celebrate creativity across once-isolated mediums. “All the good stuff in the creative world is happening outside the old silos,” Welch said. “Tonight is about how energy is released when you go skidding across silos and crashing into walls.”

Fearlessly creativity connected all the figures who were awarded elegant trophies designed by David Yurman: the 28-year-old South Korean model and actress HoYeon Jung; Tim Cook, the 62-year-old American CEO of Apple; multihyphenate Donald Glover; and Gaetano Pesce, the Italian design pioneer. Other honorees included Yamamoto, designer Grace Wales Bonner, skateboarder Tyshawn Jones, and filmmaker William Strobeck. While each recipient’s contributions differ, all have provided the world with exceptional gifts.

“When are we closer to our own innate godliness than in the midst of the creative act?” Welch asked the crowd.

Ian Isiah, the genre-defying artist known for hits “Princess Pouty” and “Smoke,” served as the ceremony’s emcee. Throughout the ceremony, Isaiah encouraged the crowd to be boisterous in their ovations. 

As is customary to GQ and Welch, the party—although studded with titans and tastemakers—maintained irreverent ease. Dinner was served, family style. Created by chef Jake Tyler Brodsky, the feast included lobster pasta, caviar, shrimp, and steak. Bombay Sapphire martinis flowed freely. The speakers were, in turn, emotional, witty, and very often unprepared. Floating from table to table, guests moved about the space as if at a house party instead of a gala.

Upon receiving his award, Cook spoke of the undercurrent that connects all creative pursuits. “Whether it is a line of dialogue that brings viewers to the edge of their seats or the lines of code that brings so many innovations to life, creativity has the unique power to move people, to inspire us, to connect us.”

The dinner ended as it started: with a fashion show. This time, models wore looks by Grace Wales Bonner. Models weaved between tables in a collection of exquisite and singular vision.

As the ceremony concluded, the night began. A raucous afterparty, made possible by Calvin Klein, ensued in a nearby room. ACYDE turned tracks as guests danced in front of the staggering skyline. GoRilla, the rising rap star, gave an electrifying performance. Like that of so many in attendance, the future of the GQ’s Global Creativity Awards is blindingly bright.