GQ introduced a new franchise aimed at celebrating creativity. Called the Global Creativity Awards, it aims to honor those whose ideas and influence extends across multiple spheres and industries, such as music, fashion, film, business, art and sports.
The magazine’s April 2023 features some honorees as cover stars, including Apple CEO Tim Cook, fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto and actor and musician Donald Glover. Others being honored include designer Grace Wales Bonner, architect Gaetano Pesce, musician Karol G, filmmaker Bill Strobeck and skateboarder Tyshawn Jones. The honorees were feted at an event in New York on April 6.
For publishers, these franchises are major revenue-driving events, and as traditional sources of revenue decline, particularly print advertising, it only makes sense to create more of them. In addition to the publicity the awards will receive online, GQ is also able to make money by selling corporate partnerships; the Creativity Awards’ inaugural partners include Delta, David Yurman, Calvin Klein, Bombay Sapphire and State Farm (one honour, the “Good Neighbor Award,” is named for the insurer’s slogan).
Global editorial director of GQ Will Welch said the aim is that the Global Creativity Awards will become a tentpole for the publication, like GQ’s other major franchise, Men of the Year. Unlike Men of the Year, where each edition has its own issue and celebration, the Global Creativity Awards is an effort spanning GQ’s international editions — in keeping with parent company Condé Nast’s new global editorial strategy.
The list was created collaboratively with the top GQ editors worldwide, and was intended to set a “blueprint” for future classes of winners. The idea was to look beyond traditional winners of these magazine award franchises, and expand into other realms. The celebrities chosen for awards were also selected with a global audience in mind.