3rd Annual Pink Flamingo Awards Presented by the LGBT Visitor Center

Jungle Island

Thursday, September 24

The third annual Pink Flamingo Awards are just around the corner! The Pink Flamingo Awards honor people, places and organizations that have demonstrably and excellently served the South Florida LGBT community in the past twelve months. Presented by the LGBT Visitor Center in Miami Beach, the Pink Flamingo Awards will be given out during an evening of fun at the Treetop Ballroom at Jungle Island (1111 Parrot Jungle Trl., Miami), Thursday, September 24, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

“The Pink Flamingo Awards party is the quintessential commemoration of ‘Community Celebrating Community,’” said Lori Lynch, Executive Director of the LGBT Visitor Center. “It’s not only an opportunity for the community to honor those who serve or entertain them year ‘round, but also to put the ‘fun’ back in fundraiser.  This year’s awards celebration will include lots of surprises, making for an evening to remember.”

Over 500 movers and shakers in South Florida’s LGBT community are expected to attend. Attendees can expect a fun evening beginning with a cocktail reception featuring open bars, a three-course dinner, live entertainment, and a stunning opener featuring the evening’s master of ceremonies, comedian ANT. ANT hosted the Pink Flamingo Awards last year and he was more than happy to return to the role of emcee this year.

The Pink Flamingo Awards are also the large-scale annual fundraising event for Miami Beach’s LGBT Visitor Center. All proceeds donated during the awards, as well as all proceeds from ticket sales, will directly benefit the LGBT Visitor Center and will continue to allow them to serve both locals and tourists alike who want to know more about the LGBT scene in South Florida.

Awards will be given out across 21 different categories this year. Voting is currently underway at pinkflamingoawards.com and will wrap up on September 18, with the winners being announced at the awards ceremony. The nominees in each category are:

Favorite Hotel Resort: 1 Hotel & Homes, South Beach; Delano South Beach; Fontainebleau Miami Beach; The Ritz Carlton, South Beach; The Standard Spa Miami Beach

Favorite Boutique Hotel: Gale South Beach; Hôtel Gaythering; Surfcomber; The Betsy South Beach; Vagabond Hotel

Favorite Restaurant – Fine Dining: Prime 112; Joe’s Stone Crab; Juvia; The Forge; Meat Market Miami

Favorite Restaurant – Casual: 13 Even; Cibo Wine Bar South Beach; Palace; Spris; The Social Club at the Surfcomber

Favorite Chef: Blair Wilson; Guily Booth; Mark Zeitouni; Michelle Berstein; Todd Erickson

Favorite One-Day Fundraising Event: AIDS Walk Miami; Give Miami Day; Pridelines Masquerade Ball; SAVE Halloween Ball; Task Force Gala

Favorite Fundraising Event – Weekend or Longer: Aqua Girl; Celebrate Orgullo; Miami Beach Gay Pride; White Party Week; Winter Party Festival

Favorite Drag Queen: Adora; Elaine Lancaster; Rubber Child; Tiffany Fantasia; TP Lords

Favorite Singer/Band: EnVee; Florenza Campos; JEI – Jane Castro; Karina Iglesias; Wilton Drive Band

Favorite Nightlife Destination: Cabaret South Beach; House Nightclub; Palace; Score; Twist

Favorite Dance Club: Club Bailo; House Nightclub; Score; The Manor; Twist

Favorite DJ: Abel; Alex Infiniti; Citizen Jane; Maximus 3000; Sushiman

Favorite Bartender: Aquiles Oraa, Twist; Charlie Dominguez, Score; Nathan Smith, Twist; Ray Ortega, Palace; Roger Lords, Score

Favorite Media Personality: Belkys Nerey; Craig Stevens; Jaime Guirola; Lynn Martinez; Roxanne Vargas

Favorite Miami Attraction: Jungle Island; Lincoln Road; Pérez Art Museum; Miami Beach Botanical Garden; Vizcaya Museum and Gardens

Favorite Retail Store: Banana Republic on Lincoln Road; Gap on Lincoln Road; Creative Male; H&M; Zara

Favorite Gym: Crunch; David Barton Gym, Miami; Equinox; LA Fitness; Orange Theory Fitness

Favorite Spa: Bliss Spa; Lapis at Fontainebleau; The Spa at Mandarin Oriental; Standard Spa, Miami Beach; Spa at Eden Roc

Favorite Promoter: Dustin Reffca; Edison Farrow; Holam Antonetti; Lynn Bove; Tony Ferro

Favorite Non-Profit: Aqua Foundation; Girl Noticed Project; Pridelines Youth Services; National LGBTQ Task Force; Unity Coalition

Favorite Local Hero: Dmitry Zhitov; Ederick Johnson; Herb Sosa; Sasha Westerman Keuning; Tony Lima

Tickets are available for purchase now via the Pink Flamingo Awards website at pinkflamingoawards.com, and they are priced at $75 per person. (A $1 surcharge will be applied.) If you are interested in buying a table for ten people, the price is $750 and must be purchased in advance. If you can’t attend the event but would like to donate to the LGBT Visitor Center and the MDGLCC Foundation anyway, you can do that at the tickets page as well.

For additional information about the third annual Pink Flamingo Awards, you can go to their website at PinkFlamingoAwards.com or you can contact Lori Lynch directly at either lori@gogaymiami.com or (305) 397-8914. The LGBT Visitor Center is operated by the MDGLCC Foundation, Inc., the 501c3 nonprofit foundation of the Miami Dade Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. For more information, visit GoGayMiami.com.