Logo's 2012 'NewNowNext Awards': On the scene
While the lion’s share of awards shows air live — that’s part of the what’s-going-to-happen appeal! — Logo’s NewNowNext Awards are taped in advance, cut up a little bit, and then aired a few days later. So what you’ll see when the show comes on tonight at 10 p.m. — right after a new, and tragic (because of the heartbreaking elimination) episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race — went down last Thursday evening at Hollywood’s Avalon nightclub. EW was on the scene for the festivities and took a few notes to whet your appetite for tonight:
THE SCENE: The club location was fitting, as the place felt like what I’d imagine the late ’80s, early ’90s club-kid scene was like. Drag queens everywhere! Gold pants! Headpieces! Hair in all colors! Scenes for Party Monster could have been shot there with ease, which would have been fitting considering the movie was directed by RuPaul’s Drag Race producers (and personal friends of RuPaul) Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey.
THE PEOPLE: Not every alum from Logo’s flagship show, RuPaul’s Drag Race, was there, but plenty of them were. As you can see from the photo here, Sharon Needles, Milan, and Jiggly Caliente helped Kelly Osbourne kick off the show with a cute play on The Wizard of Oz. (Having a blinged-out Dorothy on stage couldn’t have been more fitting.) Also spotted: Drag Race season 3 winner Raja, Drag U judge Lady Bunny, The Talk‘s Aisha Tyler, Drag Race season 4 contestant The Princess, Drag Race judges Michelle Visage (boobs out and flower in her hair) and Billy B, Drag Race host and head judge RuPaul, columnist Dan Savage, as well as media types like E!’s Marc Malkin and Perez Hilton. Willam — who was recently, and sketchily, kicked off Drag Race for breaking the rules — acted as the Vanna White of the evening by handing out trophies.
THE HOST: In the aforementioned opening — in keeping with that Wizard of Oz theme — Osbourne sang (lip-synched) Cher’s “Believe.” And it was fun! Totally cheesy (and a mess in it’s own beautiful way), but entertaining. Osbourne, in fact, was a delightful host overall, poking fun at herself at nearly every turn. She did a segment where she looked back over her fashions from the past. “Are you serious?” she said after one egregious look flashed on the screen. “Don’t do drugs.” Later she summed up the show: “This is a conservative’s nightmare.” Indeed! And that’s why we watch.
THE PERFORMANCES: Much like, say, the Grammys, much of the NewNowNext Awards were about the performances. The night included realness from Neon Hitch, who won the Brink of Fame award; Neon Trees (so much Neon at NNN, in so many ways!); Rye Rye; and Adam Lambert, who belted his latest song, “Trespassing,” from his album of the same name that’ll hit May 15.
THE WINNERS: Oh yes, there were winners, too! Almost forgot. Since there’s no way to keep the winners quiet, the list is already out there. No need to rehash it all, but winners ranged from The Hunger Games‘ hottie Josh Hutcherson — who was in attendance and gave a cute speech, calling NewNowNext “the coolest awards show I’ve ever seen” — and GCB (the sexy Mark Deklin accepted for the show), to Revenge (Ashley Madekwe and Christa B. Allen accepted) and, yes, even host Kelly Osbourne (she shared the Beyond Style award with Andrej Pejic).
Will you watch the NewNowNext festivities tonight?
Tanner on Twitter: @EWTanStransky
Read more:
‘Revenge,’ ‘Magic Mike,’ and Jessie J lead nominees for 2012 ‘NewNowNext Awards’ — EXCLUSIVE
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