Outsmart Magazine Gayest and Greatest 2025 Reader’s Choice Awards – Part II
October 23, 2025
OutSmart magazine’s Gayest & Greatest Awards celebration lit up South Beach Houston as award winners, finalists, and friends struck joyful poses in front of a dazzling flower wall designed by Javier Jimenez/The Golden Leaf. The energy was as colorful as the backdrop, with hundreds of guests dressed to impress and ready to celebrate Houston’s vibrant LGBTQ community.
The Gayest & Greatest Readers’ Choice Awards is OutSmart’s annual celebration of excellence across Houston’s LGBTQ community and beyond. Each year, readers cast over a hundred thousand votes honoring outstanding individuals, organizations, and businesses that exemplify leadership, creativity, and service. The awards spotlight everything from community advocates and arts leaders to local restaurants, nightlife venues, and nonprofits—showcasing the people and places that make Houston one of the most inclusive and dynamic cities in the nation.
Leaders from across the city joined the festivities, including Avery Belyeu, Dan Cato, and Kevin Nguyen of The Montrose Center, and Tammi Wallace and Jack Berger from the Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce. The arts community was also well represented, with attendees including Tamarie Cooper and Abraham Zapata of The Catastrophic Theatre, as well as numerous visual artists and gallery owners. Social media personalities, culture influencers, and members of Houston’s drag royalty added extra sparkle to a night that perfectly captured the joy, creativity, and connection that define Houston’s LGBTQ scene.
For the full list of 2025 winners and finalists of OutSmart Magazine’s 28th Annual Gayest & Greatest Awards, please visit here.
