Drag queens, club kids, and queer performers of all stripes celebrated Atlanta’s LGBTQ+ nightlife scene at Lips Atlanta with a night of glitz and glam.
The third annual Peachies Awards, presented by Wussy Mag, brought the community together on Aug. 4 for drag, burlesque, music, jokes about being polyamorous, and, of course, awards for the best in Atlanta’s queer nightlife.
The night’s big winners were Brigitte Bidet, who took home three awards for Best Queer Comedian, Best Drag Host, and Best Drag Show for Tossed Salad at Lore; and Lena Lust, who was honored with the Peachies’ first Mr. Charlie Brown Lifetime Achievement Award. The award recognizes the lifetime impact of local LGBTQ+ icons, named after the late drag legend.
In her acceptance speech, Lust remembered Brown’s legacy and called on the audience to keep fighting against attacks on the LGBTQ+ community.
“We need to stay on our toes,” she said. “The [Trump] administration is trying to eliminate us. But we will not be rebuked. We were there before they were, and we’ll be here after they’re gone.”
To celebrate Atlanta’s distinct nightlife scene, awards were given to fans, club kids, events, and establishments.
Ashley Elayne won Best Fan, Montre won Best Club Kid, Glitz at Mary’s won Best Competition Night and Mary’s won Best Queer Bar, and WussyFest won Party of the Year. Nicky Castelli won Best Bartender, becoming the third My Sister’s Room bartender to win the award. And while not technically a nightlife award, Out Front Theatre was named the Best Queer Business of 2025.
A number of queer artists and performers took home awards. Kynk won Best Visual Artist; Blair Minimum, the winner of Hot Mess All Stars, won Best Drag Newcomer; Eden, host of Alt3r, won Best Alt Performer; Cherry Nicole DeVille won Best Burlesque; Pressure K won Best Drag King; and Ocean Kelly won Best Musical Artist. Taylor ALXNDR won Best DJ but gave up the award to Abby Dear.
“If you have been to any kind of drag show, burlesque show, DJ night, the reason why the sound is great, the reason why mixes sound good, is because of Abby Dear,” ALXNDR said. “…She is literally a DJ legend in Atlanta and not a lot of people give her proper dues, so I think we should back into her. She is amazing.”
To close out the night, Dotte Com took home the award for Drag Queen of the Year to a standing ovation, and “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 10” star Nicole Paige Brooks won Entertainer of the Year.
Interspersed throughout the night’s 20 awards were performances by 2024 winners Poptart, Boy Howdy, Brie Fromage, Aries ALXNDR, and Cici Nicole.
In the midst of political turmoil and an increasingly vitriolic anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment nationwide, the 2025 Peachies Awards was a moment of pure joy, a celebration of community and the healing power of queer nightlife; in the words of the year’s Best Club Kid, Montre: “When we got out, we’re in our highest form, our highest expression.
Editor’s note: The article has been edited to reflect Montre and Kynk’s correct names.
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