Welcome to the Focus Awards
Meet Your Honorees
The Focus Awards honorees reflect a diverse and exceptional group of individuals who have excelled in their respective categories. Through dedication, innovation, creativity, and connection to their local communities, they stand as shining examples of excellence, inspiring others with their achievements and contributions.
People's Choice Award Nominees
Reflecting the voice of the public, the People’s Choice Nominees are those who have resonated with audiences and made a significant impact in their community or industry. These nominees represent the people’s favorites, showcasing the power of connecting with hearts and minds.
#TeamEleanor
Eléanor Kay Rigby
Eléanor Kay Rigby is a Memphis performance artist, vocalist, and drag entertainer known as the city’s “Original Singing Bartender.” For more than a decade, she has brought glamour, humor, and powerhouse live performance to Memphis nightlife while promoting LGBTQ+ visibility and HIV-status awareness.
#TeamAubrey
Aubrey Ombre
Aubrey Ombre is a Memphis transgender drag entertainer, DJ, karaoke host, and longtime LGBTQ+ activist. A former Miss Dru’s Place, Miss Mid-South Pride, and Miss Gay Memphis, she has spent more than a decade performing, mentoring emerging talent, and supporting local charitable causes.
#TeamJesse&Joe
Memphis Gifts Baskets Jesse James and Joe Zeeban
Memphis Gift Basket is a locally owned gifting company led by Jesse James and Joe Zeeben, creating curated baskets that celebrate Memphis products, flavors, and businesses. The co-owners are expanding the online retailer into an Uptown storefront and fresh market, building a more personal neighborhood destination for customers and local makers.
#TeamVaria
Varia Merritt
Tavaria “Varia” Merritt is a transgender woman and LGBTQ+ advocate who helped found Be the Change LGBTQ+, the first openly LGBTQ+ community in the Tennessee prison system. Through peer support, writing, and organizing, she advocates for the safety, dignity, housing, and well-being of incarcerated LGBTQ+ people.
#TeamElias
Elias Williams
Elias Williams is co-vice president of Mid-South Pride, helping lead one of Memphis’s largest LGBTQ+ community celebrations. Through Pride programming and public advocacy, he works to promote visibility, belonging, and support for LGBTQ+ people throughout the Mid-South.
MidSouth LGBT Chamber Pioneer Award
The MidSouth LGBT Chamber Pioneer Award honors a member, business, organization, or leader whose vision, leadership, and dedication have helped establish and strengthen the MidSouth LGBT Chamber of Commerce while creating lasting impact in our community.
Corey Hague – Memphis Funeral Home
Corey Hague is the general manager of Memphis Funeral Home & Memorial Gardens, where he leads the team in providing professional, compassionate funeral and memorial services to families in the Memphis area. With decades of experience in funeral service, he helps families navigate end-of-life arrangements with care and respect.
Rev. Edith “Edie” Love
Rev. Edith “Edie” Love is a Memphis-based, fellowshipped Unitarian Universalist community minister and chaplain. She provides pastoral care and officiates weddings and memorials, bringing a compassionate, inclusive approach to spiritual care and community life.
Mystic Krewe of Pegasus
The Mystic Krewe of Pegasus is Memphis’s LGBTQ+ Mardi Gras krewe and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to unity, diversity, celebration, and charitable giving. Through its signature masquerade ball and community events, the Krewe brings people together while raising support for local causes.
MidSouth LGBT Chamber Advocacy in Business Award
The MidSouth LGBT Chamber Advocacy in Business Award honors an individual or organization whose leadership and advocacy have advanced equality, inclusion, and opportunity for LGBTQ+ professionals through business, public policy, and community partnership.
Jenieya Peterson Music City PrEP Clinic
Music City PrEP Clinic is a sexual-health and wellness provider serving Memphis with accessible, stigma-free HIV prevention and care, including PrEP, PEP, and HIV and STI testing. Jenieya Peterson is a Memphis sexual-health educator and PrEP navigator whose community advocacy helps connect people with informed, affirming prevention resources.
Tennessee Equality Project
Tennessee Equality Project is a statewide nonprofit that advocates for the equal rights and inclusion of LGBTQ+ people across Tennessee. Through legislative advocacy, public education, and community organizing, TEP works with residents and elected officials to advance fair and inclusive policies.
Jasmine Tasaki – WeCareTN
WeCare TN is a Memphis-based nonprofit led by Executive Director Jasmine Tasaki that supports transgender women of color through education, resources, advocacy, and affirming community care. The organization works to advance equity, dignity, and quality of life while helping LGBTQIA+ people in the Mid-South build sustainable self-advocacy.
MidSouth LGBT Chamber Bridge Builder Award
The MidSouth LGBT Chamber Bridge Builder Award honors a business, nonprofit, or organization that has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to advancing inclusive economic growth, supporting LGBTQ+ professionals, and strengthening connections across our community.
Mia Saine
They / Them / Theirs
Mia Saine is an award-winning Black, queer illustrator and designer from Memphis whose vibrant work centers diversity, culture, and empowering representation. Through collaborations with major brands and community organizations, they use bold color and approachable storytelling to uplift marginalized voices and encourage self-expression.
Mortgage Financial Services
Mortgage Financial Services is a Memphis-based independent mortgage company that helps clients navigate home financing, from first-time home purchases and down-payment assistance to refinancing. Its team provides personalized mortgage guidance designed to help borrowers find loan options suited to their financial goals.
The Pumping Station
The Pumping Station is a long-running LGBTQ+ neighborhood bar and gathering place in Midtown Memphis. Known for its welcoming atmosphere, music, themed events, food and drink specials, and 21+ Tree House, it offers a social space for Memphis’s LGBTQ+ community and allies.
Champion of the Year
The Champion of the Year Award recognizes leaders who have displayed outstanding dedication and innovation in their fields. This year’s winners have truly embodied what it means to be a champion, setting an inspiring example for others to follow.
Lamplighter Lounge
Lamplighter Lounge is a longtime, owner-operated Midtown Memphis bar, restaurant, and live-entertainment venue known for its inclusive, LGBTQ+-friendly atmosphere. The venue hosts live music, drag and burlesque shows, karaoke, dancing, and community gatherings—creating a welcoming space for people of many identities.
Dr. Latrice Pichon
Dr. Latrice C. Pichon, PhD, MPH, CHES, is a professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Memphis School of Public Health. Her community-engaged research focuses on HIV awareness, prevention, outreach, and care—particularly through partnerships with faith-based and community organizations serving vulnerable populations.
Randy Truong
Randy Truong is a Memphis-based community advocate, philanthropist, and co-founder of API Memphis, an initiative that creates professional and cultural connections for Asian American and Pacific Islander residents. In thier role at the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis, they support community impact, nonprofit relationships, and local giving.
Performer of the Year
Celebrating creativity and charisma, the Entertainer of the Year Award honors those who have captivated local audiences with their compelling performances and artistic excellence. These remarkable talents have earned their place in the spotlight through their dedication to the craft and connection to the community.
Zoey Adams
Zoey Adams is a Memphis-based Black transgender drag entertainer and the reigning Miss Mid-South Pride 2026. With more than a decade of performance experience, she is known for polished glamour, high-energy shows, and her enduring presence in Memphis nightlife.
Kaiyla JonVier Dickerson
Kaiyla JonVier Dickerson is a Memphis drag entertainer and pageant performer who appears in local LGBTQ+ events and showcases, including Tri-State Black Pride programming. Known by the stage name Kaiyla Starr JaDore, she brings glamour, personality, and a celebratory spirit to the city’s drag community.
Sairen Strange
Sairen Strange is a nonbinary Memphis drag and performance artist whose theatrical work blends dark cosplay fantasy, draglesque, modeling, and pageantry. A decorated titleholder, they are the reigning Mx Mid-South Pride 2026 and bring six years of stage experience to venues across the Mid-South.
Trailblazer of the Year
The Trailblazer Award is reserved for individuals who have broken new ground and set unprecedented standards in their industry. The winners of this prestigious award are pioneers in their respective fields, forging paths and inspiring others to reach new heights.
Jordan Ash
Jordan Ash is a Memphis entertainer, singer, songwriter, and actor who brings original music and performance to local community events. Their work reflects a creative, expressive presence within the city’s arts and LGBTQ+ spaces.
Lisa Berry
Lisa Berry is a Memphis community-engagement and operations professional who also produces welcoming social events for the local queer community. Through projects including The Queer Kickback and The Planet, she creates intentional spaces for connection, celebration, and LGBTQ+ visibility.
Vaniel Simmons
Vaniel Simmons is a Memphis-based queer advocate and project coordinator at Community Alliance for the Homeless, where they support efforts to prevent and end youth homelessness. A Rhodes College graduate, writer, photographer, and Focus LGBT Magazine contributor, Vaniel combines community organizing with a lasting commitment to youth empowerment and social justice.