The Zoomies: our awards for the cultural icons who helped us get through 2020 from Taylor Swift to Tiger King

Thanks, guys
From Dua Lipa’s pop-timism to Marianne and Connell’s duvet sessions, culture has helped us keep it together
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One thing that 2020 has made abundantly clear is the importance of culture to our mental health. We wanted to herald some of the ways in which clever, creative people have helped us keep going in 2020, so even though the Oscars were postponed and the Bad Sex Awards cancelled, we’re holding our own Covid-safe awards. Ladies and gentlemen, we give you, The Zoomies:

The Wait What’s This I Feel Like Dancing Award

Graham Norton Show - London
Dua Lipa leavened the first lockdown
PA

Winner: Dua Lipa

Those first few weeks of lockdown, we all felt emptier than the loo roll shelf at Tesco. But then, like a gift from the disco-pop heavens, Dua Lipa arrived with Future Nostalgia — an album so buoyant and full of life that it all but melted away the foisted norm of hand sanitiser and anxiety. She could easily have held back until 2021, but she didn’t. And for that, we’re extremely grateful.

Honourable mention: All the poptimists who delivered joyous new music — the likes of Lady Gaga, Kylie Minogue and Harry Styles (see: flowy-shirt frolics in his Golden video)

The This Shouldn’t Be Funny But Otherwise I’d Cry Award

Sarah Cooper’s unhinged Trump lip synchs made it bearable

Winner: Sarah Cooper

The relief of the eventual US presidential election result may have slightly softened the edge of the genuine and increasing terror we’ve felt for most of the last four years, but crikey it’s been scary, so huge props to the comedian Sarah Cooper, whose simple but ingenious unhinged lip synchs to Trump’s real audio made it possible to laugh at Trump instead of weep.

Honourable mention: The Pin comedy duo for finding comedy in the hellscape of Zoom, and Munya Chawawa for hilariously dissecting race and class through his various characters

The I Wish I Hadn’t Moved Back in With My Parents for Lockdown Awkward Telly Award

41 minutes of screen sex. 41.
BBC/Element Pictures/Hulu

Winner: Normal People  

Picture the scene: you’ve successfully got the last train out of London, ready to weather the pandemic back at mum and dad’s. “Much on tonight?” asks Dad, clearing up the plates after a nice shepherd’s pie. “What about this new thing called Normal People?" Oh God, no. Marianne and Connell’s breathy duvet sessions totted up to 41 minutes of sex altogether – but that felt like 7000 years if you were sandwiched between your parents.  

Honourable mention: Industry – blimey, these bankers loved to bang; I Hate Suzie, for devoting an entire episode to self-love

The Why Are We All Watching This & Why Can’t We Stop Award

1
Why? Well, look at him
Courtesy of NETFLIX

Winner: Tiger King

As lockdown kicked in, our collective retreat indoors perfectly coincided with the arrival of one of the wildest documentaries of recent years - and with almost nothing else to do, we inhaled it. Netflix’s eight-part deep dive into the strange world of Joe Exotic and his Oklahoma animal park had it all, from big cats and missing husbands to polyamory and some of the worst examples of hairdressing ever captured on film.

Honorable mention: Outrageously dressed anti-heroine Christine Quinn kept us glued to Selling Sunset, while Emily in Paris was so bad, we couldn’t even file it under so-bad-it’s-good

The Let’s Do The Show Right Here Award

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR
Come rain, come shine, London theatre prevailed
Johan Persson

Winner: Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Back at the beginning of August, when the Government announced live theatre could return, we all had questions. Is it possible? And with all the Covid restrictions, would it even be any good? The answer was a resounding yes and yes. The spectacular socially distanced performance of Jesus Christ Superstar in Regent’s Park was one the earliest embodiments of London’s brilliant, resilient cultural scene.

Honourable mention: All the over venues that have made it work this year, from music venues and cinemas to art galleries and opera houses. We salute you all

The HOW Were You That Productive? Award

Taylor Swift rumours
We’ll have what she’s having
PA

Winner: Taylor Swift

Remember that innocent time in early lockdown when we thought we'd finally read all of Proust? Of course all we did was binge-watch Schitt’s Creek and panic-buy jigsaws online - except for Taylor Swift, that is. She sprang a surprise on us with Folklore, an album of spare, indie ballads full of her usual masterful lyrics, and then followed it up a few months later with its ‘sister album’, Evermore. We were already impressed Tay Tay, no need to rub it in.

Honourable mention: Zadie Smith for her essay collection Intimations - the first author to write coherently about this chaotic year

Bucket Shaker of the Year Award

31st Annual Producers Guild Awards - Arrivals
Jingle jangler extraordinare
Getty Images

Winner: Sam Mendes

It was a genius move - as the world of theatre crumbled around our ears, Mendes wrote a measured and sharp-pointed newspaper column noting that the streaming services, booming under lockdown, would be nothing without the talent nurtured on stage. Behold! Shortly afterward he announced a £250,000 donation from Netflix to start his Theatre Artists Fund for freelancers - £4.8m raised and 4,631 grants awarded so far.

Honorable mention: Phoebe Waller Bridge, whose Fleabag Support Fund raised more than £1m for charities including Acting for Others with her streamed performance of the original play; Andrew Lloyd Webber for piloting Covid-safety measures at the Palladium, for streaming his shows for free and for being hilarious on TikTok

The Pandemic-Proof Star Power Award

The Crown S4
Queen of hearts
Des Willie/Netflix

Winner: Emma Corrin

Consider us in love – whatever in love means – with Emma Corrin, the breakout star of series 4 of The Crown. She nailed a role that comes with a quite terrifying level of public scrutiny, playing one of the most famous and loved women in history, Princess Diana. She was all big eyes and blushes, Sloaney drawls and mischievous smiles – and a big reason why this was the best series of the royal drama yet.

Honourable mention: Paul Mescal – as gold chain-sporting dreamboat Connell in Normal People; Bukky Bukray – she blew us away in Rocks, her debut screen role

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