The 41st Creative City Awards was held on Thursday evening at the 1 Hotel. The annual fundraiser to support the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce honors businesses and community members for their innovation and creative input to West Hollywood.
This year’s awards also celebrated and honored the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce current President and CEO Genevieve Morrill. Morrill has announced her retirement from the WeHo Chamber at the end of the year after sixteen years at the helm of leadership of WeHo’s business community.
Morrill took the stage to a standing ovation. The room electrified. Morrill spoke tearfully recounting the years. This would be the last Creative Business Awards that Morrill will oversee as President and CEO.
A new President and CEO has been selected but their name has not been released until contract negotiations are finalized. The Board of Directors presented Morrill with the Ray Reynolds Award for her leadership of the Chamber and her commitment and work with the West Hollywood business community. Reynolds was a former Director of Economic Development for the City of West Hollywood.
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The theme of this year’s event was ‘Ringmasters of Business Innovation”, sponsored by the Beverly Center. The Circus theme was front and center from the moment guests arrived. H’wood group was honored with the legacy award for their commitment to West Hollywood. WeHo’s Drag Laureate Pickle and Comedian Derek Hughes served as Masters of Ceremonies.
Raj Saanidhi, serving as the current Chair of the Chamber offered warm words to Genevieve Morrill, all the nominees and other members. Saanidhi is the owner of Capitol Drugs. Former Chair David Wood along with the entire Chamber team honored and celebrated Morrill. Love was in the air all around.
All members of the city council were in attendance. Morrill thanked each one individually with praise for their service. City Manager David Wilson got a round of applause as his name was announced. Wilson will also be retiring at the end of the year.
But the highlight of the night was the Chamber members, and the City of West Hollywood’s business community. The ballroom was packed with an oversold crowd. Earlier in the day some members received texts asking if those who had purchased tables had any seats available. This year’s silent auction, which provided good and services by many members of WeHo’s business community was the largest ever offering over $100,000 in the total value available to bid.
Everybody was a winner. A full list of all the nominees can be found here.
The legacy award presented to the H’wood group: H’wood group a West Hollywood based hospitality owner of restaurants and nightclubs including Deliliah’s, Nice Guy, Boosty Bellows, Harriets and more.
The final winners were voted on by Chamber members in a secret digital ballot:
The Corporate Innovation Award: The Lot at Formosa.
The Creative Concept Award: Alba Restaurant.
The John Chase Art & Design Award: Art Walk / The Design District.
The Creative Communications Award: Lucky Break Public Relations.
The WeHo Attraction Award: Dialog Cafe
The Innovative Sustainability Award: Athens Services. Athens Services had the honor of being nominated eleven times but would take home the prize in 2025. Jennifer Masterson, accepting the award on behalf of Athens Services thanked the crowd and joked they had been the ‘Susan Lucci’, of the ball.
The Creative Community Service Award. TransCanWork. The crowd erupted with loud applause as members of the TransCanWork team took the stage for the final award of the evening. One by one each offered words of inspiration. “Thank you for an inclusive community”, “We are here and we are not going anywhere”, “If there is anybody out there who has an available job give us a chance you won’t be sorry.”
Congratulations to all the winners. Thank you Genevieve Morrill.
