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On Saturday, “Faces and Stories” presented the “G&G” awards. The winner of the main category “Face of the Year” is Fabian “Bane” Florin. The other categories were won by Priscilla Schwendimann, Heinz Frei, Helen Keller, the angel dresses and Julian Koechlin.
The winners of the «G&G Awards»
For the first time under a new name, “Faces and Stories” presented the “G&G” awards on June 25. Faces and stories from the year 2021 were honored in the five categories “bridge builder”, “encourager”, “pioneer”, “border crosser” and among all nominees the “face of the year”. Nicole Berchtold and Salar Bahrampoori hosted the ceremony.
Face of the Year: Fabian “Bane” Florin
Fabian “Bane” Florin was named face of the year. The street artist was a drug addict for 14 years. Because of his addiction, he even became a criminal. Instead of imprisonment, he began long-term therapy – successfully. Today, the 39-year-old from Graubünden is not only free and clean, but also one of the most successful Swiss graffiti artists.
Bridge Builder of the Year: Priscilla Schwendimann
The Reformed pastor, 29, is committed to a cosmopolitan church. A church that not only seeks contact with the younger generation, but is also committed to the LGBTQ community. The concern of the self-confessed lesbian: to build a bridge to all the people who do not feel understood or excluded from the church.
Encourager of the year: Heinz Frei
The Solothurn was just 20 years old when he became paraplegic after an accident. Shock, anger and sadness are followed by an immense zest for action. The burden of the wheelchair becomes a passion for wheelchair sport. Six years later he won five medals at his first Paralympic Games. One success follows the next. At the age of 63 he won silver at the Paralympics in Tokyo last year.
Thought Leader of the Year: Helen Keller
In 2011, the Zurich law professor was elected Switzerland’s top guardian of human rights: she served as a judge at the European Court of Justice in Strasbourg for nine years. Today, Helen Keller, 58, is a judge at the Constitutional Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina in addition to her teaching activities at the University of Zurich. A great responsibility still weighs on her, and yet she has more time – for her family and her beloved music.
Border crosser of the year: angel dresses
Manuela Achermann, 44, Monica Wyss, 43, and Ursina Troxler, 44, are not only friends, but also share the same fate: They all lost a baby. In order to help fellow sufferers with their grief, since 2017 they have been sewing farewell clothing for so-called angel children who are born dead or are only allowed to live a short time – all of them tailored from party or wedding dresses.
High-flyer of the year: Julian Koechlin
With his role in “Neumatt”, the Basel native has become a series star. After his appearances in “Wilder” and “The Undertaker”, the 29-year-old is now at the top of Swiss film. But he is also at home on the theater stage: in Aachen he was most recently in the limelight as Jonathan in Astrid Lindgren’s “The Brothers the Lionheart”. His biggest dream: a leading role in a big movie.
All the highlights of the ceremony can be seen in the “G&G Weekend” special on Sunday, June 26, 2022 at 6:50 p.m. on SRF 1. Jennifer Bosshard and Joel Grolimund will host the special.