Sam Smith says singer Beverly Glenn-Copeland is 'a calming voice for our times'

Sam Smith bestowed Canadian singer and songwriter Beverly Glenn-Copeland with the Legacy Award at the PTP Pink Awards on Thursday, recalling a particular kinship they felt upon first meeting some time ago.

The British superstar flew into Toronto specifically to honour the musician, who may be best known to Canadians for his frequent appearances on CBC's Mr. Dressup. Smith described him as "a true statesman of the queer community."

"Like everyone who hears his incredible voice, I was immediately transfixed by Glenn's beautiful talent," Smith told the audience in the ballroom of the Fairmont Royal York Hotel.

"Listening to him sing is like feeling a warm embrace ... a calming voice for our times."

Smith met Glenn-Copeland when the pair recorded a new version of the 81-year-old's song Ever New. The track was released on a 2024 album showcasing transgender and non-binary artists. 

Glenn-Copeland began publicly identifying as a transgender man in the early 2000s and has since become an advocate. Last year, he revealed a dementia diagnosis, pulling back on live performances, though he was joined by his wife, Elizabeth, to perform his song Harbour at the awards.

He was one of six notable 2SLGBTQ+ figures honoured at the second edition of the Pink Awards, which recognizes figures and organizations who've made an impact in queer and trans communities in Canada.

This year's roster of names touched on many corners of the queer community, but the evening seemed especially focused on uplifting transgender voices after a year that's seen their rights challenged in both Canada and the United States.

David Walberg, executive director and CEO of the show's organizer, Pink Triangle Press, acknowledged the retrenchment in his opening remarks. He reminded the audience that two days before last year's inaugural Pink Awards, U.S. voters re-elected Donald Trump, who quickly moved to roll back trans rights.

"We all knew change was coming," Walberg said on the pink carpet ahead of the event. "But I don't think any of us had foreseen what has actually come to pass."

"They're banning books in school libraries in Alberta; they're talking about pulling back on health care for trans people in Alberta," he added, noting that Canada hasn't gone untouched.

"Things have definitely shifted."

Stars celebrate 2SLGBTQ+ advocates

The Pink Awards were less interested in dwelling on fear than in celebrating the people who advocate for positive change and resilience.

Among several musical performers was Toronto-based singer-songwriter T. Thomason, who played a cover of Bruce Cockburn's Lovers in a Dangerous Time with an emphasis on a particular lyric.

"Nothing worth having comes without a fight," Thomason repeated as he encouraged the crowd to join in.

In addition to Glenn-Copeland, five notable 2SLGBTQ+ people were put in the spotlight at the awards, which names its honourees ahead of time and asks them to hand-pick a community group they feel has made a positive difference. 

Those organizations each receive at least $5,000 in cash, bolstered by a portion of the proceeds from a silent auction.

"What a cool idea," said Harper Steele, the American writer who shares the screen with Will Ferrell in the Netflix documentary Will & Harper, which is about their friendship after Steele comes out as a trans woman.

"Why aren't all awards shows like this?"

Steele picked the Toronto-based youth counselling and social services group Friends of Ruby.

Donations given to performing arts organizations, Indigenous non-profits and more

Other names honoured included Reservation Dogs actor Devery Jacobs, who said last year's Pink Awards were "a light in the darkness of everything that was going on and is continuing to go on."

She selected the Native Youth Sexual Health Network, a grassroots organization run by Indigenous youth to support their peers.

Rough Trade musician Carole Pope chose the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research, and dedicated the donation to her late brother Howard. He was an original member of the ACTUP movement and fought for access to AIDS medication in the 1980s.

Sort Of creator Bilal Baig selected the Paprika Festival, which is based in Toronto and mentors queer artists in the performing arts.

Lawyer Douglas Elliott noted how unusual it felt to be included among a roster of mostly entertainers. While he might not be as glamorous as some of the others, he said it was important that "you're acknowledging the positive impact that lawyers have had on our community."

Elliott's legal battles for the rights of 2SLGBTQ+ Canadians are enshrined in Canada's history. He represented the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto, the first church in the world to marry a same-sex couple in 2001. 

He was also lead counsel in a class action suit against the federal government over the LGBT Purge, a mass expulsion of queer people from the military, RCMP and federal civil service that began in the 1940s and lasted until the 1990s. His fight led to an unprecedented $145 million settlement and a formal apology from then prime minister Justin Trudeau in the House of Commons eight years ago.

Elliott donated his award money to the Wabanaki Two-Spirit Alliance, which supports two-spirit and Indigenous LGBTQ+ people across the Wabanaki territories.

"We have a special responsibility for supporting two-spirited people in their efforts to restore, rebuild, thrive," he said.

"We have a lot to learn from our two-spirit brothers and sisters."

The Pink Awards are run by media company Pink Triangle Press, the publisher of Xtra Magazine as well as an advocate for 2SLGBTQ+ representation in Canadian media, similar to the media monitoring organization GLAAD in the United States.

The awards were co-hosted by Schitt's Creek actress Emily Hampshire and Canada's Drag Race choreographer Hollywood Jade.