Tove Lo is the recipient of the GAY TIMES Honour for International Excellence in Music, sponsored by Skittles. 

One of pop music’s most exciting and innovative artists, the Swedish singer has never been afraid to address topics that have, historically, been declared “taboo” such as female sexuality, mental health and drug use. 

Throughout her decade-long career, Tove has released hits such as Habits (Stay High), which received quintuple platinum status in the United States, Talking Body, Cool Girl and Glad He’s Gone, the latter of which received a Grammy nomination for Best Music Video. 

She’s also collaborated with artists like Lorde, Ava Max, Coldplay, Charli XCX, Dua Lipa, Kylie Minogue and Duran Duran, garnering a Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Song for co-writing Ellie Goulding’s chart-topping smasher Love Me Like You Do. 

Her fifth studio album, Dirt Femme, was lauded for its experimental pop beats and sing-along hooks, accompanied by Tove’s signature mixture of camp and confessional lyricism. 

Fronted by singles such as How Long, No One Dies From Love and 2 Die 4, Dirt Femme’s cinematic visuals feature Tove in male drag and strutting through the Nevada desert in a metallic corset and fully-erect golden dildo. 

On Dirt Femme, Tove reflects on her teenage struggles with an eating disorder for the first time (Grapefruit) and how she doesn’t want to conform to a “traditional” life with ‘babies, fake grass, fake friends, routines and lies’ (Suburbia). 

In her cover story for GAY TIMES, Tove says: “I always want to do things that have an unexpected twist where people are like, ‘Wait, how do I feel about this?’ I want to lure that side out of people.” 

GAY TIMES Honours sponsored by Meta Quest celebrates the individuals and organisations who have had a profound effect on the lives of LGBTQ+ people over the past 12 months.

This year’s star-studded line-up of performers include Tove, Cat Burns, Grag Queen, Kai-Isaiah Jamal and Keanan, as well as a DJ set from Princess Julia.

The new digital edition of GAY TIMES magazine spotlights this year’s winners and is available to read now on the GAY TIMES app, Apple News +, Readly and Flipster.

To follow all of the action from GAY TIMES Honours sponsored by Meta Quest, check out our Instagram @GAYTIMES. For the latest winners, performances and special moments from the night click here.