G&G chooses Fabian Bane Florin as face of the year

The winner of the main category Face of the Year Fabian Bane Florin. In the other categories "G&G" has chosen Priscilla Schwendimann, Heinz Frei, Helen Keller, the angel dresses and Julian Koechlin as the winners.

Face of the year: Fabian Bane Florin

The Face of the Year, chosen equally by the "G&G" editorial team and the public from among all the nominees, was Fabian Bane Florin. The street artist was a drug addict for 14 years. Because of his addiction, he even became a criminal. Instead of imprisonment, he entered a long-term therapy - successfully. Today, the 39-year-old from Grisons is not only free and clean, but also one of the most successful Swiss graffiti artists. What saved him was his belief in his dream of dedicating his life to art. "I come from under the bridge, slept in underground garages. And now I am the owner of a beautiful studio and I can realize myself. I've won the lottery six times."

The Reformed pastor is committed to a church that is open to the world. A church that not only seeks contact with the younger generation, but is also especially committed to the LGBTQ community. The 29-year-old knows no taboos: on her YouTube channel "Holy Shit," the self-confessed lesbian talks openly about topics such as homosexuality and masturbation. Her aim is to build a bridge to all those people who do not feel understood or excluded by the church.

Encourager of the Year: Heinz Frei  

Born in Solothurn, he was just 20 years old when he became a paraplegic after an accident. Shock, anger and grief are followed by an immense drive. The burden of the wheelchair becomes the joy of wheelchair sports. Six years later, the man from Solothurn won five medals at his first Paralympic Games. One success follows the next. After a disappointing competition in Rio in 2016, he wants to try again in 2021 - and wins silver at the Paralympics in Tokyo at the age of 63.

Thought leader of the year: Helen Keller 

In 2011, the Zurich law professor is elected Switzerland's top guardian of human rights: For nine years, she serves as a judge at the European Court of Justice in Strasbourg. This is one of the highest positions a legal scholar can hold. And one with an extraordinary responsibility: to the people, but also to Switzerland. Today, in addition to teaching at the University of Zurich, Helen Keller, 58, is a judge at the Constitutional Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina. A great responsibility still weighs on her, and yet she has more time. Time for her family - and for her beloved music.

Border crosser of the year: Angel dresses 

Manuela Achermann, 44, Monica Wyss, 43, and Ursina Troxler, 44, are not only friends, they also share the same fate: they have all lost a baby. To help fellow sufferers cope with their grief, they have been sewing angel dresses on a voluntary basis since 2017: farewell clothing for so-called angel children who are born dead or are only allowed to live for a few hours - all of them tailored from festive or wedding dresses. Even though the work often gets to them: the joy prevails. "We give clothes of love for children of love."

High-flyer of the year: Julian Koechlin 

The Basel actor advanced to series stardom with his role in "Neumatt". After his appearances in "Wilder" and "The Undertaker," the 29-year-old is now one of the top actors in Swiss film. But he is also at home on the theater stage: In Aachen, where he has been living for the past four years, he was most recently in the spotlight as Jonathan in Astrid Lindgren's "Die Brüder Löwenherz". His success is due not least to his versatility, which is bringing him closer to his dream: a leading role in a major motion picture.