Litchi Hov Is Honorary Recipient for Role Model of the Year at the 2025 Feather Awards

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Lee-ché Janecke, known to many as Litchi Hov, received the Honorary Recipient for Role Model of the Year at the Feather Awards. He couldn’t be there to accept it in person, travelling overseas at the time, so his manager and family stepped in to collect the award on his behalf.

The awards celebrate members of the LGBTQIA+ community and their allies, and this recognition landed perfectly on someone who has spent his life pushing boundaries and creating space for others.

Lee-ché grew up in Bonteheuwel, Cape Town, where dance ran in his blood. His mother was a ballerina, his father a breakdancer. He fell into movement early, learning from both and making it his own. After school, he received an accounting scholarship, but numbers didn’t pull him the way dance did. He walked away from his studies and never looked back.

Lee-ché first gained recognition with Vintage Dance Cru, a group known for blending waacking and voguing. They built a following in South Africa and brought something new to the local dance scene, performing openly as a gay crew.

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Before his international breakout, Janecke featured on Step Up or Step Out, and later choreographed for some of South Africa’s biggest artists—Mafikizolo on “Khona”, Shekhinah on “Please Mr”, and Uncle Waffles on “Wadibusa”. He even lent his vision to the Feather Awards themselves, making the show come alive with movement.

His work later gained international attention. He created the viral “Water” dance for Tyla and choreographed her “Push 2 Start” video, earning a nomination at the MTV Video Music Awards. He also directed her Coachella performances for both days.

Through his company, HAUS of VINTAGE, Lee-ché manages over 80 dancers of different styles and backgrounds. He books them for award shows, TV, corporate events, photoshoots, commercials, music videos, and as background dancers.

At the Feather Awards in Johannesburg’s Melrose Arch, guests were asked to pause, look and listen to their hearts.

Here is the complete list of Feather Awards winners:

Hunk of the Year: Troy Malange

Diva Extraordinaire of the Year: Lilian Dube

Designer of the Year: Mzukisi Mbane

Hot Chick of the Year: Luyanda Zuma

Social Media Personality of the Year: Zaca Dominic

Best Styled Individual: Mordecai

Sports Personality of the Year: Andile Dlamini

Drama Queen of the Year: Simphiwe Dana and ‘Her’ Hairstyle

Musician of the Year: Nkosazana Daughter

Socialite of the year: Gogo Skhotheni