What better way to bring in the New Year than with 20 sexy, smart, cultured, toned, and did we forget to mention sexy young men at the International Mr. Gay competition (IMG for short). The event will take place at the Music Box (Henry Fonda Theater) 6125 Hollywood Boulevard on Sunday January 20th, 2008 at 7:30 PM. Red carpet arrival begins at 7 PM with red carpet host, Mr. Nightlife.

The event will be hosted by funny man Dennis Hensley, who co-hosts the nationally syndicated radio show "Twist" and the handsome Tony Tripoli, who appeared with Dennis on "Kathy Griffin: My Life On The D-List" and is also a stand up comedian. The show will also have an appearance by special guest star Alec Mapa from the wildly successful (and gay faves) "Desperate Housewives" and "Ugly Betty". Mr. Gay USA will be represented by Josh Roberts.

Indoor/outdoor, photo, and fundraising events will take place during the competition benefiting the Noble Beast Foundation, but, International Mr. Gay isn’t just about beauty (or those rock hard abs). The competition is also about finding a suitable role model who would be able to combat and reinvent gay stereo types, not reinforce them. It’s not a pageant.

Event planner Don Spradlin says, "When people think of a competition involving attractive gay men, they automatically think ‘pageant.’ But our competition is about finding what’s attractive about the person overall by factors such as intelligence, community involvement and how they conduct themselves with their peers. Our competition is about finding an ambassador." In addition to being physically stunning, last year’s winner (Mr. Gay Israel) Nathan Shaked, was also a successful lawyer and owner of several health clubs.

Prizes and awards will include: 

  – International Mr. Gay 2008 – $10,000 Eric Butter Ambassador Award

  - International Mr. Swimsuit 2008  – $2000 Eric Butter Swimsuit Award

  – International Mr. Congeniality 2008 – voted on by fellow delegates

  – International Mr. Photogenic 

  - Most Popular – voted for online at www.Ohlalablog.com

  - Fund Raising Award given to the delegate who raises the most money to support the mission of the Foundation.

The 3rd Annual Grand Finale (and Awards Gala) will feature HERO Award recipient Nikolai Alexeyev, the organizer of the Moscow Pride march who was attacked in 2006 and again in 2007 as the Moscow police watched.

The IMG is produced by the Noble Beast Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) which depends on donations to support the Foundation’s Mission, which is to "Advocate International Equal Rights by confirming the essential nature and contributions of gay men to a healthy society."

You can vote for your favorite, find ticketing information, and last-minute competition updates, along with photos of the finalists at www.mrgaycompetition.com.