Downtown Abbey and 177 other Nominations for LGBT Awards
The growing voice and presence of the LGBT community in entertainment in the United States will be celebrated at the 31st annual GLAAD Media Awards, for which a record number of nominations have been announced. The awards presented by the Gay & Lesbian…
South China Morning Post
The growing voice and presence of the LGBT community in entertainment in the United States will be celebrated at the 31st annual GLAAD Media Awards, for which a record number of nominations have been announced.
The awards presented by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation are intended to highlight and celebrate those names in film and television who tell LGBT stories and portray LGBT characters in a fair, complex, and non-derogatory light.
With 176 nominees in 30 categories, 2019 was a banner year for LGBT stories and characters. In announcing the nominations, GLAAD also announced it would be bringing back the category for outstanding Broadway production and adding a category for children’s and family programming, reflecting the growing visibility of gay stories and characters in children’s entertainment.
“There are more nominees for the 31st annual GLAAD Media Awards than ever before, not only because LGBTQ diversity and inclusion have progressed, but because GLAAD’s work to forward LGBTQ visibility has never been more important,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, GLAAD president, and CEO. GLAAD presents awards in English- and Spanish-language categories.
Zoe Saldana and John Cho (right) in a still from Star Trek Beyond.
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| Taylor Swift will receive GLAAD’s vanguard prize, a choice that has been questioned by some. Photo: Reuters/Caitlin Ochs |
Among the many nominees, this year are Rocketman, Booksmart,
and Downton Abbey,
and TV shows such as Schitt’s Creek, Vida, Pose, Dickinson,
and Star Trek: Discovery.
There are also categories for musical artists – where our money
is on Lil Nas X – and even comic books and video games.
This year, GLAAD is giving special recognition to the Netflix series Special,
which follows Ryan, a gay man with cerebral palsy, as he enters adulthood
and tries to take control of his life.
There are also eight separate categories in journalism, covering everything
from the best overall coverage to the best blog. This year two journalists,
Karen Ocamb, the news editor of the Los Angeles Blade, and Mark Segal,
the founder, and publisher of the Philadelphia Gay News are being singled
out for special recognition.
Winners will be announced at two separate star-studded events: the first
in New York on March 19, and the second in Los Angeles on April 16.
Much of the media coverage so far has centered on two honorees who
will be singled out by GLAAD for their contributions to LGBT culture
and visibility: Janet Mock and Taylor Swift.
Swift will receive the organization’s prestigious vanguard award,
a choice questioned by some – and one which led to a flurry of
sarcastic memes online – because of the singer’s history (until recently)
of remaining non-political, the fact that she is straight, and a perception
that she leverages her popularity among the gay community mostly
to sell records.
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