GLAAD Media Award facts for kids

The GLAAD Media Award is a special honor given out in the United States by the group GLAAD. These awards celebrate movies, TV shows, music, and other media that show lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people and their stories in a fair and respectful way.

The awards also recognize great work in theater, journalism, and even advertising. The goal is to honor media that helps people better understand the lives of LGBTQ individuals.

Winners are chosen by more than 700 voters and volunteers. They look for four main things:

• Fair and Accurate Portrayals: Does the project show the diversity of the LGBTQ community?
• Boldness and Originality: Does it explore LGBTQ topics in a new and creative way?
• Cultural Impact: Did the project reach a wide audience and make a difference?
• Overall Quality: Is it a well-made and high-quality project?

A final "Review Panel" checks the votes and uses their own expert opinions to decide the final winners. The very first awards ceremony took place in 1990 to honor media from the year 1989.

History of the Awards

The GLAAD Media Awards were started in 1990 by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (now just GLAAD). The idea was to celebrate media that did a good job of showing LGBTQ people and the issues they face.

The first ceremony in 1990 was a small event with only 34 nominees in 7 categories. At the 20th awards ceremony in 2009, TV host Phil Donahue, who won an award at the first ceremony, said, "It's unbelievable to think about... Twenty years ago... it was a very small crowd. There are more photographers here tonight than there were people then."

For the first six years, the winners were announced before the awards show. But since 1996, the winners have been kept a secret until they are announced live at the ceremony, which is more exciting. In 2005, the awards show was broadcast on television for the first time on the Logo channel.

What Does the Award Look Like?

The original GLAAD Media Award was a 6-inch tall crystal sculpture. It was a flat square with a design of five circles on it.

In 2009, for the 20th anniversary of the awards, a new trophy was designed. The current award is much taller, standing at 12 inches. It is made of a shiny metal sculpture on a black wooden base. This new design is more modern and sleek.

How Are Winners Chosen?

The process for choosing winners has a few steps. First, groups of volunteers called "Nominating Juries" watch, read, and listen to media from all year. These volunteers are experts in areas like film, TV, or journalism. They pick up to ten nominees for each category.

GLAAD also asks media companies to submit their work to be considered. However, a project can be nominated even if it wasn't submitted.

Once the nominees are chosen, over 600 voters help select the winners. These voters include GLAAD staff, members, and volunteers. After they vote, a "Review Panel" of experts looks at the results. They make the final decision on who receives the award based on the votes and their own professional judgment.

Award Categories

When the awards started, there were only 7 categories, and they were all for television. Over the years, GLAAD has added many more categories to include film, music, theater, video games, and online media.

There are categories for both English-language and Spanish-language media. This helps to recognize great work from a wider range of creators. As of 2023, there are 33 different categories.

Some popular categories include:

• Outstanding Film – Wide Release
• Outstanding Comedy Series
• Outstanding Drama Series
• Outstanding Music Artist
• Outstanding Video Game
• Outstanding Kids and Family Programming

Sometimes, categories are changed or removed. For example, the award for daytime soap operas was phased out as those shows became less common.

Special Honorary Awards

Besides the main awards, GLAAD also gives out special "Honorary Awards." These are non-competitive awards given to people who have made a big impact. They honor individuals who have used their fame or work to support the LGBTQ community.

Some of these special awards include:

• Vanguard Award: Given to a celebrity who has made a big difference in promoting equal rights for LGBTQ people.
• Stephen F. Kolzak Award: Given to an openly LGBTQ person in the entertainment industry who works to fight prejudice.
• Excellence in Media Award: Presented to media figures who have helped people better understand the LGBTQ community.
• Ally Award: Honors a media figure who has consistently used their platform to support and advance LGBT equality.

The Ceremony

GLAAD Media Award Honoree Laverne Cox at the 25th GLAAD Media Awards in 2014.

The GLAAD Media Awards ceremonies are big events held each year in cities like New York and Los Angeles. Celebrities and important public figures often host and present the awards.

Not all awards are presented on stage during the show because there isn't enough time. The winners of the other categories are listed in the ceremony's program book.

From 2005 to 2007, the ceremonies were shown on the Logo TV channel. Later, the Bravo network began broadcasting the event. In 2020 and 2021, the ceremonies were held online.

See also

In Spanish: GLAAD Media Awards para niños

• List of American television awards
• List of LGBT-related awards
• Felix-Rexhausen Award
• Rainbow Awards