GLAAD Media Awards: 'Last of Us,' 'Heartstopper' win top prizes
The 35th annual GLAAD Media Awards, honoring fair, accurate and inclusive portrayals of LGBTQ+ people and issues in media, concluded its celebration in New York on Saturday (local time). The awards had previously announced half of its winners at a Los Angeles ceremony in March. The event recognized projects including Red, White & Royal Blue, The Last of Us, Rustin, Heartstopper, and the Las Culturistas podcast by Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers.
Major winners at the New York GLAAD Media Awards
Among the winners announced at the ceremony were Our America: Who I'm Meant to Be - Episode 3 for Outstanding TV Journalism - Long-Form, and The Jennifer Hudson Show episode Jennifer Hudson Surprises HIV Activist with $10,000 for Outstanding Variety or Talk Show Episode. The award for Outstanding Broadway Production went to Melissa Etheridge: My Window. Other notable winners included Family Karma for Outstanding Reality Program and Red, White & Royal Blue as Queer Fan Favorite.
More winners and special recognitions at GLAAD Awards
Las Culturistas (iHeart) won for Outstanding Podcast, while Rustin (Netflix) took home the award for Outstanding Film - Streaming Or TV. The award for Outstanding New Series was given to The Last of Us (HBO), and Heartstopper (Netflix) won for Outstanding Kids & Family Programming or Film - Live Action. Journalism and online content were also recognized, with "New York City Gay Bar Deaths Classified as Homicides" (NBC News Now) winning for Outstanding TV Journalism Segment.
Special honors and performances at GLAAD Media Awards
The ceremony was hosted by Ross Mathews and featured special honors presented to Jennifer Hudson and Orville Peck. Hudson received the Excellence in Media Award, while Peck was honored with the Vito Russo Award, presented by Jennifer Lawrence. The night also included special performances from Loren Allred and Scott Hoying, with presenters such as Uma Thurman, Beanie Feldstein, Don Lemon, and the cast of We're Here.
'I'm one of many of us here who've felt excluded...'
Accepting the award, Peck reflected on navigating the music industry as a singer-songwriter in a genre historically less receptive to the LGBTQ community. "I'm one of many of us here who have felt excluded or held back because of who we are," Peck stated, emphasizing, how queer individuals persistently "turn tragedy into art, humor, and culture." To note, the first GLAAD Media Awards ceremony—honoring the 1989 film season—took place in 1990, recognizing 34 nominees across 7 competitive categories.
