Thursday, March 30th, 2023, The 34th Annual GLAAD Media Awards took place at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, California. It was an unforgettable night filled with surprise guests, impactful speeches, and spectacular performances.
To kick off the night, the incredible Jennifer Coolidge and Jane Lynch took the stage for a Best in Show reunion. Coolidge took the opportunity to remind us why we were all here tonight, “I believe we all have the right to be who we are, love who we love, tell our stories, and celebrate that in every way we can.”
Following this, the winner of Outstanding Music Artist, Fletcher gave a jaw dropping performance of her hit song “Becky’s So Hot.”
After the evening’s host Margaret Cho’s hilarious opening remarks, it was announced that A League of Their Own would be taking home the award for Outstanding New Series. Co-creators Abbi Jacobson and Will Graham welcomed 96-year-old former All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player Mabel Blair to the stage. Blair, who came out at 95 years old serves as a reminder that it is never too late to start living your most authentic life. Fans of the series can look forward to the recently announced upcoming season.
Other big winners of the night included What We Do in The Shadows for Outstanding Comedy Series, 9-1-1 Lone Star for Outstanding Drama Series, and Bros for Outstanding Film – Wide Release.
The cast of Framing Agnes were presented their award for Outstanding Documentary by Vanessa Williams and Michelle Visage. The dedicated allies to the drag community spoke out against the anti-LGBTQ legislation being passed all across the country. “I stand here tonight in allyship with the LGBTQ community. Over the years I’ve watched my LGBTQ friends shift from silence and fear to confidence, advocacy, and non-stop Pride. And I am not about to let a politician, a so-called “journalist”, or any kind of hater push my friends back in the closet,” Williams said.
Perhaps the most impactful moment of the evening, Club Q shooting survivor Michael Anderson took a moment to remember the 5 lives lost in the horrific attack this past November. Anderson then spoke about how it was Christina Aguilera “who has inspired generations to fight for acceptance.” He then presented her with this year’s Advocate for Change Award.
Introduced by activist and actress Geena Davis, GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis, gave a moving speech, stating “We are targeted because too many people don’t know us or understand who we are. And what you don’t know, you fear. Right-wing politicians and talking heads are rushing to fill that knowledge gap with baseless rhetoric that goes unchecked by news organizations and unregulated by social media companies. They’re using fear to get clicks and score political points. So, I ask you: are we going to let them get away with it?”
Later in the evening, Orville Peck put on a show stopping performance of “Hexie Mountains,” Ricky Martin presented Bad Bunny with the Vanguard Award, and Gabrielle Union presented Jeremy Pope with the Stephen F. Kolzak Award.
For a full list of the night’s winners, see here. The GLAAD Media Awards will premiere on Hulu on Wednesday, April 12, 2023. Remaining winners for select categories will be announced at GLAAD’s New York Ceremony on Saturday, May 13th.