Television Academy today announced GLAAD – for its work accelerating acceptance of LGBTQ people through media, entertainment, and beyond – will receive the 2023 Governors Award.
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Awarded by the Television Academy’s Board of Governors, the Governors Award is bestowed upon an individual, company or organization that has made a profound, transformational and long-lasting contribution to the arts and/or science of television. Previous recipients include the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, Debbie Allen, American Idol, and more. As GLAAD nears four decades of bringing LGBTQ people and our issues to the forefront of mainstream conversation, GLAAD will accept the award and Emmys statuette during the January 15 Emmy Awards telecast on FOX.
GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis responded to this outstanding achievement, stating: “This tremendous honor from the Television Academy is a testament to the historic and impactful work of GLAAD’s founders, Board members, and staff over the past four decades, as well as the LGBTQ executives, creators and talent who are telling authentic LGBTQ stories on television. At a time when our world seems more divided and media plays an outsized role in shaping culture, television has the unique power to tell human stories that grow empathy and acceptance. This honor is just the latest example of how The Television Academy plays a pivotal role in ensuring accurate and diverse storytelling which educates, entertains, and enlightens.”
In an official release from the Television Academy about the honor, they cite one of GLAAD’s tentpole reports on tracking LGBTQ inclusion in entertainment: Where We Are on TV. Using data to understand the larger picture of how the LGBTQ community is presented by television networks, cable and streaming services, Where We Are on TV provides this information, along with other resources, to help content creators and news organizations strive for accurate and inclusive storytelling, depictions and reporting. In addition, the Academy cites GLAAD’s work through the GLAAD Media Institute – including work in video games and Spanish-language media, Spirit Day, the inaugural Black Queer Creative Summit, and more as motivation behind this once-in-a-lifetime achievement.
“GLAAD has been at the forefront of advocating for fair and accurate LGBTQ representation for many years and through its education and advocacy programs, it has had a culture-changing impact,” said Frank Scherma, Chair of the Television Academy. “Television shapes our society and influences dialogue that increases understanding and acceptance, making GLAAD’s work so important to the LGBTQ community, to legislative bodies and to the public.”
Watch the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards Monday, January 15, 2024 (8:00-11:00 PM EST/5:00-8:00 PM PST) on FOX.