The 35th Annual GLAAD Media Awards are less than a week away and some of the biggest names in music are being honored! In addition to the Outstanding Music Artist category, which is spotlighting icons in the industry such as Miley Cyrus, Billy Porter, Janelle Monáe, Kim Petras, and more, the Breakthrough Music Artist category is uplifting stars making lasting change in the music world, in the early stages of their career.
This year’s nominees for Outstanding Breakthrough Music Artist include Chappell Roan, David Archuleta, Fancy Hagood, G FLIP, Ice Spice, Iniko, Jade LeMac, The Scarlet Opera, Slayyyter, and UMI. These artists’ songs, music videos, and live performances have made a significant impact on LGBTQ visibility and acceptance. The winner of this award will be announced Thursday, March 14th at The 35th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles.
During this challenging time where the LGBTQ community seems to be under constant attack, it’s more important than ever to have such brave and talented artists living their lives authentically and telling their stories through music. With so many incredible musicians from a variety of backgrounds and genres, it’s nearly impossible to pick a favorite.
Here are this year’s nominees for Outstanding Breakthrough Music Artist!
Chappell Roan
Chappell Roan, is the queer, Midwestern princess we didn’t know we needed but now can’t live without. From using her platform to spotlight local drag queens on her tour, to her debut album being named the #12 album of the year by Rolling Stone, to releasing bisexual bops that speak to a generation, Chappell Roan is the future of music.
Perhaps her most notable song, “Pink Pony Club,” is a ballad about finding solace in an LGBTQ safe space. “I heard that there’s a special place, where boys and girls can all be queens every single day,” she sings in the song. This track is especially meaningful for anyone who’s found home and chosen family in queer nightlife. Roan’s concerts have now become that space for her 1.4 million monthly listeners.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Roan shared that being so open about her queerness in her music “Allows me to feel really safe exploring those aspects of myself. I’d never be able to do that if I took myself super seriously with pop. I think that the project has allowed me to be a part of the queer community in a deeper way because I’m not observing from the outside anymore. I feel like I’m in it. I am the queer community–it’s allowed me to just feel queer, feel like a queer person and feel freedom in that. It’s allowed me to feel safe on stage with the audience because I know a lot of people in the audience are queer and they just want to be there and have a good time.”
Catch Chappell Roan on her headline tour or opening for Olivia Rodrigo on her Guts Tour this spring!
David Archuleta
Fans remember David Archuleta as the teen heartthrob who won over millions during his American Idol run. As the first runner up in a season with a weekly average of 27 million viewers, Archuleta has long been a household name. But since his 2008 hit “Crush” and 2009 appearances on Hannah Montana and iCarly, a lot has changed for the singer-songwriter.
In 2021, after being in the spotlight since he was a teenager, Archuleta made the courageous decision to come out publicly as gay. Having been raised as a Mormon, this was an incredibly challenging journey for the singer. Soon after this, Archuleta made a brave return to the world of singing competitions, finishing in second place as “Macaw” on Fox’s The Masked Singer.
Fancy Hagood
Fancy Hagood is another artist who is no stranger to career pivots. The self proclaimed “former pop diva turned country queer icon,” has collaborated with legends in the industry like Kacey Musgraves on Blue Dream Baby and a variety of LGBTQ country music artists like TJ Osborne, Brooke Eden, and Jamie Wyatt on his 2023 project Apple Music Sessions: Fancy Hagood & Friends. Together, these artists are making the country music world a more inclusive space.
Also in 2023, Hagood released a deeply personal single titled “Southern Sound.”
In a recent interview with GLAAD, Hagood shares that “I think it is an important story to tell because it’s a story happening to so many LGBTQIA+ kids in this country and beyond. I was inspired to make the video after so many horrible bills that were harmful to the queer community that were being introduced all across our country.”
In the music video, Hagood plays the role of a bartender who helps the young couple find housing. Hagood says that character was inspired by “several people who were certainly a life raft for me.”
Catch Fancy Hagood on tour at a city near you: fancyhagood.com/tour!
G FLIP
Originally from Australia, G FLIP is a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer making waves in the music world. While some may recognize them as Chrishell Stause‘s spouse from Selling Sunset, G FLIP is that and so much more!
With over one million monthly listeners on Spotify, their latest album “DRUMMER” is a future classic.
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In an Instagram post last spring, G FLIP revealed they had written this song for Stause and showed the world her priceless reaction. In an interview with Breakfast with Bryce and Concetta, G FLIP shared that they and Stause had “accidentally” fallen in love with each other.
When they had met, Chrishell was set to appear on a dating show. G FLIP told Bryce and Concetta that “I remember just being like ‘You’re going on this show to find a man and we’re having fun, I’m not what you planned, you know I can be that for you,'” and that’s where “Be Your Man” was born! “It started from those ideas and those emotions that I was feeling at that time.”
Catch G FLIP on their world tour, buy tickets here.
Ice Spice
An artist who needs no introduction; Ice Spice is the face of Gen-Z. The bisexual Bronx native is nothing if not authentically herself. From performing live with some of the biggest names in music like Taylor Swift and Doja Cat, 2023 was the year of Ice Spice.
At only 24-years-old, Ice Spice has garnered an audience of over 27 million monthly listeners, or Munchkins, as she lovingly calls her fans. Just this past year, Ice Spice was featured on the Grammy Award winning Barbie soundtrack, nominated for 4 Grammy awards and 2 Billboard Music awards, was named BET’s Best Breakthrough Hip-Hop Artist, and was honored in Forbes 30 Under 30.
Catch Ice Spice on her upcoming festival tour at Coachella, Openair Frauenfeld, or Wireless Finsbury Park!
Iniko
Part of GLAAD and Sony’s ICON series, Iniko is a singer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter based in New York. The nonbinary Brooklyn native has over 2 million monthly listeners all before even releasing a debut album.
Iniko not only transcends gender but genres too. Describing themself as “genderless,” their authenticity and unwillingness to conform offers fans a refreshing and exciting take on music.
Like so many artists that launched their careers by going viral on TikTok, Iniko uses the app to stay connected to their over 4 million followers. They use the platform to not only share their music, but speak out on a variety of important issues going on around the world like colonization, stopping the spread misinformation in the media, protecting the civil rights of people everywhere, and calling on their fans to contact their representatives in support of a ceasefire in Gaza.
Watch Iniko’s recent interview with GLAAD’s Tony Morrison and catch them live on their Awakening Tour this spring!
Jade LeMac
GLAAD’s 20 Under 20 alumni Jade LeMac is another musician who has mastered the art of using TikTok as a tool to further her career. Not only are her songs and music videos like “Got Me Obsessed” and “You Are Not a God” unapologetically queer, but she proudly documents her life as an out and proud lesbian on her TikTok with over 1 million followers.
@jadelemacmanifested. pres4ve/4dd ‘got me obsessed’♬ Got Me Obsessed by Jade LeMac – Jade LeMac
She shares that one of her latest singles, “Got Me Obsessed,” is a song she wrote about a pretty girl she met on New Years last year. Harnessing the power of manifestation with her incredible songwriting, that girl is now her girlfriend!
Her first EP Constellations dropped in 2023, and showed the world that she is so much more than just a social media star.
In her conversation with GLAAD and Teen Vogue, LeMac reminds her queer fans that “There’s space for everyone” and “Don’t be scared of yourself. You will never find happiness in other people.”
Keep up with Jade on social media and at jadelemac.com.
The Scarlet Opera
The Scarlet Opera is unlike any band you’ve heard before. This LA based rock group doesn’t let traditional gender roles dictate any of their decisions. Formerly known as Perta, The Scarlet Opera first came back on the scene in 2022 to change the music world as we know it with their debut single “The Place to Be.”
Queer frontman Luka Bazulka, recently penned a heartfelt letter to the LGBTQ community as a part of Billboard’s pride month campaign. In it, he shared that “I’ve been fortunate to have been lifted up by four bandmates who continuously push their own boundaries of understanding and encourage me to prance unapologetically around the world with them.” He went on to say that, “There are many who have carved out spaces and homes for us to thrive… The most valuable thing I ever did for myself was research our history; it gave me roots and grounded me in truth and science and love.”
This love and dedication to the LGBTQ community shows through not only their music, but their activism. The band, featuring Luka Bazulka, Colin Kendrick, Daniel Zuker, Justin Siegal, and Chance Taylor recently performed at GLAAD’s annual Spirit Day Concert to raise funds and awareness for GLAAD’s mission to accelerate acceptance for LGBTQ people.
See The Scarlet Opera on tour!
Slayyyter
Bisexual electro pop princess Slayyyter is an artist ahead of her time. Truly in a genre of her own, the 27-year-old singer-songwriter has broken into the queer music scene with her Y2K inspired EP STARF***ER.
“I wanted it to be something that was really provocative,” she told Out in a recent interview about her latest project. She spoke about how her biggest inspirations include icons like Lady Gaga and Marina and the Diamonds. “Pop music offers escapism… It’s not a joke to say that there are certain Lady Gaga songs that saved my life.”
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Don’t miss out on her unique aesthetic and creative visualizers that accompany each song on the EP. Keep up with Slayyyter on social media!
UMI
Up and coming R&B artist UMI’s music has been described as “enough to cheer audiences up instantaneously,” by V Magazine. British Vogue says her “lo-fi, alternative, laid back, R&B style is the soundtrack to those days spent at the beach and carefree summers in LA and Venice Beach.”
In a recent interview with GLAAD’s Anthony Allen Ramos, UMI shared that her 2023 song “happy im” was written for her partner. “I wrote it about her because she’s taught me so much about embracing joy and not overthinking life.”
“I’m really happy to be alive at a time right now where I feel so safe to express my identity and I feel really grateful for all the different communities that support that,” they told GLAAD.
UMI caught the world’s attention in late December of 2023 with the release of “wherever u r,” a single featuring international superstar V of BTS fame. Only 4 weeks after the song’s release, it has over 47 million streams on Spotify alone!
Read more about UMI’s recent interview with GLAAD here and check out their upcoming tour dates and news here.
The 35th Annual GLAAD Media Awards will take place in Los Angeles on March 14th, 2024 and in New York City on May 11th, 2024. For more information, visit glaad.org/mediaawards/35!