Last week, the finalists for the inaugural Anthem Awards were announced, including several GLAAD projects, campaigns, and events. Presented by the Webby Awards, the Anthem Awards honors the purpose & mission-driven work of people, companies, and organizations worldwide. The Anthem Awards celebrate work across various categories including diversity and inclusion; education, art and culture; sustainability and civil and human rights.
The 32nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards are a finalist in the category for “Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion – Event.” In April 2021, the 32nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards took place virtually, hosted by actress and producer Niecy Nash. During the show, celebrities and talent helped to bring attention to key LGBTQ issues in 2021, such as the epidemic of violence facing trans women of color, anti-transgender legislation across the U.S., combating racial and ethnic violence and discrimination, the importance of the Equality Act, the impact of COVID-19 on the LGBTQ community, HIV awareness, and more. The ceremony also featured special performances from CHIKA, Rebecca Black, Jessica Betts, and Sabrina Carpenter. Among award recipients included Disclosure, Schitt’s Creek, Sam Smith, CHIKA, Happiest Season, I May Destroy You, Star Trek: Discovery, The Boys In The Band, Veneno, We’re Here, The Not-Too-Late Show With Elmo, and more. To watch the 32nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards ceremony, click here.
GLAAD’s Social Media Safety Index is a finalist in the category for “Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion – Research Projects/Publications.” In May 2021, GLAAD released its inaugural Social Media Safety Index (SMSI), which represents the first-ever tech-industry baseline of LGBTQ user safety. The Index provides recommendations to bridge the alarming disconnect between current policies and the actual experiences of users on LGBTQ user safety across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok. The Index ultimately brought LGBTQ issues on social media to the forefront of the industry and will continue to be an annual form of industry accountability to the LGBTQ community. For more information about the SMSI, click here.
GLAAD’s 2020 Spirit Day campaign was also a finalist in the category “Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion – Campaign – Non-Profit.” Each year since 2010, GLAAD organizes Spirit Day, the world’s largest LGBTQ anti-bullying campaign. On Spirit Day, participants around the world – including celebrities, media outlets, brands, landmarks, sports leagues, tech leaders, influencers, faith leaders, and more – wear purple or go purple online in a united stand against bullying and to show support for LGBTQ young people. In 2020, Spirit Day took on a renewed importance due to the unprecedented challenges facing LGBTQ youth, with many being confined to unsupportive homes and becoming more vulnerable to cyberbullying during the pandemic. On October 15, 2020, millions went purple for Spirit Day, with the #SpiritDay hashtag reaching #1 on Twitter. Notable participants included President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Celine Dion, Halle Berry, Sec. Hillary Clinton, Christina Aguleria, The Chicks, Lionel Richie, Reba McEntire, Sam Smith, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sterling K. Brown, the NFL, NBA & WNBA, MLB, Good Morning America, The View, TikTok, and many more. For a more comprehensive list of participants from 2020 Spirit Day, click here.
For a full list of finalists for the inaugural Anthem Awards, click here. The winners for the Anthem Awards will be announced on February 15.