ENGLISH-LANGUAGE
Film – Wide Release
Film must be released by a recognized film distribution company, and play for paid admission in theaters for seven consecutive days. “Wide Release” will be defined by a combination of number of screens played, budget, and visibility. Receives Award: Award is given to the film. Producer, director, writer, and/or actors may accept.
Film – Limited Release
Film must be released by a recognized film distribution company, and play for paid admission in theaters for seven consecutive days. “Limited Release” will be defined by a combination of number of screens played, budget, and visibility. Receives Award: Award is given to the film. Producer, director, writer, and/or actors may accept.
Documentary
Documentaries must either be televised in more than one local market, or be released theatrically. If released theatrically, film must be released by a recognized distribution company, and play for paid admission in theaters for seven consecutive days. If televised, the broadcast date must be no more than two (2) years after the completion of the film. Receives Award: Award is given to the film. Producer, director, and/or person(s) featured in the film may accept.
Drama Series
Given to a drama series which has a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer character in a lead, supporting or recurring role. Award is given for content throughout the entire year. Receives Award: Award is given to the show. Producer, writers, and/or actors may accept.
Comedy Series
Given to a comedy series which has a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer character in a lead, supporting or recurring role. Award is given for content throughout the entire year. Receives Award: Award is given to the show. Producer, writers, and/or actors may accept.
Individual Episode (in a series without a regular or recurring LGBTQ character)
Recognizes one episode or story arc which had outstanding LGBTQ content in a comedy or drama series which does not regularly include a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer character. Receives Award: Award is given to the episode. Producer, director, writer and/or actors may accept.
Television Movie or Limited Series
Given to a made-for-television movie or limited series. Receives Award: Award is given to the film or limited series. Producer, director, writer and/or actors may accept.
Reality Program
Given to a program that depicts actual people and/or events and includes LGBTQ people as participants, hosts, and/or judges. The show’s premise, circumstances or situations are manipulated for the purpose of creating the program, and may include contrived or staged elements. The category includes shows that are not a contest, as well as shows that give a prize or is itself a contest and/or competition. Award is given for LGBTQ content throughout the entire series. Receives Award: Award is given to the show. Producer, host, and/or participants may accept.
Kids & Family Programming
Given to family-oriented television with outstanding LGBTQ content geared towards kids, tweens, teens, and their parents. Award is given for an ongoing story of an LGBTQ character, or, for shows without a LGBTQ series regular, an inclusive episode or story arc. Judging will take into consideration the narrative tone and storytelling techniques given the intended audience. Receives Award: Award is given to the show or episode. Producer, writers, and/or actors may accept.
Talk Show Episode
Recognizes one episode of a daytime, primetime, or late night talk show which featured an outstanding discussion of LGBTQ issues. Multiple episodes of the same show may be nominated. A show must not have had any offensive episodes throughout the rest of the year. Receives Award: Award is given to the episode. Producer, host, and/or person(s) featured on the show may accept.
Daily Drama
Given to a series which airs daily during daytime, primetime, or late-night hours. The series must feature a lead, supporting or recurring LGBTQ character. Award is given for content throughout the entire year. Receives Award: Award is given to the show. Producer, writers, and/or actors may accept.
TV Journalism – Newsmagazine
Recognizes long-form journalism, including but not limited to: newsmagazine segment, one-hour journalism feature, late night broadcast. Multiple episodes/segments of the same show may be nominated. Receives Award: Award is given to the segment or entire show (if it’s a stand-alone feature program.) Producer, journalist, and/or persons featured in the story may accept.
TV Journalism Segment
Recognizes spot-news and short-form journalism, including but not limited to: nightly news story, morning show story, cable news program, news talk segment. Multiple episodes/segments of the same show may be nominated. Receives Award: Award is given to the segment. Producer, journalist, and/or persons featured in the story may accept.
Newspaper Article
Given to an individual article or series of articles in a daily or non-daily newspaper. More than one article from an individual newspaper may be nominated. Editorials are not eligible in this category. Receives Award: Award is given to the article. Journalist, editor, and/or persons featured in the story may accept.
Magazine Article
Given to an individual article or series of articles in a magazine. More than one article from an individual magazine may be nominated. An article may be nominated even if the magazine itself is also nominated for Overall Coverage. Editorials are not eligible in this category. Receives Award: Award is given to the article. Journalist, editor, and/or persons featured in the story may accept.
Magazine Overall Coverage
Given to a magazine for the quantity and quality of its digital and print coverage throughout the entire year. Receives Award: Award is given to the magazine. Publisher, editor, and/or prominent journalist may accept.
Digital Journalism Article
Given to an article or series of articles that are exclusive to an online news site. Receives Award: Award is given to the article. Journalist, editor, and/or persons featured in the story may accept.
Digital Journalism – Multimedia
Given to a video, slide show, or other multimedia story that is exclusive to an online news site. Receives Award: Award is given to the multimedia piece. Journalist, executive producer, and/or persons featured in the story may accept.
Blog
Recognizes a blog based on the quality of its overall coverage throughout the year. Outlet must be independent, with a majority of content from a single contributor. Outlet may consist of original content and/or aggregated content with original commentary, posted in chronological order. Receives Award: Award is given to the blog. Primary contributor may accept. (Note, submission fees are waived in this category.)
Music Artist
Given to an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer music artist who released a full-length or EP-length album during the current eligibility period. The album must be sold through a major music retail store and/or a major online music store. The artist may be nominated even if there are no lyrics explicitly about LGBTQ issues. Media interviews, public statements, and other information may be considered when selecting nominees and award recipients. Receives Award: Award is given to the artist. Artist may accept.
Comic Book
Given to a comic book published by the four mainstream publishers and their subsidiary labels: Dark Horse, DC, Image, and Marvel. At GLAAD’s discretion, a comic book from another publisher may be nominated if the book achieves a level of visibility and impact similar to a mainstream publisher. The comic book may be nominated for an individual issue, a story arc, or a recurring LGBTQ character. Receives Award: Award is given to the comic book. Writer, artist, and/or editor may accept.
Special Recognition
Special Recognition may be awarded to outstanding media representations that do not meet the criteria of any of the approved Categories. Special Recognition includes a listing in the program book and in the Nominee press release. The award is not necessarily given out onstage; however, recipients will receive an award statue.
SPANISH-LANGUAGE
Novela
Given to a series which airs daily during daytime, primetime, or late-night hours. The series must feature a lead, supporting or recurring LGBTQ character. Award is given for content throughout the entire novela. Receives Award: Award is given to the novela. Producer, writers, and/or actors may accept.
Daytime Program Episode
Recognizes episode of unscripted daytime programming which featured an outstanding discussion of LGBTQ issues. Multiple episodes of the same show may be nominated. A show must not have had any offensive episodes throughout the rest of the year. Receives Award: Award is given to the episode. Producer, host, and/or person(s) featured on the show may accept.
TV Journalism – Newsmagazine
Recognizes long-form journalism, including but not limited to: newsmagazine segment, one-hour journalism feature, late night broadcast. Multiple episodes/segments of the same show may be nominated. Receives Award: Award is given to the segment or entire show (if it’s a stand-alone feature program.) Producer, journalist, and/or persons featured in the story may accept.
TV Journalism Segment
Recognizes spot-news and short-form journalism, including but not limited to: nightly news story, morning show story, cable news program, news talk segment. Multiple episodes/segments of the same show may be nominated. Receives Award: Award is given to the segment. Producer, journalist, and/or persons featured in the story may accept.
Digital Journalism
Given to an article, series of articles, video, slide show, or other multimedia story on an online news site. Article(s) may also have appeared in a newspaper or magazine. Receives Award: Award is given to the article or multimedia piece. Journalist, editor, executive producer, and/or persons featured in the story may accept.
Special Recognition
Special Recognition may be awarded to outstanding media representations which do not meet the criteria of any of the approved Categories. Special Recognition includes a listing in the program book and in the Nominee press release. The award is not necessarily given out onstage; however, recipients will be given an award statue.