Global superstar Kylie Minogue to perform at 25th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York, TV icon George Takei to be honored

NEW YORK, NY – GLAAD, the nation's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy organization, today announced that global superstar Kylie Minogue will perform at the 25^th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York on May 3 at the iconic Waldorf Astoria New York. GLAAD also announced TV icon and LGBT advocate George Takei will receive the Vito Russo Award at the event.

For more information visit glaad.org/mediaawards or follow #glaadawards on Twitter.

The 25^th Annual GLAAD Media Awards are presented nationally by Ketel One Vodka, Wells Fargo, and Hilton Worldwide. The New York event is presented locally by Delta Air Lines and Bud Light.

Minogue has been a longtime supporter of LGBT equality and has included images of LGBT people in her music videos, including for the song "All the Lovers." Minogue has performed at LGBT venues across the world, including London's famed G-A-Y nightclub and New York City's Splash Bar. Additionally, Minogue has headlined LGBT pride events like the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras celebration.

Takei will receive GLAAD's Vito Russo Award, which is presented to an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting equality. Previous Vito Russo honorees include Anderson Cooper, Ricky Martin, Rosie O'Donnell, Alan Cumming, Cynthia Nixon, Nathan Lane, Cherry Jones, Elton John, k.d. lang, and Tom Ford.

"Few voices have been as outspoken in support of equality as George Takei," said GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. "George has consistently used his platform to move the cultural needle on issues like marriage equality, LGBT employment protections, anti-LGBT bullying, and more."

With a career spanning five decades, actor, social justice advocate, social media mega-star, and author George Takei remains one of the most outspoken LGBT equality advocates in Hollywood. Since coming out in 2005, Takei has spoken out on a range of issues including marriage equality, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), so-called 'ex-gay therapy,' and more. Takei has worked closely with GLAAD to bring equality to the Boy Scouts and supported GLAAD's Spirit Day campaign to show support for LGBT youth and end anti-LGBT bullying. In 2008, Takei married his partner of 21 years, Brad Altman. The couple became one of the couples to legally marry in California before the enactment of California's anti-gay Proposition 8 ballot initiative. To Be Takei, a documentary about Takei’s life and career by Jennifer M. Kroot that premiered at Sundance in January, will be released theatrically this summer.

Additional special guests for the New York event include: Laverne Cox, Laura Prepon, Samira Wiley (Orange is the New Black); Robin Weigert, Stacie Passon (Concussion); Candis Cayne (Elementary); Dennis Starr, Joan Koplan, Irwin Koplan, Christa Stephens (Small Town Security); GLAAD National Spokespersons, Wilson Cruz and Omar Sharif, Jr., and GLAAD CEO & President Sarah Kate Ellis. Additional presenters, and LGBT advocates will be announced.

In January, GLAAD announced 93 nominees in 20 English-language categories, and 37 Spanish-language nominees in nine categories. Nominees for the 25^th Annual GLAAD Media Awards can be found here: glaad.org/mediaawards/nominees. The GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles took place on April 12, 2014 at the Beverly Hilton. For video, photos, and more, visit: glaad.org/mediaawards/recap.

To receive the latest updates on the GLAAD Media Awards, follow @glaad on Twitter and use the hashtag #glaadawards.

The GLAAD Media Awards recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the LGBT community and the issues that affect their lives. They also fund GLAAD's work to amplify stories from the LGBT community that build support for equality. Each year, the GLAAD Media Awards in New York and Los Angeles bring together more than 3,000 advocates and allies to raise critical funds for the organization's work.

The 25th Annual GLAAD Media Awards are produced by GLAAD staff and Josh Wood, founder and president of Josh Wood Productions.

More than 100 corporate partners are showing their support, including National Presenting partners Ketel One Vodka, Wells Fargo and Hilton Worldwide; and New York and Los Angeles Presenting partners Delta Air Lines and Bud Light. GLAAD is also grateful to the 25^th Annual GLAAD Media Awards Platinum Underwriter partners Sheppard Mullin and the Terry K. Watanabe Charitable Trust, Underwriter partners A&E Lifetime, Allstate Insurance Company, AT&T, Barefoot Wine & Bubbly, Comcast/NBC Universal, Prudential and PwC. Titanium Partners ABC-Disney Television Group, Caesars Foundation, Fox Broadcasting Company and Time Warner. Gold partners 1800 Flowers, CBS/Showtime, ESPN, HBO, McGraw Hill Financial, NBA, Skadden, Univision, the Wasserman Foundation, and WWE, and Silver partners Citi, MLB, NFL and Viacom/TV Land. For a full list of corporate partners and information on how to become a corporate partner, purchase tickets, and place a tribute in the tribute book, please visit glaad.org/mediaawards.