Singer-Songwriter Troye Sivan to Become Youngest Recipient of Stephen F. Kolzak Award at 28th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles

Music Icon Mary J. Blige to present award for Outstanding Film – Wide Release

Troye Sivan to join Victoria Justice, Gigi Gorgeous, and host Hannah Hart to bestow grants to LGBTQ students at the GLAAD Media Awards inaugural Rising Stars event

Los Angeles, CA – GLAAD, the world’s LGBTQ media advocacy organization, today announced that it will honor singer and songwriter Troye Sivan at the 28th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles at the Beverly Hilton on April 1, 2017. He will also join Victoria Justice, Gigi Gorgeous, Alexandra Grey, Isabella Gomez, and host Hannah Hart at GLAAD’s Inaugural Rising Stars Grants Luncheon on the eve of the GLAAD Media Awards, March 31, 2017, to award grants to three LGBTQ college students for their LGBTQ advocacy efforts.

GLAAD also announced that music icon Mary J. Blige will present the award for Outstanding Film – Wide Release at the 28^th Annual GLAAD Media Awards. Nominees are Moonlight and Star Trek Beyond.

GLAAD previously announced that Patricia Arquette will receive the Vanguard Award at the 28^th Annual GLAAD Media Awards and pay tribute to her late transgender sister Alexis Arquette at the event. Out comedian Cameron Esposito, star of Seeso’s Take My Wife, will host, with presenters and special guests including Candis Cayne, Matthew Daddario, Josh Hutcherson, Victoria Justice, Trace Lysette, Tarell Alvin McCraney, Tatiana Maslany, Trevante Rhodes, Harry Shum Jr., and Jeffrey Tambor. Actor Jussie Smollett will lead a special tribute to victims of the Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting that will include a performance by Cynthia Erivo.

Troye Sivan will receive GLAAD’s Stephen F. Kolzak Award, which is presented to an LGBTQ media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting equality and acceptance. The award is named after a legendary casting director, who devoted the last part of his life to raising awareness in the entertainment industry about the discrimination faced by LGBTQ people as well as people living with HIV. Previous Stephen F. Kolzak honorees include Laverne Cox, Ellen DeGeneres, Ruby Rose, Chaz Bono, Melissa Etheridge, Bill Condon, Wanda Sykes, Alan Ball, Pedro Zamora, Martina Navratilova, Rufus Wainwright, Paris Barclay, Robert Greenblatt, and Sir Ian McKellen.

Upon its release Troye Sivan’s debut album, Blue Neighbourhood (Capitol Records) topped over 50 iTunes charts around the world. Billboard praised Troye as “the voice of a new more tolerant generation”, while The New York Times dubbed him the “prototype for tomorrow’s global pop star”. Blue Neighbourhood is RIAA Certified Gold in the U.S. and contains hits “Youth,” which is certified Platinum, and “Wild,” which is certified Gold.  Troye has 20 million combined online followers and over one billion streams to date.

Troye relentlessly supports LGBTQ causes and the fight against discrimination through education, awareness and advocacy. The recently released video for “Heaven” has over 8 million views and was wildly commended for celebrating LGBTQ history. In addition, he has worked with organizations including the Ali Forney Center for LGBTQ homeless youth in New York City and the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth. A portion of every ticket sold on Troye’s 2016 Suburbia Tour was donated to the Ally Coalition and bathrooms at every venue where possible along the tour were gender neutral. At each stop of the Surburbia Tour, volunteers collected donated goods for a local LGBTQ organization and assisted with distributing LGBTQ materials at an Ally Coalition activation booth. Troye has also participated in GLAAD’s anti-bullying Spirit Day and was among over 20 artists – including Mary J. Blige, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, and Jason Derulo – to appear on GLAAD’s song “Hands,” which was released with Interscope Records to remember the lives lost in the Pulse nightclub shooting.

“Troye Sivan embodies a generation of LGBTQ youth who are unapologetic, outspoken, and proud to be who they are,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, GLAAD President & CEO. “He has quickly become a leading voice of his generation and sends a message of hope and empowerment with every song, music video, and social post.”

Additionally, Troye will join GLAAD for the inaugural Rising Stars Grants Luncheon on March 31 to award grants to three college students for LGBTQ advocacy work. The luncheon will be hosted by Hannah Hart with Troye, Victoria Justice, Gigi Gorgeous, and Alexandra Grey presenting to the grant recipients. The GLAAD Rising Stars program empowers and invests in the next generation of LGBTQ change makers, whose advocacy is changing their local cities and the culture at large. Grants are awarded annually to LGBTQ youth who champion intersectional issues with their advocacy efforts. GLAAD’s Rising Stars Grants are presented by Barilla, Coca-Cola, and Delta.

The 28th Annual GLAAD Media Awards are presented by Delta Air Lines, Hilton, Ketel One Vodka, Liberty Mutual Insurance, and Wells Fargo. The GLAAD Media Awards recognize and honor media for fair, accurate, and inclusive representations of the LGBTQ community and the issues that affect their lives. The GLAAD Media Awards also fund GLAAD's work to amplify stories from the LGBTQ community and issues that build support for equality and acceptance.

To receive the latest updates on the GLAAD Media Awards, follow @glaad on Twitter and use the hashtag #glaadawards. The New York GLAAD Media Awards ceremony will take place May 6 at the New York Hilton Midtown.

The 28th Annual GLAAD Media Awards corporate partners include Presenting Partners Delta Air Lines, Hilton, Ketel One Vodka, Liberty Mutual Insurance, and Wells Fargo. GLAAD is also grateful to: Official Partners Bud Light and Hyundai; Titanium Partners Comcast NBCUniversal and Southwest Airlines, Platinum partners 21st Century Fox, Allstate Insurance Company, AT&T, Disney ABC Television Group, ESPN, Facebook, MetLife, NBA & WNBA, Netflix, Sheppard Mullin, and Turner; Gold partners CBS, iHeartMedia, MLB, Nielsen, Omnicom Group, PwC, Showtime, TLC/Discovery, UM, Univision, and Viacom; and Silver partners BD, Carat, Coca-Cola, Skadden, U.S. Bank, Westfield, and WWE . 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 www.glaad.org/mediaawards.