TIP SHEET: DIVERSITY, FACTS, AND FIGURES FOR THE 32ND ANNUAL GLAAD MEDIA AWARDS

Please find a press release with the complete list of nominees for the 32nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards at www.glaad.org/releases.

Additional facts, figures, and statements on the diversity of this year’s nominees follows.

TOTAL NUMBER OF NOMINEES: 198

(177 English, 21 Spanish-language)

TOTAL NUMBER OF GLAAD MEDIA AWARDS CATEGORIES: 28

(23 English, 5 Spanish-language)

CRITERIA FOR NOMINATION:

GLAAD Media Awards nominees are selected using the following four criteria:

• Fair, Accurate, and Inclusive Representations – Rather than portraying the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community using broad stereotypes, the project deals with the characters or themes in a fair, accurate, and multi-dimensional manner. Inclusive speaks to the importance of having the diversity of the LGBTQ community represented in our nominees.
• Boldness and Originality – The project breaks new ground by exploring LGBTQ subject matter in non-traditional ways, and handles the LGBTQ content in a fresh and original manner.
• Impact – The media project dramatically increases the cultural dialogue about LGBTQ issues, or reaches an audience that is not regularly exposed to LGBTQ images and issues. The project has significant cultural impact.
• Overall Quality – A project of extremely high quality adds significance to the images and issues portrayed and draws more viewers or readers to the material. Fair, accurate, and inclusive images may be weakened when they are part of a poor-quality project.

FACTS ABOUT THE NOMINEES:

Streaming services saw a total of 58 nominees, with cable receiving 29 nominations, and broadcast networks receiving 14 nominations. Netflix scored the most nominations of any network with a total of 26 nominees, followed by HBO Max with 9 nominees. Amazon, Hulu, and HBO received 4 nominations each, while Disney+ and PBS each received 3 nominations. The Hallmark Channel received its first nomination for The Christmas House.

ABC also received several nominations in the journalism categories this year. ABC received one nomination in both Outstanding TV Journalism Segment and Outstanding TV Journalism – Long-Form (“Dwyane Wade One-On-One: Basketball Legend Opens Up About Supporting Transgender Daughter” and “ABC News Joe Biden Town Hall,” respectively), while ABC News Live also received one nomination in the same two categories (“Faith, Foster Care and LGBTQ Rights Collide in Supreme Court” and “Pride on ABC News Live: The Landmark Decision,” respectively). In the Outstanding Online Journalism Article category, GoodMorningAmerica.com received a nomination for “Gay Men Speak Out After Being Turned Away from Donating Blood During Coronavirus Pandemic: ‘We are Turning Away Perfectly Healthy Donors’” by Tony Morrison and Joel Lyons.

Ryan Murphy created, directed, produced and/or executive produced six nominees this year (The Prom, Boys in the Band, Circus of Books, Hollywood, Ratched, 9-1-1: Lone Star).

In the midst of a long overdue social movement against racial and ethnic discrimination, several of the nominees at the 32nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards include powerful and impactful stories about LGBTQ people of color. In the film and television categories, those nominees include: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, The Prom, The Craft: Legacy, Twenties, 9-1-1: Lone Star, Love, Victor, Superstore, Star Trek: Discovery, Vida, Sex Education, P-Valley, I May Destroy You, The Half of It, Monsoon, Lingua Franca, The Boys in the Band, I Carry You With Me, Kajillionaire, The Wilds, Supergirl, Big Mouth, Dead to Me, Everything’s Gonna Be Okay, Wynonna Earp, Dispatches from Elsewhere, Hollywood, Little Fires Everywhere, Legendary, Queer Eye, RuPaul’s Drag Race, We’re Here, among others.

Stories of LGBTQ people of color were also featured in talk show and journalism nominees such as: “Laverne Cox – Exploring Trans Representation with ‘Disclosure’” (The Daily Show with Trevor Noah), “Lilly Responds to Comments About Her Sexuality” (A Little Late With Lilly Singh), “Black Trans Activists on Being the ‘Blueprint for the Struggle for Black Freedom’” (MSNBC Live with Hallie Jackson), “Trans and Non-Binary People Face Voting Barriers Ahead of 2020 Election” (CBSN), “Pride and Protest: Being Black and Queer in America in 2020” (NBC News NOW), “Prideland” (PBS), “How a March for Black Trans Lives Became a Huge Event” by Anushka Patil (The New York Times), “It’s Time for a New Tipping Point for Transgender Folks in Hollywood” by Tre’vell Anderson (Out), “LGBTQ Americans Are Getting Coronavirus, Losing Jobs. Anti-Gay Bias is Making it Worse for Them.” by Petruce Jean-Charles (USA Today), “Why Billy Porter is a National Treasure” by Tre’vell Anderson (Essence), “Here’s how Reggie Greer Takes on LGBTQ Outreach for Joe Biden in this ‘Very Personal’ Election” by John Gallagher (LGBTQNation.com), “Stop Killing Us: Black Transgender Women’s Lived Experiences” by Complex World (Complex News), “I’m an Immigrant Fighting for Queer Rights and Racial Justice” by Abigail E. Disney, Catherine King, Maria Nunez, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Patty Quillin, Julie Parker Benello, Susan Sherrerd, and Lynda Weinman (Refinery29), “They Will See You: LGBTQ+ Visibility in Advertising” (Great Big Story), TransGriot, The Reckoning, among others.

Many of this year’s nominees feature stories of lesbian and bisexual+ women, including: Happiest Season, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, The Prom, Ammonite, The Half of It, Kajillionaire, Equal, Visible: Out on Television, We Are The Radical Monarchs, Welcome to Chechnya, Dead to Me, Harley Quinn, Sex Education, Everything’s Gonna Be Okay, Killing Eve, Vida, The Wilds, Wynonna Earp, Élite, Ana, #Luimelia, The Loud House, and The Owl House. Bisexual artists Lady Gaga and Halsey and pansexual artists Kehlani and Miley Cyrus are nominated for Outstanding Music Artist. In the Outstanding Breakthrough Music Artist category, bisexual artists Chika, Phoebe Bridgers, Rina Sawayama, and Victoria Monét, as well as queer artist FLETCHER, received nominations. Talk shows and news stories about and featuring queer women include: “Emily’s Coming Out Story” (Red Table Talk: The Estefans), “Lilly Responds to Comments About Her Sexuality” (A Little Late With Lilly Singh), “Black Trans Activists on Being the ‘Blueprint for the Struggle for Black Freedom’” (MSNBC Live with Hallie Jackson), “The Deciders” (CBS), “Prideland” (PBS), “Lutheran High School Athletic Trainer, Coach Says She Was Fired for Being Gay” by Arika Herron (The Indianapolis Star), “Queer Spaces Project” [series] by Nico Lang, Samantha Allen, Marke B., Matt Baume, Steven Blum, Alexander Cheves, Devlyn Camp, Michael Cuby, James Factora, KC Hoard, Sophie Hurwitz, Michelle Kim, and Daniel Villareal (them.us), “‘You Don’t Belong Here’: In Poland’s ‘LGBT-Free Zones’ Existing is an Act of Defiance” by Ivana Kottasová, Rob Picheta, and Sarah Tilotta(CNN.com), among others.

Several outstanding media projects nominated for the 32nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards centered transgender people and issues in new and diverse ways. In the Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Drama Series categories, trans characters were prominently featured in 9-1-1: Lone Star, Star Trek: Discovery, Saved By The Bell, Big Mouth, and Supergirl. Other nominees featuring transgender people include: The Craft: Legacy, Disclosure, Veneno, The Life Ahead, Lingua Franca, The True Adventures of Wolfboy, Equal, For They Know Not What They Do, Visible: Out on Television, We Are The Radical Monarchs, Welcome to Chechnya, Dispatches from Elsewhere, I May Destroy You, Legendary, First Day, “Mary Anne Saves the Day” (The Baby-Sitters Club), and She-Ra & The Princesses of Power. Five of the ten nominees in Outstanding Video Game include trans characters: If Found…, Ikenfell, The Last of Us Part II, Tell Me Why, and World of Warcraft: Shadowlands. In music, Black transgender artist Peppermint is nominated for Outstanding Music Artist, while Venezeulan electronic artist Arca, who is also transgender, is nominated for Outstanding Breakthrough Music Artist.

Many talk show and news nominees featured trans people and/or highlighted issues affecting the trans community. Included among the nominees: “Black Trans Lives Matter” (Full Frontal with Samantha Bee), “Laverne Cox – Exploring Trans Representation with ‘Disclosure’” (The Daily Show with Trevor Noah), “Black Trans Activists on Being the ‘Blueprint for the Struggle for Black Freedom’” (MSNBC Live with Hallie Jackson), “Dwyane Wade One-On-One: Basketball Legend Opens Up About Supporting Transgender Daughter” (Good Morning America), “Trans and Non-Binary People Face Voting Barriers Ahead of 2020 Election” (CBSN), “ABC News Joe Biden Town Hall” (ABC), “The Deciders” (CBS), “Pride and Protest: Being Black and Queer in America in 2020” (NBC News NOW), “Pride on ABC News Live: The Landmark Decision” (ABC News Live), “Prideland” (PBS), “Delaware’s Sarah McBride Makes History as the Nation’s First Openly Transgender State Senator” by Meg Ryan (Delaware Today), “How a March for Black Trans Lives Became a Huge Event” by Anushka Patil (The New York Times), “It’s Time for a New Tipping Point for Transgender Folks in Hollywood” by Tre’vell Anderson (Out), “The Battle Over Title IX and Who Gets to Be a Woman in Sports: Inside the Raging National Debate” by Katie Barnes (espnW.com), “Trans Athletes’ Fight for Inclusion in World Rugby” [series] by Dawn Ennis, Alex Reimer, Karleigh Webb, and Cyd Zeigler (Outsports.com), “Trans Freedom Fighters” [series] by Sam Levin (TheGuardian.com), “Trans, Imprisoned — and Trapped” by Kate Sosin (NBCNews.com), “A Closer Look: Transgender in Kashmir” by Robert Leslie, Bhat Burhan, and Saqib Mugloo (Business Insider), “Stop Killing Us: Black Transgender Women’s Lived Experiences” by Complex World (Complex News), and “They Will See You: LGBTQ+ Visibility in Advertising” (Great Big Story). TransGriot, the late Monica Roberts’ pioneering blog focused on issues affecting Black trans women and the lives of trans people of color, is nominated for Outstanding Blog.

Although bisexual+ people – who make up the majority of the LGBTQ community – are still underrepresented in media, there are several nominees at the 32nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards that continue to move the needle for bisexual+ represenation in media. Six of the ten nominees for Outstanding Comedy Series include one or more bi+ characters: Big Mouth, Dead to Me, Everything’s Gonna Be Okay, Harley Quinn, Schitt’s Creek, and Sex Education. Other nominees featuring bi+ people include: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, The Craft: Legacy, Kajillionaire, Disclosure, Equal, Visible: Out on Television, Killing Eve, Vida, Wynonna Earp, The Loud House, The Owl House, The Thing About Harry, Veneno, Élite, Ana, “Emily’s Coming Out Story” (Red Table Talk: The Estefans), “Lilly Responds to Comments About Her Sexuality” (A Little Late With Lilly Singh), “Gay Men Speak Out After Being Turned Away from Donating Blood During Coronavirus Pandemic: ‘We are Turning Away Perfectly Healthy Donors’” by Tony Morrison and Joel Lyons (GoodMorningAmerica.com), “‘You Don’t Belong Here’: In Poland’s ‘LGBT-Free Zones’ Existing is an Act of Defiance” by Ivana Kottasová, Rob Picheta, and Sarah Tilotta (CNN.com), among others.

Several nominees included LGBTQ people living with HIV and/or highlighted issues related to HIV, including: Howard, Scream, Queen: My Nightmare on Elm Street, Plus, “20 LGBTQ+ People Working to Save Lives on the Frontline” by Diane Anderson-Minshall, David Artavia, Tracy Gilchrist, Desiree Guerrero, Jeffrey Masters, Donald Padgett, and Daniel Reynolds (The Advocate), “The AIDS Quilt Marches Home” by Jason Sheeler (People), “LGBTQ Americans are Getting Coronavirus, Losing Jobs. Anti-Gay Bias is Making it Worse for Them.” by Petruce Jean-Charles (USA Today), “Gay Men Speak Out After Being Turned Away from Donating Blood During Coronavirus Pandemic: ‘We are Turning Away Perfectly Healthy Donors’” by Tony Morrison and Joel Lyons (GoodMorningAmerica.com), “An Oral History of Fashion’s Response to the AIDS Epidemic” [series] by Phillip Picardi (VOGUE.com), “No Medicine, No Food: Coronavirus Restrictions Amplify Health Risks to LGBT+ People with HIV” by Nita Bhalla and Oscar Lopez (Openlynews.com), among others.

Each year, GLAAD presents non-competitive Special Recognition Awards to media projects that do not fit into one of the existing GLAAD Media Awards categories. For the 32nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards, GLAAD is presenting Special Recognition honors to eight media projects that spotlighted diverse segments of the LGBTQ community in innovative ways. The eight media projects include:

• After Forever, a multiple Emmy-Award winning short-form series on Amazon Prime Video that follows a group of gay friends as they navigate through a journey of love, loss, and moving on.
• Deadline’s New Hollywood Podcast, hosted by Amanda N’Duka and Dino-Ray Ramos, which welcomes members of the entertainment industry to discuss the changing landscape of Hollywood and the importance of growing diversity and inclusion, including LGBTQ representation.
• Happiest Season Soundtrack, a Facet & Warner Records release, executive produced by out songwriter Justin Tranter and written and performed by an entirely LGBTQ line-up, including Shea Diamond, Tegan & Sara, Sia, Brandy Clark, Carlie Hanson, among others.
• Noah’s Arc: The ‘Rona Chronicles, the 2020 reunion special of the groundbreaking Black gay television series Noah’s Arc, which spotlighted the original characters’ lives 10 years later in the midst of a worldwide public health crisis and global social justice movement.
• Out, a Pixar animated short film on Disney+ about coming out which features Pixar’s first-ever lead LGBTQ storyline.
• Razor Tongue, the romantic comedy web series available on YouTube starring and independently produced by Filipina trans actress, writer, and producer Rain Valdez.
• “The Son,” an episode of the Apple TV+ anthology series Little America which spotlights the story of a gay Syrian refugee who dreams of being granted asylum in America so he can live openly.
• “Love (Es Nuestro Idioma),” the song by Latin Grammy Award-winning duo Jesse & Joy, which brings attention to the horrors of so-called conversion therapy. In the music video, Jesse, who is an ally, and Joy, who is an out lesbian, are featured alongside a variety of other LGBTQ celebrities and allies from Mexico.

GLAAD has also reinstated the Barbara Gittings Award for Excellence in LGBTQ Media, which honors a pioneering individual, group, or community media outlet that has made a significant contribution to the development of LGBTQ media. The award is named after Barbara Gittings in recognition of her groundbreaking work as editor of The Ladder, and for her appearances as an out lesbian on national news media throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

This year’s recipient of the Barbara Gittings Award for Excellence in LGBTQ Media is Windy City Times, Chicago’s pioneering LGBTQ news publication established in 1985 by Jeff McCourt, Bob Bearden, Drew Badanish, and Tracy Baim. Born in the midst of the AIDS epidemic, Windy City Times and its team helped to counter the defamatory coverage of HIV and the LGBTQ community in mainstream media, and sought to amplify LGBTQ voices at a time when acceptance for the community was extremely low. Over the past 35 years, Windy City Times has been Chicago’s main LGBTQ newspaper and has continued to be a leading voice for LGBTQ people and the issues. In 2020, the biweekly newspaper made the difficult decision to retire its print edition due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but continues to publish online content.

MULTIPLE NOMINEES:

Broadcast Networks [14 total]
PBS (3)
ABC (2)
NBC (2)
Telemundo (2)
Univision (2)                 

Cable Networks [29 total]
HBO (4)
Cartoon Network (2)
Freeform (2)    
Starz (2)          
Comedy Central (2)

Streaming Networks [58 total]
Netflix (26)
HBO Max (9)
Amazon (4)
Hulu (4)
Disney+ (3)
Apple TV+ (2)
ABC News Live (2)

Record Labels
Capitol (3)
Warner Records (3)
Producer Entertainment Group (2)

Print & Digital Journalism
People (2)        
The Advocate (2)

Comic Book Publishers
DC Comics (4)
Marvel Comics (3)
BOOM! Studios (2)       

Video Game Publishers
Ubisoft (2)