Contact: press@glaad.org
Join GLAAD and take action for acceptance.
Trending
- The GLAAD Wrap: “Strange Way of Life” Streaming, Trailers for “Backspot” and “Hacks,” New Music from Boy Jr., and More!
- Election 2024: Pennsylvania Fact Sheet
- “The Witches of Silverlake” Author Simon Curtis Talks LGBTQ Representation, Witches, and Chosen Family in Debut Graphic Novel
- Tribeca Festival 2024 Sets ‘Melissa Etheridge: I’m Not Broken’, ‘Mr. Loverman’, ‘Juice’ with Russell Tovey and More for TV Lineup
- GLAAD and Equality Texas Gather Latine LGBTQ Leaders Learning to Tell Their Stories Through Houston Media
- GLAAD Institute Alum and Texas Activist is Fighting LGBTQ Censorship in the Lone Star State and the U.S.
- Matthew Wilkas Talks How ‘So Help Me Todd’ Breaks Queer Stereotypes and Gay Labels
- Tribeca Festival 2024: Venus Xtravaganza and Linda Perry Docus, ‘Griffin In Summer’, ‘Crossing’, ‘Rent Free’ Among LGBTQ Titles
Samira Wiley to be honored with the Vito Russo Award for LGBTQ Advocacy at 29th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York
New York, NY – GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, today announced that Emmy nominee Samira Wiley will be honored at the 29th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York at the New York Hilton Midtown on Saturday, May 5, 2018. GLAAD previously announced that Britney Spears and Jim Parsons would be receiving honors at the 29th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles.
GLAAD also announced that out TV personality Ross Mathews will host the event, with special appearances by Halsey, Laverne Cox, Lea Michele, Wrabel, and Asia Kate Dillon.
The GLAAD Media Awards honor media for fair, accurate, and inclusive representations of LGBTQ people and issues. The GLAAD Media Awards also fund GLAAD's work to accelerate acceptance of the LGBTQ community. The 29th Annual GLAAD Media Awards are presented by Delta Air Lines, Gilead, Ketel One Family-Made Vodka, and Wells Fargo.
Wiley will receive the Vito Russo Award, which is presented to an openly LGBTQ media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting LGBTQ acceptance. The Award is named for Vito Russo, a founder of GLAAD and celebrated ACT UP activist, who pushed open the door for news and entertainment industries to include LGBTQ performers and stories. Previous Vito Russo honorees include Anderson Cooper, Ricky Martin, Cynthia Nixon, Rosie O’Donnell, Tom Ford, Billy Porter, Thomas Roberts, Suze Orman, and Alan Cumming, among others.
Wiley can currently be seen portraying LGBTQ character Moira on Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale, a role that earned her Emmy and NAACP Image Award nominations. In The Handmaid’s Tale, Wiley portrays a woman faced with an uncertain future in a time when being queer is outlawed. The Handmaid’s Tale is nominated this year for Outstanding Drama Series.
Wiley is also well-known for her SAG Award-winning performance as inmate Poussey on Orange Is the New Black, where she played a beloved LGBTQ character, who quickly became a fan favorite. Wiley can be seen next in the independent film Social Animals.
Wiley married Orange Is the New Black writer Lauren Morelli – who she met on set – in 2017. Morelli came out in 2014 and credited the 2014 GLAAD Media Awards, where GLAAD’s President and CEO encouraged the audience to live their lives openly and with love, in plain view of any opposition. Wiley shared touching moments from their honeymoon on her popular Instagram account – a powerful show of love and visibility. The couple were also one of the first interracial female couples to be featured by Martha Stewart Weddings. Wiley regularly posts LGBTQ-affirming messages to her social channels – memorably sharing images from the many Pride festivals she attends. Wiley was also one of Out Magazine’s OUT100 in 2017 for her work and the visibility she brought as an out woman of color.
“Samira Wiley’s moving and heartfelt portrayals of LGBTQ women have been groundbreaking and inspirational,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, GLAAD President and CEO. “We live in a time when those living at multiple marginalized intersections are most in need of visibility, and Samira brings that visibility with talent, conviction, and grace.”
In January, GLAAD announced 125 nominees in 21 English-language categories and 16 Spanish-language nominees in 4 categories. The nominees for the 29th Annual GLAAD Media Awards were announced during the Sundance Film Festival by actors Wilson Cruz (“13 Reasons Why,” “Star Trek: Discovery”) and Trace Lysette (“Transparent”). Nominees across entertainment and news media included This Is Us, Call Me by Your Name, Lady Bird, Battle of the Sexes, A Fantastic Woman, Billions, The Voice, Will & Grace, Andi Mack, Halsey, Kesha, Kehlani, Teen Vogue, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, NBC Nightly News, HuffPost, and CNN en Español. GLAAD announced a Special Recognition Award for Jay-Z’s song and music video “Smile” featuring his mother Gloria Carter who used the song to come out as a lesbian as well as a Special Recognition Award to the animated short film In A Heartbeat. Nominees can be found here: www.glaad.org/mediaawards/nominees
Additional special guests from the GLAAD Media Awards in New York will be announced in the coming weeks.
The 29th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles kick off on April 12 at the Beverly Hilton where Britney Spears and Jim Parsons will be honored, with Wanda Sykes will hosting. Special appearances from Lena Waithe, Adam Rippon, Chloe Grace Moretz, and Gigi Gorgeous.
To receive the latest updates on the GLAAD Media Awards, follow @glaad on Twitter and use the hashtag #glaadawards.
The 29th Annual GLAAD Media Awards corporate partners include Presenting Partners Delta Air Lines, Gilead, Ketel One Family-Made Vodka, and Wells Fargo. GLAAD is also grateful to: Official Partner Bud Light; Platinum Partners 21st Century Fox, Allstate Insurance Company, AT&T, Creative Arts Agency (CAA), Comcast NBCUniversal | Telemundo, Disney ABC Television Group | ESPN, Hyundai, Kaiser Permanente, Kelley Drye, MetLife, NBA | WNBA, Netflix, Omnicom Group, SheppardMullin, Southwest Airlines, and Turner; Gold Partners CBS | Showtime, Facebook, Nielsen, PwC, UM, Univision, Warner Bros.; and Silver Partners Coca-Cola, Hornet, Major League Baseball, Morgan Stanley, Pride Media, Skadden, Variety, 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.
About GLAAD: GLAAD rewrites the script for LGBTQ acceptance. As a dynamic media force, GLAAD tackles tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke dialogue that leads to cultural change. GLAAD protects all that has been accomplished and creates a world where everyone can live the life they love. For more information, please visit www.glaad.org or connect with GLAAD on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter). To learn more about taking action for LGBTQ people and issues, go to www.glaad.org/ACTNOW.
Acerca de GLAAD: GLAAD reescribe el guión para la aceptación LGBTQ. Como una fuerza mediática dinámica, GLAAD aborda temas difíciles para dar forma a la narrativa y provocar un diálogo que conduzca al cambio cultural. GLAAD protege todo lo que se ha logrado y crea un mundo donde todos pueden vivir la vida que aman. Para obtener más información, visite www.glaad.org o conéctese con GLAAD a través de Facebook y X (antes llamado Twitter). Para aprender más sobre cómo tomar acción en favor de las personas y los problemas LGBTQ, visite www.glaad.org/ACTNOW.
Add A Comment
Related posts
Share this
Our Picks
Topics
Don't Miss
On Thursday, April 11th, GLAAD and Ogilvy, a global advertising, marketing and public relations agency, launched…