February 1, 2016
#OscarsSoWhite But GLAAD Awards Embrace Diversity in LGBT Nominees
Hollywood’s elite continue to address the most recent Academy Award whiteout. For the second year in a row, the nominations failed to nominate any minority actors, writers or directors. However, the names and shows to be honored this year at the 27th Annual GLAAD Media Awards were recently announced and are not void of a diverse group of nominees. The GLAAD Media Awards honor outstanding media images of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community and serve as a benchmark for the media industry and complement GLAAD’s work to bring LGBT images and stories to Americans.
GLAAD President Sarah Kate Ellis released the following statement after the nominations were announced: “For nearly three decades, the GLAAD Media Awards have propelled inclusion in media and driven LGBT acceptance forward. This year’s nominees have raised the bar for creating thoughtful and diverse LGBT images and storylines, deepening audiences’ understanding of LGBT people and accelerating acceptance across the world.”
This year’s nominations for outstanding film include Dope by Rick Famuyiwa, a Nigerian-American Hollywood film director, producer and screenwriter of films such as The Wood, Brown Sugar, and Talk to Me. The American Black Film Festival kicked off last year’s event with a screening of Dope, which was one of the most anticipated films of the year. The comedy-drama features names like Zoë Kravitz and Chanel Iman on screen, as well as big names like Forest Whitaker and Pharrell Williams behind the scenes. Dope is also among this year’s ABFF Honors Award* nominees for best film.
“ABFF Awards: A Celebration of Hollywood,†airs on BET and Centric Tuesday, February 23rd at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
[Related: American Black Film Festival Picks Up Where Oscars Left Off]
Receiving a bid for outstanding talk show episode is Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday interview with New York Times bestselling author, MSNBC host, and black transgender advocate Janet Mock.
Other nominees include:
Outstanding TV Movie or Limited Series: Bessie
Outstanding Music Artist: Le1f, Riot Boi, XL Recordings/Terrible Records
Outstanding Talk Show Episode: “Janet Mock” Super Soul Sunda, OWN
Outstanding TV Journalist Segment:”Pushing for Equality for Transgender People” Melissa Harris-Perry, MSNBC.
Outstanding Individual Episode (in a series without a regular LGBT character): Blackish
Outstanding Magazine Article: “The First Black Trans Model Had Her Face on a Box of Clairol,” Jada Yuan and Aaron Wong, New York; “Pride & Prejudice” by Linda Villarosa, Essence Magazine
Outstanding Digital Journalism Multimedia:Â “Holler if You Hear Me: Black and Gay in the Church,“Â by Clay Cane, BET.com
BLACK ENTERPRISE magazine was the proud winner of a GLAAD Media Award for the article “Black and Gay in Corporate America,† July 2011 issue, and a GLAAD Media Award nominee for the article “Why Gay and Lesbian Couples Pay More,†April/May 2012 issue.