GLAAD’s Media Awards Honored Orville Peck, Jennifer Hudson, & More for LGBTQIA+ Inclusivity

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The GLAAD Media Awards are back! On Saturday, nonprofit GLAAD‘s (The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation)’s annual event returned to New York City to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community’s representation across all forms of media. The occasion raised over $300,000 towards advancing LGBTQIA+ inclusivity across film, television, music, and more, while also celebrating recent accomplishments of those within the industry.

Orville Peck, Jennifer Lawrence

This year’s Awards, held at the New York Hilton Midtown and hosted by Ross Matthews, honored numerous individuals, including musician Orville Peck. Peck was given the organization’s Vito Russo Award for promoting LGBTQIA+ acceptance in mainstream media during the occasion, with an exuberant introduction by close friend Jennifer Lawrence—who deemed Peck a “storyteller who uses your platform to speak up for everyone” in her speech.

“All the cliche words come to mind, but it’s really true—it’s very humbling, and I feel honored,” Peck told The Daily Front Row. “It’s a little surreal, honestly. I keep saying to be someone that anybody really looked up to wasn’t really the plan, it wasn’t really on my mind. But I take it as a really important responsibility now. My favorite accomplishment of my career has turned out to be that I can make some kind of difference for someone, so I’m very very proud.”

Orville Peck

Jennifer Hudson

Meanwhile, EGOT winner Jennifer Hudson closed the ceremony while accepting her Excellence in the Media Award as host of The Jennifer Hudson Show. Earlier in the evening, the program also won the award for Outstanding Variety or Talk Show Episode.

“Your story desires to be told. You guys make me feel safe, loved, my whole life, welcome. Therefore, it is my mission to do the same,” Hudson said. “I love you so much, and don’t you ever forget it!”

Laverne Cox, Jennifer Hudson, Ross Matthews

The evening’s other top winners included Red, White, and Royal Blue for Queer Fan Favorite, Family Karma for Outstanding Reality Program, and Melissa Etheridge: My Window for Outstanding Broadway Production. Billboard magazine also earned an Outstanding Print Article award for its June 2023 cover story. The night’s presenters were equally starry, including Laverne Cox, Uma Thurman, Taylor Zakhar Perez, Cody Rigsby, Beanie Feldstein, Carla Gugino, Mary McDonnell, Don Lemon, Jaida Essence Hall, Latrice Royale, Priyanka, and Sasha Velour.

Sasha Velour, Priyanka, Nicholas Kouchoukos, Amrit Kapai, Jaida Essence Hall, Latrice Royale, Justin Jones

Rachel Hilson, Matthew Lopez, Taylor Zakhar Perez, Aneesh Sheth, Michael McGrath

The event featured appearances by Daniella Carter, Jonathan Bennett, Jaymes Vaughan, Kate Owens, Kristen Lovell, Los Javis, Octavio Sanders, Rep. Justin Jones, Tayla Parx, Vanessa Vanjie Mateo, Shannel, Nina West, Jorgeous, Roxxxy Andrews, Gottmik, Angeria Paris VanMichaels, Plastique Tiara, and GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. At the ceremony’s finale, guests were treated to a live performance by Loren Allred and Pentatonix’s Scott Hoying.

Scott Hoying, Loren Allred

The occasion was presented by Hyundai, with guests mingling in the hotel’s chandelier-strung ballroom for GLAAD’s glitzy awards afterparty. Cocktails by sponsors Absolut Vodka and Hernitos Tequila, as well as a dynamic performance by Tayla Parx, provided a splashy end to the night. The event was GLAAD’s second awards program of 2024, following March’s Los Angeles awards honoring Oprah Winfrey and Niecy Nash-Betts. The awards were produced by STAMP Event Co.

Tayla Parx

All images: Courtesy of Getty Images

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