Broadway legend Bernadette Peters and television star John Stamos presented the Vito Russo Award to film, television, and theater producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron tonight at the 23rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York, presented nationally by Ketel One and Wells Fargo, and presented locally by Delta Air Lines and Prudential. The Vito Russo Award is presented annually to openly LGBT media professionals who have made a significant difference in promoting equality.
Photos and video will be posted to glaad.org/mediaawards in coming days.
Weinstein Company Co-Chairman and outspoken anti-bullying advocate Harvey Weinstein presented a Special Recognition Award to openly gay high school student Katy Butler. Butler launched a Change.org campaign last month to advocate that the 'R' rating of the upcoming documentary Bully be changed to 'PG-13.' That campaign now boasts nearly half a million signatures.
Other award recipients included:
- ‘Dancing with the Stars’ – Outstanding Reality Program (accepted by openly gay Season 13 contestant Carson Kressley)
- Pariah – Outstanding Film – Limited Release (accepted by the film’s stars, Adepero Oduye and Kim Wayans)
- "Battle Against Bullying" ABC World News with Diane Sawyer – Outstanding TV Journalism Segment (accepted by ABC News correspondent Josh Elliott)
‘Glee’ stars Naya Rivera and Cory Monteith hosted the show, with special guests including Dakota Fanning (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn); hip hop icon Russell Simmons; Megan Hilty (Smash); Padma Lakshmi (Top Chef); MSNBC's Thomas Roberts; Vinny Guadagnino (Jersey Shore); Adepero Oduye and Kim Wayans (Pariah); Carson Kressley (Dancing with the Stars); Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir and his husband Victor Voronov; Ted Allen (Chopped); Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato (Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys); Tracey Gold (Starving Secrets with Tracey Gold); Wendy Williams (The Wendy Williams Show); Laverne Cox (Musical Chairs); Cheyenne Jackson (30 Rock); Georgina Chapman (Project Runway); Jay Manuel, Isis King (America's Next Top Model); Janet Mock (People.com); Emil Wilbekin (Essence); Annette O'Toole (Southern Comfort) and more.
Oprah, Lady Gaga, The New York Times, The Advocate, and ‘Anderson Cooper 360’ were among the other winners announced at the ceremonies. Full list below.
The 23rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards series will continue in Los Angeles on April 21, 2012, and later in San Francisco on June 2, 2012. For a complete list of nominees, special guests, and ticket information, click here.
The GLAAD Media Awards recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the LGBT community and the issues that affect their lives.
Following is a complete list of GLAAD Media Award recipients announced Saturday in New York.
- Vito Russo Award: Craig Zadan & Neil Meron (presented by Bernadette Peters and John Stamos)
- Special Recognition Award: openly gay 17-year-old anti-bullying advocate, Katy Butler (presented by Harvey Weinstein)
- Outstanding Film- Limited Release: Pariah (Focus Features) [accepted by: Adepero Oduye, Kim Wayans and producer Nekisa Cooper]
- Outstanding Reality Program: Dancing with the Stars (ABC) [accepted by: Carson Kressley]
- Outstanding TV Journalism Segment: "Battle Against Bullying" ABC World News with Diane Sawyer (ABC) [accepted by: reporter Josh Elliott]
- Outstanding Magazine Article: TIE: "15th Anniversary of the Passage of the Defense of Marriage Act" (series) by Chris Geidner (Metro Weekly) [accepted by: Chris Geidner] and "Black & Gay in Corporate America" by Carolyn M. Brown (Black Enterprise) [accepted by: Carolyn M. Brown]
- Outstanding TV Movie Or Mini Series: Cinema Verite (HBO)
- Outstanding Talk Show Episode: "Coming Out on the Oprah Show: 25 Years of Unforgettable Guests" The Oprah Winfrey Show (syndicated)
- Outstanding TV Journalism - Newsmagazine: "The 'Sissy Boy' Experiments" Anderson Cooper 360 (CNN)
- Outstanding Newspaper Article: "Led by the Child Who Simply Knew" by Bella English (The Boston Globe)
- Outstanding Newspaper Columnist: Frank Bruni (The New York Times)
- Outstanding Newspaper Overall Coverage: The New York Times
- Outstanding Magazine Overall Coverage: The Advocate/Out
- Outstanding Digital Journalism-Multimedia: "Injustice at Every Turn" (ITLMedia.org)
- Outstanding Blog: Towleroad (http://www.towleroad.com/) and Mombian (http://www.mombian.com)
- Outstanding Music Artist: Lady Gaga, Born This Way (Interscope Records)
- Outstanding Comic Book: Batwoman by J.H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman (DC Comics)
- Outstanding Los Angeles Theatre: No Word in Guyanese for Me by Wendy Graf
- Outstanding New York Theatre: Broadway & Off Broadway: The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures by Tony Kushner
- Outstanding New York Theatre: Off-Off Broadway: Southern Comfort book and lyrics by Dan Collins, music by Julianne Wick Davis
SPANISH-LANGUAGE
- Outstanding Daytime Talk Show Episode: "Lesbianas celebran 10 años" Caso Cerrado (Telemundo)
- Outstanding Talk Show Interview: "Entrevista con Raquel Gómez y Mony Ruiz Velasco" Al Punto (Univision)
- Outstanding TV Journalism - Newsmagazine: "Asesino" Primer Impacto (Univision)
- Outstanding TV Journalism Segment: "Ángeles del cambio" Noticiero 34 (KMEX TV-34 [Los Angeles, Calif.])
- Outstanding Newspaper Article: TIE: "Casamiento e hijos biológicos para pareja gay hispana de EEUU" by Claudia Torrens ( Associated Press) and "Madre hay una sola, no necesariamente" by Virginia Gaglianone (La Opinión)
- Outstanding Magazine Article: "Nueva York ♥ la igualdad" by Michelle Oyola (People en Español)
- Outstanding Digital Journalism Article: "Las 7 señales de un niño transgénero" by Paula Andalo (Univision.com)
- Outstanding Music Artist: Ricky Martin, Música + Alma + Sexo (Sony Music Latin)
- Special Recognition: El Diario la Prensa
