GLAAD Media Awards going virtual with help from Chloe x Halle, Dolly Parton, others
The GLAAD Media Awards is the latest entertainment event to go virtual amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Thursday, the LGBTQ+ advocacy organization announced that 2020's award show will be held online later this month in place of the original New York and Los Angeles ceremonies planned for earlier this year.
The celebration — featuring appearances from Dolly Parton, Lil Nas X, Dwyane Wade, Gabrielle Union, Lena Waithe, the cast of "Pose" and other stars — will stream on GLAAD’s Facebook and YouTube pages on July 30 starting at 5 p.m. Pacific.
Hosted by comedians Fortune Feimster and Gina Yashere, the GLAAD Media Awards will include a performance from sister duo Chloe x Halle (probably filmed on their iconic tennis-court stage). The Grammy-nominated "Ungodly Hour" artists also performed for last month's virtual BET Awards.
Other entertainers set to participate in the festivities include Cara Delevingne, Kaitlyn Dever, Beanie Feldstein, Jonica T. Gibbs, Dan Levy, Rachel Maddow, Ryan O’Connell, Geena Rocero, Angelica Ross, Brian Michael Smith, Peppermint and Olivia Wilde.
Tonight was supposed to be the #GLAADawards in LA, where @janetmock and @taylorswift13 were set to be honored. We’re bummed that the event was canceled due to COVID-19, but we’re cheering ourselves up with these throwbacks from when they attended the show in the past. pic.twitter.com/wUQd1BI5ub
— GLAAD (@glaad) April 16, 2020
“Among this year’s nominees are a wide range of stories and narratives about LGBTQ people of different races, ethnicities, genders, religions, and other identities that demonstrate the power of inclusion and diversity in fostering positive cultural change,” said GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis in a statement.
“As this year’s Media Awards go virtual, we hope to send a powerful message to LGBTQ people that in the midst of this culturally and politically divisive time, our visibility and voices have never been more important.”
In January, GLAAD unveiled more than 175 nominees in 30 categories honoring "fair, accurate, and inclusive representations of LGBTQ people and issues" in the media. A full list of this year's nominees can be found here.
