GLAAD

Today, GLAAD announced the nominees for the 28^th Annual GLAAD Media Awards. Many of the nominees for outstanding film, television, music, and journalism represent the diversity and vibrancy of LGBTQ youth experiences.

The LGBTQ youth representations of this year’s nominees help fill the ongoing need for young, marginalized people to see themselves, in all their complexities, reflected in the media so they can better understand themselves. Their stories also help to educate their audiences, including those who are not as familiar with LGBTQ youths’ needs, the issues they faces, and their accomplishments.

Among the nominees for film depictions, Moonlight chronicles the coming of age story of a young Black man, Chiron, in three stages of his life. Alex Hibbert plays the character in his childhood, dubbed “Little”, and Ashton Sanders plays Chiron as adolescent, followed by Trevante Rhodes as the young adult Chiron, dubbed “Black.” As he grows up, Chiron maintains a romantic storyline with Kevin (played as a teenager by Jharrel Jerome, as a young adult by André Holland).

The film Naz & Maalik follows Maalik (Curtiss Cook Jr.) and Naz (Kerwin Johnson Jr.), two Muslim high school students who have recently begun a romantic relationship. Their secretive behavior around their relationship captures the attention of an FBI agent who suspects them of criminal activity and discriminates against them due to their religion.

Spa Night tells the story of David (Joe Seo), a first-generation Korean-American high school student who grapples with being closeted and individuating from his immigrant parents.

In a nominated television category, The Real O’Neals tells the story of 16-year-old Kenny O’Neal (Noah Galvin), as he comes out as gay to his close-knit Irish Catholic family in Chicago.

LGBTQ youth were well also represented in the category for Outstanding Comic Book. Kim & Kim is a sci-fi adventure series by trans author Magdalene Visaggio following the dynamic duo of best friends Kim Quatro, who is trans, and Kim Dantzler, who is bisexual. Additionally, Patsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat!, by queer writer Kate Leth, features a queer character, Ian, who becomes friend with protagonist, Patsy Walker.

This year’s nominees also highlighted the real-life stories of many LGBTQ youth. 19-year-old trans* activist Nicole Maines can be found in The Trans List, a documentary featuring interviews with 11 trans* individuals from across the globe.

I am Jazz, the series documenting the life of teen trans activist Jazz Jennings, is in contention for its second consecutive win for Outstanding Reality Program.

 “No Access: Young, Black & Positive”, explores the epidemic of HIV among young, gay, Black men in Jackson, Mississippi, amplifying the voices of many of the queer youth most affected.

The VICE News Tonight special, “Gavin Grimm’s Fight”, nominated for Outstanding TV Journalism – Newsmagazine, explores the story of Gavin Grimm, a 17-year-old trans boy from Virginia whose trans discrimination case heads to the Supreme Court.

Whether a true story or fiction, these GLAAD Award nominees highlight the experiences of LGBTQ youth with great compassion and breadth.

Below is the complete list of LGBTQ Youth (under 24) representations for the 28^th GLAAD Media Awards:

 

OUTSTANDING FILM – WIDE RELEASE

Moonlight (A24)

OUTSTANDING FILM – LIMITED RELEASE

Naz & Maalik (Wolfe Releasing)

Spa Night (Strand Releasing)

Other People (Vertical Entertainment)

Those People (Wolfe Releasing)

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES

Modern Family (ABC)

The Real O’Neals (ABC)

Transparent (Amazon)

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES

The Fosters (Freeform)

Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)

The OA (Netflix)

Shameless (Showtime)

OUTSTANDING TV MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES

Eyewitness (USA Network)

OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY

The Trans List (HBO)

OUTSTANDING REALITY PROGRAM

I Am Cait (E!)

I Am Jazz (TLC)

Strut (Oxygen)

OUTSTANDING COMIC BOOK

All-New X-Men, written by Dennis Hopeless (Marvel Comics)

Kim & Kim, written by Magdalene Visaggio (Black Mask Studios)

Love is Love, anthology originated by Marc Andreyko (IDW Publishing, DC Comics)

Lumberjanes, written by Shannon Watters, Kat Leyh (BOOM! Studios)

Patsy Walker, A.K.A Hellcat!, written by Kate Leth (Marvel Comics)

Saga, written by Brian K. Vaughan (Image Comics)

The Woods, written by James Tynion IV (BOOM! Studios)

OUTSTANDING TV JOURNALISM – NEWSMAGAZINE

“Gavin Grimm’s Fight” VICE News Tonight (HBO)

“Life as Matt” E:60 (ESPN)

“Switching Teams” 60 Minutes (CBS)

OUTSTANDING TV JOURNALISM SEGMENT

“Many in LGBT Community Fear Changes under Trump” NBC Nightly News (NBC)

OUTSTANDING NEWSPAPER ARTICLE

“Nowhere to Go: LGBT Youth on the Move” by Arielle Dreher (Jackson Free Press [Jackson, Miss.])

OUTSTANDING MAGAZINE ARTICLE

“On the Run” by Jacob Kushner (Vice Magazine)

OUTSTANDING DIGITAL JOURNALISM ARTICLE

“The Uncertain Olympic Future for Trans and Intersex Athletes” by Diana Tourjee (Broadly.Vice.com)

OUTSTANDING DIGITAL JOURNALISM – MULTIMEDIA

“New Deep South: Kayla” (TheFront.com)

“No Access: Young, Black & Positive” (Tonic.Vice.com)

“Unerased: Counting Transgender Lives” by Meredith Talusan (Mic.com)

 

For a complete list of nominees, click here.

The GLAAD Media Awards recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community and the issues that affect their lives. The GLAAD Media Awards also fund GLAAD’s work to amplify stories from the LGBTQ community and issues that build support for equality and acceptance.

The GLAAD Media Awards ceremonies will be held in Los Angeles on April 1, 2017 at The Beverly Hilton and in New York on May 6 at the New York Hilton Midtown. Find out how you can buy tickets or host a table here.

To receive the latest updates on the GLAAD Media Awards, follow @glaad on Twitter and use the hashtag #glaadawards.