The 37th Annual GLAAD Media Awards are headed back to Los Angeles on March 5, 2026, with a lineup that reflects how our LGBTQ+ voices shape entertainment today.
This year’s ceremony will spotlight three influential figures: Quinta Brunson, who will receive the Vanguard Award, and podcast powerhouses Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers, who will share the Stephen F. Kolzak Award. The Los Angeles event streams exclusively on Hulu beginning March 21.
Since 1990, the GLAAD Media Awards have recognized film, television, music, journalism, gaming and more for fair and inclusive LGBTQ representation. This year’s nominees, 291 across 32 categories, reflect work released in 2025.
Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers to Receive the Stephen F. Kolzak Award
Yang and Rogers, the duo behind the podcast Las Culturistas, will receive the Stephen F. Kolzak Award, which honors an LGBTQ media professional who has increased visibility and acceptance. The award is named for a casting director who fought homophobia and HIV stigma within Hollywood.
Over the past several years, Las Culturistas has evolved from a cult favorite into a cultural force. The show won a GLAAD Media Award in 2024 and has featured a wide range of queer creatives, from drag artists to authors and actors. Their “Honest Conversation” episodes, where the pair step away from punchlines, have resonated with listeners navigating identity and chosen family.
Beyond the mic, both comedians have expanded their reach. Yang, a main cast member on Saturday Night Live, became the most-nominated Asian male performer in Emmy history in 2025. He has spoken candidly about representation, whether addressing anti-Asian violence on air or starring in the rom-com Fire Island.
Rogers, dubbed the “Prince of Christmas” after releasing his holiday album Have You Heard of Christmas?, has balanced acting roles with writing credits on queer-forward comedies. Together, the pair have also taken their Las Culturistas Culture Awards from live stages to television, turning inside jokes into headline moments.
Their upcoming feature project at Searchlight Pictures signals yet another leap, one that keeps queer perspective at the center of mainstream storytelling.
Quinta Brunson to Receive the Vanguard Award
Brunson will be presented with the Vanguard Award, which honors allies who advance LGBTQ acceptance in media. Past recipients include Oprah Winfrey, Beyoncé and Cher.
As creator and star of Abbott Elementary, Brunson has reshaped the network sitcom. The series, set in a Philadelphia public school, features Jacob Hill, played by Chris Perfetti, as an openly gay teacher whose orientation is simply one part of his life. There is no dramatic reveal. No lesson-of-the-week framing. Just a fully realized character allowed to exist.
Brunson once summed up her approach in a phrase that became a meme: “people be gay.” The line, shared widely during Pride Month, turned into a shorthand for normalizing queerness without spectacle. Some fans have even used the meme to come out to loved ones — proof that humor can carry weight.
Her accolades continue to stack up, including Emmy and Golden Globe wins. But at the GLAAD Media Awards, the recognition centers on something less quantifiable: the impact of portraying LGBTQ characters as part of everyday life.
Performers and Special Appearances
The March 5 ceremony will also feature a performance from breakout artist Eli, nominated for Outstanding Breakthrough Music Artist. She joins previously announced performer Demi Lovato and host Jonathan Bennett.
Olympic gold medalist Amber Glenn is slated to make a special appearance, alongside a slate of entertainers, journalists and activists expected to attend. Podcast nominees including Tig Notaro, Monet X Change and others will also take part in the festivities.
For the sixth consecutive year, Hulu will serve as the event’s streaming home, underscoring the platform’s ongoing investment in LGBTQ stories.
A Night That Reflects the Moment
The GLAAD Media Awards remain one of the most visible stages dedicated to LGBTQ media advocacy. In a year when debates over representation continue to dominate headlines, the 2026 ceremony arrives as both celebration and statement.
Honoring Brunson, Yang and Rogers underscores a broader shift: queer voices are not confined to the margins of culture. They are shaping it, in writers’ rooms, on soundstages, on podcast charts and across streaming platforms.
On March 5 in Los Angeles, that influence takes center stage.
