LOS ANGELES (CNS) - GLAAD, which bills itself as the world's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer media advocacy organization, will hold its 31st Annual GLAAD Media Awards in a virtual format today due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The event will stream on Facebook and YouTube at 5 p.m., and air on Logo at 5 p.m. on Aug. 3.
Comedians Fortune Feimster and Gina Yashere will host the ceremony, which will feature a special performance from Grammy-nominated duo Chloe x Halle.
Other performers include actor and singer Ben Platt and singer and activist Shea Diamond.
Demi Lovato, Jennifer Garner, Lilly Singh, Charli XCX, Grammy Award-winning songwriter Kandi Burruss, Theo Germaine (“The Politician,'' “Work in Progress''), fashion designer August Getty, activists Gigi Gorgeous Getty and Nats Getty, Harvey Guillen (“What We Do in the Shadows''), and Darryl Stephens (“Noah's Arc'') are also set to appear.
Special guests will include Cara Delevingne (“Suicide Squad,'' “Valerian'' and the “City of a Thousand Planets''), Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein(“Booksmart''), WWE star Sonya Deville, Jonica T. Gibbs (“Twenties''), Dan Levy (“Schitt's Creek''), Lil Nas X, Rachel Maddow, Ryan O'Connell (“Special''), Dolly Parton, Peppermint (“RuPaul' Drag Race,'' “Head Over Heels'') and others.
The awards honor media for “fair, accurate, and inclusive representations of LGBTQ people and issues.''
“Since its inception in 1990, the GLAAD Media Awards have grown to be the most visible annual LGBTQ awards show in the world, sending powerful messages of acceptance to audiences globally,'' a GLAAD statement said.
“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,'' GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said.
On Wednesday, GLAAD began tweeting winners of select categories. The first winner was “Transparent: Musicale Finale'' (Amazon) for Outstanding TV Movie.
GLAAD also announced its first TV Fan Favorite Award. Fans can go to www.glaad.org/FanFavorite to vote for their favorite TV series amongst this year's nominees starting Thursday at 5 p.m., and closing at 6:30 p.m. The winner will be revealed on GLAAD's social media immediately following the virtual ceremony.
In January, GLAAD announced more than 175 nominees in 30 categories, including the returning category for Outstanding Broadway Production. GLAAD also announced Special Recognition honors for Netflix's “Special'' and for pioneering LGBTQ journalists Karen Ocamb and Mark Segal.
This year's nominees include stories about LGBTQ people of color, and several of the nominated television series include lead actors in that group, GLAAD said, citing actors in “Euphoria,'' “Killing Eve,'' “The L Word: Generation Q,'' “Pose,'' “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,'' “Dear White People,'' “One Day at a Time,'' “Superstore,'' “Vida'' and “Tales of the City.''
GLAAD announced earlier this year that the ceremonies planned for New York on March 19 and Los Angeles on April 16 would not take place.
The 31st Annual GLAAD Media Awards are presented by Delta Air Lines, Gilead, P&G, and Wells Fargo.
Photo: Getty Images