The 37th Annual GLAAD Media Awards Nominees Are Here
GLAAD kicked off the week with some very exciting news. This Wednesday, January 7, the organization unveiled the nominees for the 37th Annual GLAAD Media Awards, and this year’s slate is a strong reminder of just how central LGBTQ+ stories have become across film, television, music, journalism, gaming, and beyond. From blockbuster releases to deeply personal indie projects, the 2026 nominees reflect a media landscape that’s louder, prouder, and more inclusive than ever.
The 37th Annual GLAAD Media Awards feature 291 nominees across 31 categories, honoring fair, accurate, and inclusive representations of LGBTQ+ people and issues. The ceremony will take place in Los Angeles on Thursday, March 5, bringing together creators and storytellers whose work continues to shape culture at a time when queer visibility is both celebrated and challenged.
GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis highlighted that very tension in the announcement, noting that “the most popular series and media appear on this year’s list of nominees because LGBTQ stories are a winning strategy for a global audience who demands bold and original storytelling.” She also emphasized GLAAD’s ongoing mission, adding that “in the face of rising anti-LGBTQ disinformation, GLAAD remains relentless in our mission to work across all forms of media and to tell the fair and accurate stories that protect values of family, fairness, and freedom for all.”
In the Outstanding Film (Wide Theatrical Release) category, nominees include Blue Moon, Christy, Clown in a Cornfield, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, The History of Sound, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Kiss of the Spider Woman, On Swift Horses, Twinless, and The Wedding Banquet, showcasing a wide range of genres where queer narratives are no longer confined to the margins.
Outstanding Film (Limited Theatrical Release) recognizes Cactus Pears, Fairyland, Griffin in Summer, I Wish You All the Best, A Nice Indian Boy, Plainclothes, Ponyboi, The Queen of My Dreams, Sorry, Baby, and Young Hearts; films that place intimacy, identity, and emotional truth at the center of their storytelling.
For Outstanding Film (Streaming or TV), nominees include 10Dance, The Christmas Baby, Echo Valley, Hedda, A Keller Christmas Vacation, Noah’s Arc: The Movie, Oh. What. Fun., The Old Guard 2, The Parenting, andQueen of Coal, proving once again that streaming platforms continue to be vital spaces for LGBTQ+ representation.
The Outstanding Documentary category shines a spotlight on projects like Amy Bradley Is Missing, Come See Me in the Good Light, Enigma, Heightened Scrutiny, I’m Your Venus, In Transit, Love & Rage: Munroe Bergdorf, A Mother Apart, Pee-Wee as Himself, and Sally, each offering urgent, human-centered perspectives on queer lives, history, and resistance.
Television remains one of the strongest arenas for queer storytelling this year. Outstanding New TV Series nominees include Boots, Chad Powers, Clean Slate, The Four Seasons, Heated Rivalry, The Hunting Wives, I Love LA, Long Story Short, Mid-Century Modern, Overcompensating, and Pluribus. Meanwhile, Outstanding Comedy Series highlights Abbott Elementary, Big Boys, Ghosts, Hacks, Hazbin Hotel, Loot, Palm Royale, The Righteous Gemstones, Survival of the Thickest, and The Upshaws.
On the drama side, Outstanding Drama Series nominees include Brilliant Minds, The Buccaneers, Doctor Who, The Gilded Age, The Last of Us, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, The Sandman, Severance, Stranger Things, and Yellowjackets, while Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series honors projects such as The Beast in Me, Chief of War, Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy, Hal & Harper, Black Mirror’s “Hotel Reverie,” Lost Boys and Fairies, Mr Loverman, Nine Perfect Strangers, Prime Target, and Wayward.
Reality television also continues to evolve as a meaningful space for LGBTQ+ visibility. Outstanding Reality Program nominees include Back to the Frontier, House on Fire, Jay & Pamela, June Farms, Love on the Spectrum, Next Gen NYC, Selling Sunset, Southern Charm, Southern Hospitality, and The Ultimatum: Queer Love. In Outstanding Reality Competition Program, nominees range from RuPaul’s Drag Race and The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Titans to I Kissed a Boy, I Kissed a Girl, Project Runway, and Dancing with the Stars.
Children’s and family programming remains an especially hopeful category, with nominees across animation and live action that affirm queer identities early and often. These include Be@rbrick, Firebuds, Sesame Street’s “No Wrong Way to Be You,” Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, Jane, School Spirits, and XO, Kitty, among others.
Music categories celebrate both established icons and rising stars, with Outstanding Music Artist nominees including Lady Gaga, Reneé Rapp, Ethel Cain, G Flip, Elton John and Brandi Carlile, Conan Gray, Maren Morris, Ty Herndon, Durand Bernarr, and Young Miko. The Outstanding Breakthrough Music Artist category spotlights artists like Amaarae, Destin Conrad, Frankie Grande, Shygirl, Snow Wife, Wet Leg, and more.
On Broadway, Outstanding Broadway Production nominees include Liberation by Bess Wohl, Oedipus by Robert Icke, Purpose by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Redwood with a book by Tina Landau and music by Kate Diaz, and Smash with a book by Rick Elice and Bob Martin and music and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.
Podcasting remains a vital platform for queer voices, with Outstanding Podcast nominees including Bald & The Beautiful, Las Culturistas, The Daily Beans Podcast, Handsome Podcast, Outlaws with TS Madison, The Read, Shut Up Evan, So True with Caleb Hearon, Tactful Pettiness, and We Can Do Hard Things. The Outstanding Podcast Episode category recognizes standout episodes from Pablo Torre Finds Out, The Pivot Podcast, Call Her Daddy, Code Switch, Crime Junkie, House Guest, Between Us with Heather and Terry Dubrow, Pivot, Good Hang with Amy Poehler, and I’ve Had It.
Gaming, comics, graphic novels, variety programming, journalism, and digital media are also celebrated across numerous categories, each highlighting the depth and breadth of LGBTQ+ storytelling happening right now, from groundbreaking video games and comics to fearless journalism and deeply personal multimedia work. The Spanish-language categories further underscore the global reach of queer narratives, honoring scripted television, journalism, and digital storytelling that centers LGBTQ+ lives across Latin America, Spain, and the broader Spanish-speaking world.
Each year, GLAAD also presents non-competitive Special Recognition honors to projects that don’t fit within traditional categories but have made an undeniable impact. For the 37th Annual GLAAD Media Awards, those honors go to Andry José Hernández Romero, Before We Forget, The Drowsy Chaperone in Concert, and Gaydar with Anania, recognizing their immeasurable contributions to LGBTQ+ visibility, resilience, and cultural change.
As we look ahead to the March 5 ceremony, this year’s nominees feel like a celebration and a statement. LGBTQ+ stories are not a trend, they’re foundational, they’re global, and they’re here to stay. If this list makes one thing clear, it’s that queer voices keep rising, even as the world asks them to be quieter.
Check out the full list of nominees for the 37th Annual GLAAD Media Awards here.
The 37th Annual GLAAD Media Awards will take place on March 5 in Los Angeles. Follow us on X and Instagram for all queer stuff!
Featured Image: Image Courtesy of GLAAD.
