Hosted by Ross Mathews, the GLAAD Media Awards took place Thursday night at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, CA. The show is meant to “recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the LGBTQ community and the issues that affect their lives,” according to the organization’s website. Celebrities wore blue ampersand (“&”) pins in support of GLAAD’s Together movement, which represents its work on intersectional issues facing the world today.
Aside from the advocacy fashion trend, there were a number of other notable moments from the show. Here are the ones you need to know:
THERE WERE SOME ICONIC AWARDS, DUH
Representation is so important in the entertainment industry, and the GLAAD awards are where we really see that come into play. The award show honors all mediums across pop culture, with “Love, Simon” winning for best film, Netflix’s “Queer Eye” taking home best show, and Cartoon Network’s “Steven Universe” nabbing the honor for best kids and family programming. Special recognitions were handed out to Netflix’s “Nanette,” Logo’s “TransMilitary,” and INTOmore.com’s “House of Mamis.” Only 15 out of 27 honors were given out on Thursday night; the rest will be announced at a ceremony on May 4.
LIZZO REMINDED US WHY SHE’S THE GREATEST IN THE GAME ATM
Accompanied by a squad of back-up dancers, Lizzo took to the stage to perform an energetic rendition of her song “Juice“—complete with a show-stopping flute solo. Introduced by Adam Lambert, Lizzo circled back to his table during a dance-break in the crowd where Lambert was seen head-banging (same). The singer also received a standing ovation from the crowd, because it’s what she deserves.
SHANGELA SLAYED A LIP SYNC (FOR HER LIFE) TO A BEYONCE MEDLEY
Shangela Laquifa Wadley may have been the first contestant eliminated on season 2 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” but she is the winner of life. The performance was set to a 7-minute long mash-up of some of Queen Bey’s most iconic songs and was meant to honor the Carters, who were in attendance to receive the Vanguard Award. The drag queen received a standing ovation from Beyoncé and Jay-Z, and the queen herself even owned up to crying a bit at the performance.
Lip-synching to a song in front of the artist takes balls. Luckily, hers were in a perfect tuck.
THEN, BEYONCE DEDICATED HER AWARD TO HER UNCLE
While accepting the Vanguard Award, which is meant to honor those in the entertainment industry who advocate for the LGBTQ community, Queen Bey delivered a sincere speech in honor of her late uncle. Both artists have shown support for the queer community through representation in their music videos, vocally supporting gay marriage, and speaking out about the controversial North Carolina bathroom bill. Jay-Z also acknowledged and honored his mother, who recently came out as a lesbian.
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