The GLAAD Media Awards wrapped up with a big surprise Thursday night, as Liza Minnelli appeared in the show’s final moments to accept the inaugural Liza Minnelli Storyteller Award.
The star sat in the director’s chair surrounded by dancers and close friend/collaborator Michael Feinstein, as she told the room of LGBTQ+ creators and allies, “I’m so happy to be with you. You make me so proud, because you’re strong and you stand up for what you believe in. You really do, and it’s so nice to be here with you. I feel like I’m five years old, I’ve never given a speech, so now I’m just gigging away.”
Minnelli turns 80 next week, and after her remarks, a birthday cake was brought out while the entire crowd inside the Beverly Hilton Hotel sang happy birthday to her. The honor is also timed for her upcoming memoir Kids, wait until you hear this!which will be released on March 10.
Besides Minnelli’s moment, the biggest stars of the night proved they were Hot competition The team, who were constantly referenced on stage – host Jonathan Bennett started the party by announcing “Welcome to the hut!” – And they had a security detail around their table to manage the constant swarm of fans.
Hot competition Winning the night’s final award for Outstanding New Television Series, creator Jacob Tierney said in his speech, “Making queer art is hard. It’s hard to make, and it’s hard to see. I think a lot of us in this room know that. We owe a lot to the shows that came before us, problematic as some of them may be.” He continued screaming Strange as the folk are, L word, Dante’s Bay, transparent and Will & Gracewhile on stage with stars Connor Story, François Arnault and Robbie JK
In addition to more than 30 competitive awards, Quinta Brunson received the Vanguard Award, and Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers received the Steven F. Kolzak Award. Demi Lovato opened the show with a performance of her hit song “Kiss,” and Sony Music Group artist Eli performed “Glitter.”
Strange things, Palm Royale, Spider Woman Kiss, TraitorsYoung Miko and Katsie were among the other big winners, along with Laverne Cox, who won Outstanding Television Journalism for her appearance on MS NOW. Weekend.
Cox stunned everyone with her speech about the “strategic, well-funded and calculated efforts to systematically dehumanize trans people,” in which she noted that it was never about protecting women and children or they would “prosecute the bastards” in the Epstein files.
She continued: “I am very angry, sad and afraid, and nothing like this should be normalized. We must raise our voices and urge each other to fight against this fascism.” “To say that trans women are a threat to women is nonsense. All the laws that attack trans people actually negatively impact all women… The people who are assaulted in bathrooms are often cis women. Gender is policed in this way and it usually disproportionately affects women of color. So we are all in this together – trans, black, white, working class people. We are all in this together.”
