Arts & Entertainment
GLAAD Media Awards 2018 releases nominees
Netflix raked in the highest number of nominations for TV shows
(‘Call Me By Your Name.’ Screenshot via YouTube.)
The 29th annual GLAAD Media Awards announced its 2018 nominees at the Sundance Film Festival on Friday via Trace Lysette (“Transparent”) and Wilson Cruz (“Star Trek: Discovery”).
Netflix raked in the most nominations for television with seven nominations. ABC, CBS and NBC came in at a close second with six nominations. This was also the first time the category Outstanding Kids & Family Programming was introduced which recognizes “Andi Mack,” and “Doc McStuffins,” among others, for their LGBT inclusion.
Critically-acclaimed films “Call Me By Your Name,” “Lady Bird” and “The Shape of Water” also scored nominations.
For music, Miley Cyrus, Sam Smith, Halsey and Kesha all earned nominations for Outstanding Music Artist.
Special recognition was also given to the animated short film “In a Heartbeat,” written and directed by Esteban Bravo and Beth David, as well as Jay-Z’s track “Smile,” about his mother’s coming out, from his album “4:44.”
Check out the full list of nominees below.
OUTSTANDING FILM – WIDE RELEASE
“Battle of the Sexes” (Fox Searchlight)
“Call Me by Your Name” (Sony Pictures Classics)
“Lady Bird” (A24)
“Professor Marston and the Wonder Women” (Annapurna Pictures)
“The Shape of Water” (Fox Searchlight)
OUTSTANDING FILM – LIMITED RELEASE
“BPM” (The Orchard)
“A Fantastic Woman” (Sony Pictures Classics)
“God’s Own Country” (Samuel Goldwyn Films/Orion Pictures)
“Thelma” (The Orchard)
“The Wound” (Kino Lorber)
OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
“The Bold Type” (Freeform)
“Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (FOX)
“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” (The CW)
“Modern Family” (ABC)
“One Day at a Time” (Netflix)
“One Mississippi” (Amazon)
“Superstore” (NBC)
“Survivor’s Remorse” (Starz)
“Transparent” (Amazon)
“Will & Grace” (NBC)
OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
“Billions” (Showtime)
“Doubt” (CBS)
“The Handmaid’s Tale” (Hulu)
“Nashville” (CMT)
“Sense8” (Netflix)
“Shadowhunters” (Freeform)
“Star” (FOX)
“Star Trek: Discovery” (CBS All Access)
“This Is Us” (NBC)
“Wynonna Earp” (Syfy)
OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUAL EPISODE (in a series without a regular LGBTQ character)
“Chapter 8”, “Legion” (FX)
“Grace”, “Pure Genius” (CBS)
“Lady Cha Cha”, “Easy” (Netflix)
“The Missionaries”, “Room 104” (HBO)
“Thanksgiving”, “Master of None” (Netflix)
OUTSTANDING TV MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES
“American Horror Story: Cult” (FX)
“Feud: Bette and Joan” (FX)
“Godless” (Netflix)
“Queers” (BBC America)
“When We Rise” (ABC)
OUTSTANDING KIDS & FAMILY PROGRAMMING
“Andi Mack” (Disney Channel)
“Chosen Family”, “Danger & Eggs” (Amazon)
“The Emergency Plan”, “Doc McStuffins” (Disney Channel)
“The Loud House” (Nickelodeon)
“Steven Universe” (Cartoon Network)
OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY
“Chavela” (Music Box Films)
“Gender Revolution: A Journey with Katie Couric” (National Geographic)
“Kiki” (Sundance Selects)
“Real Boy”- “Independent Lens” (PBS)
“This is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous” (YouTube Red)
OUTSTANDING REALITY PROGRAM
“Gaycation with Ellen Page” (Viceland)
“I Am Jazz” (TLC)
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” (VH1)
“Survivor: Game Changers” (CBS)
“The Voice” (NBC)
OUTSTANDING MUSIC ARTIST
Miley Cyrus, “Younger Now” (RCA Records)
Halsey, “Hopeless Fountain Kingdom” (Astralwerks Records)
Honey Dijon, “The Best of Both Worlds” (Classic Music Company)
Kehlani, “SweetSexySavage” (TSNMI/Atlantic Records)
Kelela, “Take Me Apart” (Warp Records)
Kesha, “Rainbow” (Kemosabe/RCA Records)
Perfume Genius, “No Shape” (Matador Records)
Sam Smith, “The Thrill of It All” (Capitol Records)
St. Vincent, “MASSEDUCTION” (Loma Vista Recordings)
Wrabel, “We Could Be Beautiful” (Epic/Sony Records)
OUTSTANDING COMIC BOOK
“America,” written by Gabby Rivera (Marvel Comics)
“The Backstagers,” written by James Tynion IV (BOOM! Studios)
“Batwoman,” written by Marguerite Bennett, James Tynion IV (DC Comics)
“Black Panther: World of Wakanda,” written by Roxane Gay, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Yona Harvey, Rembert “Browne” (Marvel Comics)
“Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love,” written by Sarah Vaughn (DC Comics)
“Goldie Vance,” written by Hope Larson, Jackie Ball (BOOM! Studios)
“Iceman,” written by Sina Grace (Marvel Comics)
“Lumberjanes,” written by Kat Leyh, Shannon Watters (BOOM! Studios)
“Quantum Teens are Go,” written by Magdalene Visaggio (Black Mask Comics)
“The Woods,” written by James Tynion IV (BOOM! Studios)
OUTSTANDING DAILY DRAMA
“The Bold and The Beautiful” (CBS)
“Days of Our Lives” (NBC)
“The Young & the Restless” (CBS)
OUTSTANDING TALK SHOW EPISODE
“Australia Marriage Equality”, “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” (HBO)
“Danica Roem”, “The Opposition with Jordan Klepper” (Comedy Central)
“Laila and Logan Ireland, Transgender Military Couple”, “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated)
“Laverne Cox and Gavin Grimm”, “The View” (ABC)
“Trans Veterans React to Ban”, “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” (Comedy Central)
OUTSTANDING TV JOURNALISM – NEWSMAGAZINE
“A Boy Named Lucas”, “20/20” (ABC)
“China Queer”, “The Naked Truth” (Fusion)
“Gay Purge?”, “Nightline” (ABC)
“The Pulse of Orlando: Terror at the Nightclub”, “Anderson Cooper 360” (CNN)
“Trans Youth”, “VICE on HBO” (HBO)
OUTSTANDING TV JOURNALISM SEGMENT
“The Abolitionists Face the Love Army” KAPP-KVEW Local News (KAPP-35/KVEW-42 [Tri Cities/Yakima, Wash.])
“DJ Zeke Thomas Goes Public”, “Good Morning America” (ABC)
“Murders Raise Alarm for Transgender Community”, “NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt” (NBC)
“Transgender Murders in Louisiana Part of Disturbing Trend”, “CBS Evening News” (CBS)
“Transgender Rights under Fire in Trump Era”, “AM Joy” (MSNBC)
OUTSTANDING NEWSPAPER ARTICLE
“Fearfully and Wonderfully Made: The Journey of a Transgender Man” by Lauren McGaughy (The Dallas Morning News)
“Lesbian College Coaches Still Face Difficult Atmosphere to Come Out” by Shannon Ryan (Chicago Tribune)
“Pulse Victims’ Families in Puerto Rico: ‘We Have to Cry Alone'” by Jennifer A. Marcial Ocasio (Orlando Sentinel)
“Revised Guidance on HIV Proves Life-Transforming” by Lenny Bernstein (The Washington Post)
“The Silent Epidemic: Black Gay Men and HIV” [series] (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
OUTSTANDING MAGAZINE ARTICLE
“America’s Hidden H.I.V. Epidemic” by Linda Villarosa (The New York Times Magazine)
“Beyond ‘He’ or ‘She’: The Changing Meaning of Gender and Sexuality” by Katy Steinmetz (Time)
“Forbidden Lives: The Gay Men Who Fled Chechnya’s Purge” by Masha Gessen (The New Yorker)
“Free Radical” by Nathan Heller (Vogue)
“Trans, Teen, and Homeless” by Laura Rena Murray (Rolling Stone)
OUTSTANDING MAGAZINE OVERALL COVERAGE
The Advocate
Billboard
People
Teen Vogue
Time
OUTSTANDING DIGITAL JOURNALISM ARTICLE
“The Ballad of Bobby Brooks, the First Gay Student-Body President of Texas A&M” by Lauren Larson (GQ.com)
“For Those We Lost and Those Who Survived: The Pulse Massacre One Year Later” by James Michael Nichols (HuffPost Queer Voices)
“‘I Am a Girl Now,’ Sage Smith Wrote. Then She Went Missing.” by Emma Eisenberg (Splinter)
“Meet the Transgender Student Who Fought Discrimination at His Maryland High School (and Won)” by Nico Lang (INTO)
“Why Bisexual Men Are Still Fighting to Convince Us They Exist” by Samantha Allen (Splinter)
OUTSTANDING DIGITAL JOURNALISM – MULTIMEDIA
“Former Patriots and Chiefs Tackle Ryan O’Callaghan Comes Out as Gay” by Cyd Zeigler (Outsports/SB Nation)
“Made to Model: Trans Beauty in Fashion” (LogoTV.com)
“‘This Is How We Win’: Inside Danica Roem’s Historic Victory” by Diana Tourjée (Broadly.Vice.com)
“Transgender Day of Remembrance” by Saeed Jones (AM to DM, BuzzFeed News)
“US Travel Ban Leaves LGBT Refugees in Limbo” by Nina dos Santos (CNN.com)
OUTSTANDING BLOG
Autostraddle
Gays With Kids
My Fabulous Disease
Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents
Transgriot
OUTSTANDING SCRIPTED TELEVISION SERIES
“Las chicas del cable” (Netflix)
“La doble vida de Estela Carrillo” (Univision)
“Ingobernable” (Netflix)
OUTSTANDING TV JOURNALISM – NEWSMAGAZINE (Spanish Language)
“Así viven los estudiantes transgénero después de que Trump anulara la ley de baños de Obama para escuela públicas” , “Primer Impacto” (Univision)
“Pulse, huellas de la masacre”, “Docufilms” (CNN en Español)
“Ser transgénero en Latinoamérica: sus experiencias y crecimiento”, “Vive la Salud” (CNN en Español)
OUTSTANDING TV JOURNALISM SEGMENT (Spanish Language)
“Comunidad LGBTQ vulnerable bajo nuevo gobierno”, “Perspectiva Nacional” (Entravision)
“Entrevista con Daniela Vega”, “Showbiz” (CNN en Español)
“Joven transgénero tiene un mensaje para las familias: ‘Acepten a sus hijos'”, “Al Punto” (Univision)
“El triunfo de una diseñadora mexicana transgénero en Nueva York”, “Noticias Telemundo” (Telemundo)
“Unidos contra la discriminación y el acoso contra la comunidad LGBT”, “Despierta América” (Univision)
OUTSTANDING DIGITAL JOURNALISM (Spanish Language)
“La compleja realidad de ser gay en América Latina” (cnnespanol.cnn.com)
“‘No aprobar el Dream Act significaría una sentencia de muerte’, jóvenes LGBT y DACA” (laopinion.com)
“Padres de familia de Dallas luchan por los derechos de su hija transgénero” (aldiadallas.com)
“Primera senadora trans aspira a impulsar medidas para sectores discriminados” (efe.com)
“Tres hermanitos para dos papás” (laopinion.com)
Theater
‘The Inheritance’ is most-nominated at this year’s Helen Hayes Awards
42nd annual celebration of excellence in local theater set for May 18
Helen Hayes Awards 2026
May 18, 2026
For tickets go to theatrewashington.org
Last year, when out director Tom Story took on the daunting task of directing Round House Theatre’s production of “The Inheritance, Parts One and Two,” he knew that casting would be important, maybe even paramount, to the endeavor’s success. So, Story didn’t mess around.
Penned by queer playwright Matthew López, “The Inheritance” (inspired by E.M. Forster’s 1910 novel “Howards End”) is based on gay culture in the wake of the AIDS crisis.
Story looked at actors he knew, and some he didn’t. He wanted low drama and maybe players who could relate to the LGBTQ experience. In the end, the production’s 13-person cast was entirely queer except for brilliant local favorite Nancy Robinette as Margaret, the wise housekeeper.
Clearly, Story’s vision resonated with audiences. Round House’s production of “The Inheritance” is the most-nominated work of this year’s Helen Hayes Awards, earning 14 nominations. It’s also one of Round House’s highest grossing popular successes ever.
The queer cast members whose ages ranged from about 22 to 60, worked hard and enjoyed the process, and along the way garnered an Outstanding Ensemble in a Play (Hayes) nomination for their efforts.
The ensemble included Jamar Jones as Tristan, a brilliant doctor who leaves New York for Canada after deciding there’s no place for a gay, HIV-positive Black man in America. For the experienced actor, being part of “The Inheritance” was profound: “I think it was a divinely orchestrated production.”
He adds “I really feel that it’s so rare that you get to work on a show of that magnitude…size, time, where virtual strangers genuinely fell into rhythm. We became a cohort. I never felt a sense of unease, or reluctance to try things. I could be as big or bold as I wanted to be; or I could be small. Fail, mess up, try again. I didn’t feel judged.”
Jones considers Richmond his home, but says “I’m based where the work is.” Currently, he’s back at Round House rehearsing “Sally & Tom” (May 27-June28), a play within a play/meta exploration of the relationship between Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings by Suzan-Lori Parks.
Jones plays both a contemporary violinist and an enslaved fiddler, parts that have required him to learn to “air fiddle.” He’s all over it: “I want to represent the art and to be as precise as possible. Taught by an instructor, I’ve made strides with movement of the bow; next up is finger placement.”
Will he leave the play a violinist? “I’ll report back on closing night. Maybe I will have added something to the special skills list on my resume.”
For about a decade, Jones worked in living history, interpreting, performing, and writing pieces about the enslaved people of Colonial Virginia. Among the many historical characters he portrayed was Jupiter (Thomas Jefferson’s longtime enslaved manservant), an experience that’s proved a connection and preparation for his current role.
The 42nd Helen Hayes Awards celebration recognizing excellence in professional theater in the DMV will be held on Monday, May 18, 2026 at The Anthem on the District Wharf in Washington, D.C. Named for Helen Hayes, the legendary first lady of Broadway, the program consists of the awards presentation hosted by Felicia Curry, Awa Sal Secka, and Derrick Truby, followed by an after-party at nearby Whitlow’s.
With works selected from 149 eligible productions presented in the 2025 calendar year, nominations were made in 41 categories and grouped as either “Helen” (non-Equity/small Equity presence) or “Hayes” (Equity-heavy).
The many nominations are the result of 49 vetted judges considering 1,997 pieces of work, such as design, direction, choreography, performances, and more. The productions under consideration included 42 musicals, 107 plays, and 33 world premieres.
The following are more of this year’s queer nominees.
A past Helen Hayes Award recipient and nominee, Fran Tapia is competing against herself this year in the Outstanding Lead Performer in a Musical (Helen) category. Nominated for her memorable turn as the diva barkeep in GALA Theatre’s “Columbia Heights Bolero Bar,” an immersive musical centered on songs of longing and immigration set in a diverse neighborhood on the eve of a divisive presidential election
“It was a challenging time, because a lot of what was happening in the show was happening in the neighborhood,” says Tapia who lives in Columbia Heights just eight minutes from GALA.
Based in D.C. since 2019, Tapia says “Being recognized in a country that is not my homeland but where I’m building my artistic home, is deeply meaningful. And the variety of roles I have been able to play speaks to the richness of DC theater and the collaborators who trusted me with these roles.”
Her other individual nomination is for the title role in Spooky Action Theater’s “Professor Woland’s Black Magic Rock Show,” a passionately comedic political satire. She approached the mysterious central character as nonbinary.
Tapia (“Chilean, Latina, queer and proud immigrant”) says while very different, both performances involved particularly strong characters. She’s grateful audiences responded positively to her work.
Stanley Bahorek, who moved to D.C. with his husband four years ago, is best known as an accomplished actor with a long list of Broadway and regional credits (including playing Carl, the gay son in Studio Theatre’s recent production of “The Mother Play”). Now, he is nominated for Outstanding Music Direction (Helen) for his work on “A Strange Loop,” a production of D.C.’s Visionaries of the Creative Arts (VOCA) in collaboration with Deaf Austin Theatre. He shares this nomination with Walter “Bobby” McCoy.
Michael R. Jackson’s Tony and Pulitzer wining play “A Strange Loop,” is the story of Usher, a Black, queer theater usher trying to write a musical. VOCA’s take on the work is seen through a deaf BIPOC lens with a deaf Usher played by a deaf actor (out actor Gabriel Silva). Invited by director and longtime friend Alexandria Wailes (who is deaf), Bahorek (who is hearing) joined the creative team as a sort of hybrid associate director/ music supervisor.
“I’m fluent in conversational American Sign Language (ASL),” he says. “I sort of functioned as a sherpa between the hearing and deaf and hard-of-hearing creatives. It’s been a great thrill to be a part of VOCA’s biggest production to date.”
If he and McCoy take home the prize, who makes the acceptance speech? Bahorek takes a beat before replying “That’s something we still need to talk about. And soon.”
A full list of award recipients will be available at theatrewashington.org on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
Anthony Oakes will host “DC Black Pride Comedy Show” on Thursday, May 21 at 7 p.m.
Oakes will workshop his new hour about addiction, incarceration, recovery, and redemption with special guests.
This event will be hosted by the hilarious Apple Brown Betty with TJ So Silly, Howl Cooper, and featuring Patrice Deveaux. DJ Art.is will be spinning on the 1’s & 2’s. Libations will be provided by Drink Alchy. Images by RGF ENT. Tickets are $28.52 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
Out & About
United Night Out set for Saturday
Team DC hosts evening of soccer, Pride, music, drag and community
On Saturday, May 16, Team DC is taking over Audi Field for United Night OUT as D.C. United faces St. Louis SC.
Come out for an evening of soccer, Pride, music, drag, and community. The night kicks off with pre-game fun featuring DC Different Drummers, DJ Heat, and a Pride Night OUT Party at the Heineken Rooftop. Then get ready for a 7:30 p.m. match, including the National Anthem sung by Dana Nearing and a halftime drag performance.
After the match, the celebration continues at the Post-Game Rooftop Party with DJ Heat and the After Party at Dacha Navy Yard. Game tickets and after party tickets are available now through Zeffy. After party tickets are $20 and include one drink.
Honey, have we been priced out of gay paradise?
Comings & Goings
IDAHOBiT a reminder we all must stand up against transphobia
Disillusioned about democracy? Think of it as a community garden
‘The Inheritance’ is most-nominated at this year’s Helen Hayes Awards
Jason Collins dies at 47
European Commission says all EU countries should ban conversion therapy
Pride faith services in Washington, D.C.
Blade Foundation awards 9th journalism fellowship to AU student
