GLAAD unveiled a sweeping list of 291 nominees for its 37th Annual 

GLAAD Media Awards on Wednesday, highlighting how queer stories have moved firmly into the center of film, television, music, gaming, and journalism. The ceremony, presented by Hornitos Tequila, will take place in Los Angeles on March 5, 2026, honoring work released in 2025 that GLAAD describes as “culture-changing” in its portrayals of LGBTQ lives.

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Awards spotlight mainstream hits

GLAAD’s latest slate underscores how some of the most-watched franchises in entertainment now carry central LGBTQ storylines, cementing a shift that advocacy leaders say has been years in the making. Netflix’s “Stranger Things” and Apple TV’s “Severance” earned drama series nods, while ABC’s “Abbott Elementary” and HBO’s “Hacks” lead a comedy field that also includes “Loot,” “Palm Royale,” and “Survival of the Thickest.” In film, Sony Pictures Classics’ “On Swift Horses,” Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions’ revival of “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” and Sony’s new take on “I Know What You Did Last Summer” are among nominees in wide theatrical release.

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New series category reflects viral queer stories

The Outstanding New TV Series category reads like a snapshot of the year’s buzziest debuts, with nominees including the gay hockey drama “Heated Rivalry,” Apple TV’s political ensemble “Pluribus,” and Netflix’s suburban thriller “The Hunting Wives.” They are joined by titles such as “Boots,” “Chad Powers,” “Clean Slate,” “The Four Seasons,” “I Love LA,” “Long Story Short,” “Mid-Century Modern,” and “Overcompensating,” reflecting GLAAD’s emphasis on both genre series and character-driven comedies. GLAAD noted that gaming, local news and podcasts have also emerged as “proud homes to LGBTQ talent and narratives,” an expansion that tracks with the organization’s push into newer media formats.

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Music, podcasts, and games broaden the field

Beyond Hollywood’s traditional awards lanes, GLAAD’s music and audio categories draw from a mix of chart-toppers and cult favorites. Lady Gaga, Elton John & Brandi Carlile, Conan Gray, Maren Morris, and Young Miko are nominated for Outstanding Music Artist, while Wet Leg, KATSEY,E, and Frankie Grande appear in the breakthrough artist field. Podcast nominees range from “Las Culturistas,” “Handsome,” and “We Can Do Hard Things” to personality-driven shows like “I’ve Had It” and “Good Hang with Amy Poehler,” underscoring how queer conversations have flourished in on‑demand audio.

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Video games, long a relative outlier in awards season, now carry their own GLAAD category with titles like “Assassin’s Creed Shadows,” “Hades II,” “Lost Records: Bloom and Rage” and indie projects such as “Ambrosia Sky: Act One” and “The Roottrees Are Dead” earning recognition for LGBTQ-inclusive storytelling. Comic books and graphic novels are similarly represented through nominees like “Poison Ivy,” “Exceptional X‑Men,” “Minor Arcana,” “Cannon” and “Trans History: From Ancient Times to the Present Day.”

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Journalism and Spanish-language media

The awards extend well beyond entertainment, honoring journalism that tackles policy, violence, and everyday life for LGBTQ people in the United States and across Latin America. Long-form TV nominees include local and national Pride specials such as “Pride 2025 – Rise Up: Pride in Protest” from ABC 7 New York and “Still Marching: A NY1 Pride Month Special,” alongside reporting on HIV, later‑in‑life coming out, and trans service members. Print and digital nominees span outlets from The Advocate and TIME to Teen Vogue, The 19th, and regional newspapers, with stories on anti-trans policy, conversion therapy, and the experiences of queer communities in hostile political climates.

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Spanish-language categories recognize scripted series like “El fin del amor,” “Mariliendre” and “Serpientes y Escaleras,” as well as reporting from Noticias Telemundo, Univision and France 24 Español on topics such as intersex visibility, adoption by diverse families and anti-LGBTQ violence. GLAAD positions these categories as central to its global mission, noting that Spanish-language news and storytelling are often the primary sources of information for audiences across the Americas.

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Special honors and GLAAD’s broader mission

Alongside its competitive awards, GLAAD is conferring Special Recognition honors on four projects that fall outside traditional categories but have made what the group calls “immeasurable” contributions to LGBTQ acceptance. Those honorees include Andry José Hernández Romero, the film “Before We Forget” from Twenty Nine Palms Entertainment, “The Drowsy Chaperone in Concert” produced by Breaking the Binary Theatre, and the project “Gaydar with Anania.”

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Sarah Kate Ellis, GLAAD’s president and chief executive, framed this year’s nominations as a response to escalating anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and policy efforts. “As the media landscape shifts, gaming, local news, and podcasts have also emerged as proud homes to LGBTQ talent and narratives,” Ellis said, adding that GLAAD remains focused on telling “fair and accurate stories” that advance values of “family, fairness, and freedom for all.” The March ceremony, produced in partnership with STAMP Event Co., funds GLAAD’s year‑round work monitoring representation and pressuring studios, networks, and platforms to maintain — and expand — LGBTQ visibility.