GLAAD will honor global superstar Taylor Swift and award-winning director, producer, writer and advocate Janet Mock at the 31st Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles at the Beverly Hilton on Thursday, April 16, a press release noted. Swift will receive GLAAD's Vanguard Award, which is presented to allies who have made a significant difference in promoting acceptance of LGBTQ people; Mock will receive the Stephen F. Kolzak Award, which is presented to a LGBTQ media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting LGBTQ acceptance. Another ceremony will be held in New York as well, on Thursday, March 19.
Also, GLAAD announced 176 nominees in 30 categories for the 31st Annual GLAAD Media Awards, a press release stated. Just a few of the nominees include musicians; Adam Lambert, Lil Nas X, Melissa Etheridge and King Princess; magazines Entertainment Weekly, OUT and The Advocate; movies Gay Chorus Deep South, Pain & Glory, Judy and Bombshell; Broadway productios Choir Boy and Jagged Little Pill; TV shows Killing Eve, Andi Mack, RuPaul's Drag Race, 60 Minutes, I Am Jazz and Tales of the City; and even video games Borderlands 3 and The Walking Dead: The Final Season. For a full list of nominees, visit GLAAD.org/mediaawards/nominees.
The lineup for the 11th annual Burger Boogaloo festival will include riot grrrl icons Bikini Kill, famed Southern California punk outfit the Circle Jerks and San Francisco queercore band Pansy Division, The San Francisco Chronicle's Datebook noted. Other acts slated to perform include Plastic Bertrand, Carbonas, Midnite Snaxxx, Flipper and more. The two-day concert celebrates underground music and culture, and will be held in Oakland's Mosswood Park on July 11-12.
The lineup for Beyond Wonderland 2020 has been announced, EDM.com noted. EDM superstars Alison Wonderland, Tiesto, Diplo and Seven Lions are set to take the stage, with just a few of the other acts including Dillon Francis, Diesel ( aka Shaquille O'Neal ), Lady Faith, Dubfire, Kristina Sky, Ghastly and Slumdogg Trillionaire. Beyond Wonderland 2020 takes place on March 20-21 at the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino, California.
The CW handed pickups for the 2020-21 season to all 13 of its current scripted series that are not ending this season, including both of the fall freshmen, Batwoman and Nancy Drew, Deadline reported. The CW has ordered second seasons of Batwoman and Nancy Drew, along with All American ( season 3 ), Black Lightning ( season 4 ), Charmed ( season 3 ), DC'S Legends of Tomorrow ( season 6 ), Dynasty ( season 4 ), The Flash ( season 7 ), In the Dark ( season 3 ), Legacies ( season 3 ), Riverdale ( season 5 ), Roswell, New Mexico ( season 3 ), and Supergirl ( season 6 ). Additionally, the Riverdale spinoff series Katy Keene—set to premiere Feb. 6—received an order for 13 additional scripts.
A decade and a half after starring in Brokeback Mountain, Jake Gyllenhaal seems primed for his next gay film role, Queerty noted, citing The Daily Mail. The Oscar-nominated actor will star as cartoonist Alison Bechdel's father, Bruce Bechdel, in a big-screen adaptation of the Tony-winning musical Fun Home. Highlights of Gyllenhaal's filmography in the years since "Brokeback" include the films Brothers, Prisoners, Nightcrawler, Southpaw and Nocturnal Animals.
FX renewed American Horror Story for three more seasons, Deadline noted. This is on top of season 10 of the Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk-created anthology series, which is set to air later this year and which will again feature Sarah Paulson. This development follows American Horror Story: 1984, the ninth season, which concluded in November, and that was heavily influenced by slasher films such as Halloween and Friday The 13th.
For the second consecutive year, the Oscars will have no host, according to Deadline. The 2019 Oscars went host-less after Kevin Hart withdrew two days after being named to the job over controversial decade-old anti-LGBTQ tweets, and efforts to get him back failed. The Academy and ABC forged through with no host for the first time since 1989, betting on big-star presenters and big moments instead.
Award-winning comedy icons Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are returning to the Golden Globes as co-hosts for the 2021 telecast, a press release noted. The announcement was made by NBC Entertainment Chairman Paul Telegdy during the network's day at the Television Critics Association Tour in Pasadena, California. Fey and Poehler hosted the Globes during 2013-15.
Billy Porter ( from TV's Pose and the new movie Like a Boss ) has made history by becoming the first man to cover Allure magazine, USA Today noted. In the cover story, the openly gay actor shared his tumultuous journey to becoming a pop culture and fashion icon. Among other things, Porter said that when he was 5 years old, his family had him go see a psychologist because he was exhibiting non-masculine qualities. Also, Porter—who's known for his exuberant fashion sense—said that he always knew he was meant to express himself with his clothes.
Visible: Out on Television, which spotlights LGBTQ visibility on the small screen, will soon be seen on Apple TV+, NewNowNext.com noted, citing a Deadline article. Out Hollywood veterans Wanda Sykes and Wilson Cruz are executive-producing the five-part original docuseries. Narrated by Janet Mock, Margaret Cho, Asia Kate Dillon, Neil Patrick Harris, and Lena Waithe, Visible will feature new interviews with Ellen DeGeneres, Oprah Winfrey, Anderson Cooper, Billy Porter, Rachel Maddow, Don Lemon, Sara Ramirez, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and more.
Janelle Monae seemingly came out to the world as nonbinary, Out.com noted. On Jan. 10, the hashtag #IAmNonbinary trended on Twitter throughout the day, with people seizing the opportunity to use it for visibility, education or some other purpose. The star, who came out as pansexual in 2018, tweeted a very simple message: "#IAmNonbinary."
Actor DJ Qualls as come out as gay, Just Jared noted. The actor—best known for his work in The New Guy, Road Trip and Supernatural—opened up about his sexuality while on stage at Jim Jeffries' stand-up comedy show. Qualls tweeted, in part, "Tired of worrying about what people would think of me. Tired of worrying about what it would do to my career." From 2015 through 2018, Qualls played a gay character on the Amazon Prime Video series The Man in the High Castle.
Out actress/comedian Fortune Feimster landed her first hour-long special and is co-starring in a feature film for the streamer, a press release noted. In Fortune Feimster: Sweet & Salty, out Jan. 21, she recalls her childhood misadventures as a former Girl Scout, debutante and ( disqualified ) swim meet champion; her family's complicated relationship with Hooters; and how a movie helped her realize she was a lesbian. For more, visit Netflix.com/fortunefeimstersweet&salty.
The premiere for Netflix's AJ and The Queen, in Los Angeles, was held Jan. 9, a press release noted. Producer/star RuPaul Charles was joined by cast members Izzy G, Michael-Leon Wooley, Tia Carrere, Katerina Tannenbaum and Matthew Wilkas as well as showrunner/producer/writer Michael Patrick King and producer Jhoni Marchinko. Among other highlights at the event, Charles kept the party going with a two-hour DJ set taking the audience with '70s, '80s and '90s songs like "Strike It Up," by Black Box; "Knock on Wood," by Amii Stewart; and tunes by Madonna. The show officially launched Jan. 10; visit Netflix.com/AJandTheQueen.
Jillian Michaels loves Lizzo's music, but just doesn't understand why she's supposed to celebrate Lizzo's body as well—and that has gotten Michaels into hot water, AJC.com noted. Michaels was asked about celebrities like Lizzo and model Ashley Graham, who are praised for promoting body positivity. Michaels responded, in part, "I love her music. My kid loves her music. But there's never a moment where I'm like, 'And I'm so glad that she's overweight.' Why do I even care? Why is it my job to care about her weight?" Michaels later stated, "As I've stated repeatedly we are all beautiful, worthy, and equally deserving. I also feel strongly that we love ourselves enough to acknowledge that there are serious health consequences that come with obesity _ heart disease, diabetes, cancer to name only a few. I would never wish these for ANYONE and I would hope we prioritize our health because we LOVE ourselves and our bodies."
The '90s sitcom The Nanny is being developed into a Broadway musical, with series creators Fran Drescher and Peter Marc Jacobson on board to write the show's book, while Crazy Ex-Girlfriend's Rachel Bloom and Adam Schlesinger will write the music, Deadline noted. Bloom co-created and starred in CW's Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. As for whether Drescher would want to recreate her TV starring role on stage, the actress quipped, "Of course I would do it myself but we'd have to change the title to The Granny."
Silvio Horta, creator of ABC's popular series Ugly Betty, was found dead in a Miami motel room in an apparent suicide at age 45, Variety reported. Sources said Horta died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The U.S. version of Ugly Betty, which starred America Ferrera and Vanessa Williams, ran on ABC from 2006 to 2010.
The Directors Guild revealed the film nominees for its 72nd annual DGA Awards, Deadline noted. The nods went to Bong Joon Ho ( Parasite ), Golden Globe winner Sam Mendes ( 1917 ), Quentin Tarantino ( Once Upon a Time in Hollywood ), Martin Scorsese ( The Irishman ) and Taika Waititi ( Jojo Rabbit ). In the First-Time Feature category, nominees include Mati Diop ( Atlantics ), Alma Ha'rel ( Honey Boy ), Melina Matsoukas ( Queen & Slim ), Tyler Nilson & Mike Schwartz ( The Peanut Butter Falcon ) and Joe Talbot ( The Last Black Man in San Francisco ).
The National Board of Review favored The Irishman at its annual gala, Deadline noted. The Netflix movie was honored as best film and best adapted screenplay, and also received the NBR Icon Award, presented to Scorsese and lead actors Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. Some of the other winners were the movies Knives Out ( best ensemble ), Uncut Gems ( best original screenplay ) and Parasite ( best foreign-language film ); and Renee Zellweger ( best actress, for Judy ), Kathy Bates ( best supporting actress, for Richard Jewell ), Adam Sandler ( best actor, for Uncut Gems ) and Brad Pitt ( best supporting actor, for Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood ).
The American Black Film Festival ( ABFF ) Honors announced the recipients of two of its most prominent awards, Hollywood Legacy Award and Industry Renaissance Award: Louis Gossett Jr. and Lena Waithe, a press release touted. Gossett ( an Oscar winner for his role in An Officer and a Gentleman ) will be honored with the Hollywood Legacy Award; Waithe ( an openly lesbian Emmy-winning producer, writer and actor ) will receive the Industry Renaissance Award. Previously announced honorees include Cynthia Erivo, with the Rising Star Award, and The Wire, with the Classic Television Award. Deon Cole will host the ceremony, which will take place Sunday, Feb 23, in Beverly Hills, Calfiornia.
AVN Media Network announced that King Princess will be the musical performer at the 2020 GayVN Awards Show, presented by ManyVids, a press release noted. The 2020 GayVN Awards Show is set to take place Jan. 20 inside The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas. This year, Princess will go on a national and international tour, and will be the supporting act for Harry Styles on his dates throughout the United Kingdom and Europe.
Tyler Perry received mixed reactions from social media users after he announced that he's the sole writer for all of his shows, Vibe noted. The producer/director posted a video to his online accounts of scripts he's written, including The Oval, House of Payne, Sistas, Young Dylan, The Haves and The Have Nots, and more. "I have no writers room," he stated. "Nobody writes any of my work. I write it all."
Little Woman and Call Me By Your Name star Timothee Chalamet is expected to play folk music legend Bob Dylan in an upcoming feature film, Page Six noted. The 24-year-old actor will play the role of Dylan during his controversial transition to electric guitar in the 1960s, according to Variety. The Fox Searchlight film, Going Electric, is directed by James Mangold, who also made Ford v Ferrari.
Oscar-winning actress Octavia Spencer plays the role of Madam C.J. Walker—the trailblazing African-American hair care entrepreneur who was this country's first female self-made millionaire—in the Netflix original four-part series Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker, which will premiere March 20, Ebony.com noted. The series ( co-starring Blair Underwood, Tiffany Haddish and Carmen Ejogo, among others ) is based on the book On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C. J. Walker, written by Walker's great-great-granddaughter A'Lelia Bundles.
Syfy has given a straight-to-series order to Chucky—a series revolving around the character at the center of the horror/slasher Child's Play film series: the red-haired, freckled-faced doll possessed by the soul of notorious serial killer Charles Lee Ray, Deadline noted. Syfy has been expanding the scope of its genre programming beyond sci-fi to other areas, including horror, most recently with the horror anthology series Channel Zero.
HBO is in negotiations for a limited series based on Bong Joon Ho's genre-bending Parasite, Deadline noted. The Parasite series was hotly pursued by top streamers, including Netflix. The film—which revolves around the members of a poor family who together scheme to work in a wealthy household by posing as unrelated, highly qualified help—has become a global phenomenon.
Aretha Franklin's youngest son criticized MGM's forthcoming biopic starring Jennifer Hudson, contending that he and his children have had no input on the film about his late mother, The Detroit Free Press noted. "How can you make a movie about a person and not talk to the persons sons or grandchildren about important information?" Kecalf Franklin wrote on Facebook, typing in all caps. "This is all about his attempts to become the personal representative of the estate," said David Bennett, Aretha Franklin's longtime attorney and lead counsel for the estate.
The film 16 Bars—a documentary that explores a unique rehabilitation effort in a Virginia jail that encourages inmates to write and record original music—will be out on DVD Feb. 7 via MVD Entertainment Group, a press release announced. In a makeshift recording studio located in the Richmond City Jail, four men collaborate with Grammy-winning recording artist Speech ( the group Arrested Development ) on an album behind bars. See 16BarsTheFilm.com .
Coming off of five multi-genre studio albums released in just two years, the group Brockhampton is January's "MTV PUSH" global artist across MTV's on-air, digital and social platforms around the world, a press release noted. Each month, MTV highlights a new breakout artist with exclusive performances, interviews and personalized content to bring fans closer to music's next big star.
Saniyya Sidney ( Fences; Hidden Figures ) and Demi Singleton ( Godfather of Harlem ) have been cast as young Venus and Serena Williams, respectively, in the Will Smith-led Warner Bros biopic King Richard, Deadline noted. In addition, When They See Us star Aunjanue Ellis has also joined the film in the role of matriarch Brandi Williams. King Richard is slated to hit theaters Nov. 25.
Samantha Barbash filed a federal lawsuit against Jennifer Lopez's production company and others apart of the megahit Hustlers, with claims that her likeness was exploited in the film, according to Vibe, citing People.com . Lawyer Bruno V. Gioffre Jr. claimed filmmakers tried to "obtain a consent and waiver from Barbash for the production of the film and their ultimate portrayal" of her and failed after Barbash refused to sign over her life rights. The film was still made as it was based on the 2015 New York Magazine article "The Hustlers at Scores," about Barbash and several co-workers who drugged wealthy clients for their money.
Grey's Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo addressed the exit of co-star Justin Chambers from the hit ABC series, Deadline noted. "#GreysAnatomy is about to feel one of its biggest losses yet," said a tweet by Vanity Fair, prompting Pompeo to respond, "Truer words have never been spoken." Chambers said he is moving on from his role as Dr. Alex Karev, which he has played since the series debuted in 2005.
Deadline revealed that Oprah Winfrey withdrew as executive producer of the Untitled Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering Documentary and is also pulling the movie from its AppleTV+ distribution. The doc, set to make its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, centers around a former music executive who grapples with whether to go public with her story of assault and abuse by a notable figure in the music industry, who is allegedly Russell Simmons. Winfrey said, in part, "In my opinion, there is more work to be done on the film to illuminate the full scope of what the victims endured, and it has become clear that the filmmakers and I are not aligned in that creative vision."
Dancing With the Stars is likely to return for a 29th season after ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke called the last season "resurgent," Deadline reported. The 28th season of the series premiered last September, with Bachelorette star Hannah Brown beating the likes of country music singer Lauren Alaina, actor/Nickelodeon star Kel Mitchell, Fifth Harmony singer Ally Brooke and former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer to win the competition.
Ink Master judge Oliver Peck, who sparked a swift backlash after old photos of him wearing blackface resurfaced, has left the show, Deadline noted. "The offensive photos of me which recently surfaced from many years ago can only be a distraction to the amazing show I have loved being a part of and its many talented artists," Peck said in a statement.
Radio personality Charlamagne Tha God is known for being a jokester—and recently took aim at Breakfast Club co-host DJ Envy by giving him a mold of his rear and scrotum, BET.com noted. The awkward situation continued when Charlamagne yelled at Envy to say thank you. Envy responded, "I don't know how to feel about this. This is uncalled for. You're flirting with me. … I just might take this to Human Resources."
More than 20 years after his self-titled sitcom went off the air, Martin Lawrence opened up about what led to the show's demise, Vibe noted. In an interview with GQ magazine, Lawrence reveled that he left Martin after his co-star, Tisha Campbell, accused him of abuse and sexual harassment. Campbell abruptly quit Martin in 1997, following a string of incidents involving Lawrence, which included him getting arrested after acting erratically while waving a gun in the middle of an intersection.
