The Television Academy announced LGBTQ+ media-advocacy organization GLAAD as the 2023 Governors Award recipient.
Founded in 1985 by Vito Russo, author of The Celluloid Closet, and other LGBTQ advocates, GLAAD works with leaders in television, film, gaming, news, business, politics and more to lead the global conversation and ensure authentic and diverse LGBTQ stories are seen and heard. The award recognizes GLAAD's work to secure fair, accurate and diverse representation of the LGBTQ+ community in the media and entertainment industries and to advocate for LGBTQ equality. GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate EllisGLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis will accept the honor during the Jan. 15 Emmy Awards telecast on Fox.
The award honors an individual, company or organization that has made a profound, transformational and long-lasting contribution to the arts and/or science of television.
"This tremendous honor from the Television Academy is a testament to the historic and impactful work of GLAAD's founders, board members and staff over the past four decades as well as the LGBTQ executives, creators and talent who are telling authentic LGBTQ stories on television," said Ellis, who has GLAAD since 2014, in a press release. "At a time when our world seems more divided and media plays an outsized role in shaping culture, television has the unique power to tell human stories that grow empathy and acceptance. This honor is just the latest example of how the Television Academy plays a pivotal role in ensuring accurate and diverse storytelling, which educates, entertains and enlightens."
Andrew Davis