Jennifer Hudson and Orville Peck to Receive Honorary GLAAD Awards in New York

GLAAD has announced that Jennifer Hudson and country singer Orville Peck will be honored with special awards at the 35th annual GLAAD Media Awards ceremony on May 11, 2024 in New York City.

Hudson will receive the Excellence in Media Award for championing allyship and promoting acceptance of LGBTQ people and issues, while Peck will receive the Vito Russo Award for elevating LGBTQ awareness in country music.

The GLAAD Media Awards honor media for fair, accurate, and inclusive representations of LGBTQ people and issues. The Excellence in Media Award is given to allies who have made a significant difference in promoting acceptance of LGBTQ people, while the Vito Russo Award, named after GLAAD co-founder and ACT UP activist Vito Russo, honors those who have elevated LGBTQ awareness in their respective fields.

Why this matters: The recognition of Jennifer Hudson and Orville Peck by GLAAD highlights the importance of allyship and LGBTQ representation across various entertainment industries. Their efforts contribute to greater acceptance and understanding of the LGBTQ community on a broader scale.

Hudson, a multi-talented artist, has used her platform to support and uplift the LGBTQ community, including featuring LGBTQ voices and issues on her talk show. Peck has paved a new frontier for LGBTQ artists in the historically exclusionary country music genre, collaborating with legends like Willie Nelson and Lady Gaga.

The awards ceremony will be hosted by Ross Matthews at the Hilton Midtown in New York. A portion of the GLAAD Media Awards were previously announced during the Los Angeles ceremony in March, with the remaining 17 awards set to be presented at the upcoming New York event.

In a statement, GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis praised the honorees, saying, "Jennifer Hudson and Orville Peck are true trailblazers who have used their talents and platforms to advance LGBTQ acceptance and inclusion in the music industry and beyond. We are thrilled to honor their significant contributions and celebrate their unwavering commitment to equality at this year's GLAAD Media Awards."

Key Takeaways

• GLAAD to honor Jennifer Hudson and Orville Peck at 2024 Media Awards.
• Hudson to receive Excellence in Media Award, Peck to get Vito Russo Award.
• Awards recognize allyship and LGBTQ representation in entertainment industries.
• Hudson championed LGBTQ acceptance, Peck elevated LGBTQ awareness in country music.
• GLAAD CEO praises honorees as "true trailblazers" for LGBTQ equality.