GLAAD Honors Cynthia Nixon & Best of Broadway and Off at 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the nation's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy and anti-defamation organization, announced today the nominees for its 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards. By recognizing and honoring media for outstanding images of the LGBT community, the GLAAD Media Awards serve as a benchmark for the media industry and complement GLAAD's work to bring LGBT images and stories to Americans.

Among the nominees: Tom Ford's Golden Globe®-nominated film A Single Man, Lee Daniel's Golden Globe®-nominated film Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire, Ang Lee's latest film Taking Woodstock, Little Ashes, starring Robert Pattinson, AMC's acclaimed drama Mad Men, Fox's hit show Glee, ABC's new hit comedy Modern Family, Be Like Others, a documentary about transgender people in Iran, Logo's reality show RuPaul's Drag Race, the daytime drama One Life to Live, HLN's new talk show The Joy Behar Show, The Early Show's interview with Chaz Bono, bisexual singer Lady Gaga, gay singer Adam Lambert and Spanish-language nominees Sábado Gigante, Primer Impacto, Al Rojo Vivo and People en Español.

"Words and images matter," said GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios. "With these awards, we seek to recognize news coverage and entertainment programming that go beyond stock stereotypes with LGBT storylines that more fully reflect the challenges gay and transgender people face and the aspirations we hold for ourselves and our families. The GLAAD Media Awards honor media professionals who are doing an exceptional job at bringing our stories into the living rooms of America - and set a 'fairness benchmark' for the news and entertainment industries. The awards also complement and fund GLAAD's other programmatic work to share the stories of allies, religious leaders, gay and transgender people of color, local couples and families with Americans."

Barrios continued, "News and entertainment media that present richer, more diverse representations help Americans understand and embrace their gay and transgender family members, friends and neighbors in a more meaningful way. While there is still progress to be made, we are proud to recognize all of this year's GLAAD Media Awards nominees."

GLAAD also announced that Cynthia Nixon will be honored with the Vito Russo Award at the New York ceremony. The Vito Russo Award is named after a founding member of GLAAD and is presented to an openly LGBT media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for our community. More information about the honor is included below. Additional Special Honorees for New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco will be announced at a later date.

"Cynthia Nixon has been a vocal and visible advocate who has transformed cultural attitudes about our community," Barrios said. "She is a perfect example of how sharing your personal story and speaking out for marriage equality can inspire change among fair-minded Americans. It is our privilege to honor her."

GLAAD also announced that the Broadway cast of Hair would receive Special Recognition for their commitment to raising visibility for marriage equality. Tony Award-winning actor Alan Cumming will host the ceremony in New York, and the San Francisco event will be hosted by Emmy Award-winning comedian and writer Bruce Vilanch.

The GLAAD Media Awards ceremonies will be hosted by Broadway star Alan Cumming, held in New York on March 13, 2010 at the Marriott Marquis; in Los Angeles on April 17 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza; and in San Francisco on June 5 at The Westin St. Francis.

The 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards will be the official launch of GLAAD's new visual identity, created by Lippincott. The new brand identity fully represents the evolving GLAAD mission and symbolizes the work GLAAD does to amplify the stories of LGBT people, transforming cultural attitudes and demonstrating why it is that words and images matter.

GLAAD announced 116 nominees in 24 English-language categories, and 36 Spanish-language nominees in 8 categories. In the competitive categories, cable networks earned 23 nominations, while broadcast networks garnered 17 nominations.

21ST ANNUAL GLAAD MEDIA AWARDS NOMINEES

OUTSTANDING FILM - WIDE RELEASE
Everybody's Fine (Miramax)
I Love You, Man (DreamWorks SKG)
Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire (Lionsgate Films)
A Single Man (The Weinstein Company)
Taking Woodstock (Focus Features)

OUTSTANDING FILM-LIMITED RELEASE
Casi Divas (Maya Entertainment)
The Country Teacher (Film Movement)
Little Ashes (Regent Releasing)
Phoebe in Wonderland (THINKFilm)
The Secrets (Monterey Media)

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
Brothers & Sisters (ABC)
Grey's Anatomy (ABC)
Mad Men (AMC)
Skins (BBC America)
True Blood (HBO)

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
Beautiful People (Logo)
Glee (Fox)
GREEK (ABC Family)
Modern Family (ABC)
United States of Tara (Showtime)

OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUAL EPISODE (in a series without a regular LGBT character)
"Homeward Bound" Private Practice (ABC)
"Lisa Says" The Listener (NBC)
"Pawnee Zoo" Parks and Recreation (NBC)
"The Real Ghostbusters" Supernatural (The CW)
"Wait and See" Private Practice (ABC)

OUTSTANDING TV MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES
An Englishman in New York (Logo)
Pedro (MTV)
Prayers for Bobby (Lifetime)
Torchwood: Children of Earth (BBC America)

OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY
Ask Not (PBS)
Be Like Others (HBO)
Derek (The Sundance Channel)
The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls (Diva Productions)
U People (Logo)

OUTSTANDING REALITY PROGRAM
The Amazing Race 15 (CBS)
Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List (Bravo)
Making His Band (MTV)
The Real World: Brooklyn (MTV)
RuPaul's Drag Race (Logo/VH1)

OUTSTANDING DAILY DRAMA
All My Children (ABC)
As The World Turns (CBS)
Guiding Light (CBS)
One Life to Live (ABC)

OUTSTANDING TALK SHOW EPISODE
"Ellen Degeneres and Her Wife, Portia de Rossi" The Oprah Winfrey Show (syndicated)
"Hell to Pay - Gay Teen Exorcism" The Tyra Banks Show (The CW)
"Mormon Church & Gays" The Joy Behar Show (HLN)
"The Science of Intersex" The Dr. Oz Show (syndicated)
"Sirdeaner Walker Interview" The Ellen Degeneres Show (syndicated)

OUTSTANDING TV JOURNALISM - NEWSMAGAZINE
"40th Anniversary of Stonewall" In the Life (PBS)
"Angie Zapata Murder Trial" InSession (truTV)
"Bullied to Death?" Anderson Cooper 360 (CNN)
"Gay Killings in Iraq" CNN Newsroom (CNN)
"Uganda Be Kidding Me" (series) The Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC)

OUTSTANDING TV JOURNALISM SEGMENT
"Gay Teen Mutilated" Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell (HLN)
"Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach 'I Was Utterly Devastated'" CNN Newsroom (CNN)
"Reverend's Revelation: Minister Speaks Out About Being Transgender" The Early Show (CBS)
"Total Transformation: Why Chaz Bono Decided to Change" Good Morning America (ABC)
"Why Will Won't Pledge Allegiance" American Morning (CNN)

OUTSTANDING NEWSPAPER ARTICLE
"Binational, Same-Sex Couples Face Immigration Problems" by Mike Swift (San Jose Mercury News)
"Kept From a Dying Partner's Bedside" by Tara Parker-Pope (The New York Times)
"Militias Target Some Iraqis for Being Gay" by Paul Wiseman and Nadeem Majeed (USA Today)
"Minister Kept Secret for 27 Years" by Christine McFadden (The Portland Tribune [Portland, Ore.])
"Transgender Vets a Hidden Population" by Carol Ann Alaimo (Arizona Daily Star [Tucson, Ariz.])

OUTSTANDING NEWSPAPER COLUMNIST
Leonard Pitts, Jr. (The Miami Herald)
Deb Price (The Detroit News)
Frank Rich (The New York Times)
Rev. ByRon Williams (The Oakland Tribune)
Craig Wilson (USA Today)

OUTSTANDING NEWSPAPER OVERALL COVERAGE
Greeley Tribune [Greeley, Colo.]
Los Angeles Times
The New York Times
Portland Press Herald [Portland, Maine]
The Washington Post

OUTSTANDING MAGAZINE ARTICLE
"Coming Out in Middle School" by Benoit Denizet-Lewis (The New York Times Magazine)
"Either/Or: Sports, Sex and the Case of Caster Semenya" by Ariel Levy (The New Yorker)
"Gay on Trial" by Gabriel Arana (The American Prospect)
"Trouble in Paradise" by Jeannine Amber (Essence)
"What's Right with Utah" by Lisa Duggan (The Nation)

OUTSTANDING MAGAZINE OVERALL COVERAGE
The Advocate
Entertainment Weekly
The Nation
Newsweek
People

OUTSTANDING DIGITAL JOURNALISM ARTICLE
"Former College Football Captain Was Openly Gay" by Cyd Zeigler, Jr. (Outsports.com)
"McMackin's Slur Reveals Larger Problem" by LZ Granderson (ESPN.com)
"On the Road to Refuge" by Pete Muller (ColorLines.com)
"'We Love You, This Won't Change a Thing'" by John Buccigross (ESPN.com)
"Why Can't You Just Butch Up? Gay Men, Effeminacy, and Our War with Ourselves" by Brent Hartinger (AfterElton.com)

OUTSTANDING DIGITAL JOURNALISM - MULTIMEDIA
"AIDS Lifecycle: On the Road" by Derrick Shore (Advocate.com)
"From Stonewall to Mainstream" research by Jessica Bennett, Rebecca Shabad, & Brooke Browne (Newsweek.com)
"The Stonewall Riots: 40 Years Later" produced by Dave Singleton (AARP.com)

OUTSTANDING MUSIC ARTIST
Brandi Carlile, Give Up the Ghost (Sony Music)
Lady Gaga, The Fame Monster (Interscope)
Gossip, Music for Men (Sony Music)
Adam Lambert, For Your Entertainment (19 Recordings/RCA Records)
Otep, Smash the Control Machine (Victory Records)

OUTSTANDING COMIC BOOK
Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Jane Espenson, Steven S. DeKnight, Drew Z. Greenberg, Jim Krueger, Doug Petrie, Joss Whedon (Dark Horse Comics)
Detective Comics by Greg Rucka (DC Comics)
Madame Xanadu by Matt Wagner (Vertigo/DC Comics)
Secret Six by Gail Simone (DC Comics)
X-Factor by Peter David (Marvel Comics)

OUTSTANDING LOS ANGELES THEATER
40 is the New 15 book and lyrics by Larry Todd Johnson, music by Cindy O'Connor
Anita Bryant Died for Your Sins by Brian Christopher Williams
Battle Hymn by Jim Leonard
Bingo with the Indians by Adam Rapp
Lydia by Octavio Solis

OUTSTANDING NEW YORK THEATER: BROADWAY & OFF-BROADWAY
A Boy and His Soul by Colman Domingo
The Brother/Sister Plays by Tarell Alvin McCraney
Next Fall by Geoffrey Nauffts
Soul Samurai by Qui Nguyen
The Temperamentals by Jon Marans

OUTSTANDING NEW YORK THEATER: OFF-OFF BROADWAY
Abraham Lincoln's Big Gay Dance Party by Aaron Loeb
Devil Boys From Beyond by Buddy Thomas
The Lily's Revenge by Taylor Mac
She Like Girls by Chisa Hutchinson
Wickets created and conceived by Clove Galilee and Jenny Rogers, adapted from Fefu and Her Friends by Maria Irene Fornes

SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Hair book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni, music by Galt MacDermot

21st ANNUAL GLAAD MEDIA AWARDS SPECIAL HONOREE IN NEW YORK

Cynthia Nixon
Vito Russo Award

Emmy, Tony, and Grammy Award-winner Cynthia Nixon is a critically acclaimed and sought after actress in films, on Broadway and on television.

In 2009, Nixon played Penny Arcade opposite John Hurt's portrayal of Quentin Crisp in An Englishman in New York, nominated for Outstanding TV Movie at the 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards.

For six seasons and in the blockbuster film Nixon starred as Miranda Hobbes in HBO's Sex and the City, a role that garnered her an Emmy Award in 2004 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Born and raised in New York City, Nixon began her film career at age twelve with Ronald F. Maxwell's Little Darlings and went on to appear in Robert Altman's O.C. & Stiggs, Marshall Brickman's The Manhattan Project, The Pelican Brief and Marvin's Room, among others. In 2006 the actress won the Tony Award for Best Actress for her role in David Lindsay-Abair's Pulitzer Prize winning play Rabbit Hole. In 2009, Nixon was awarded a Spoken Word Grammy for her recording of Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth. She has most recently appeared in a guest role on Law & Order: SVU, a role which earned her an Emmy Award for Guest Actress in a Drama Series.

In 2006, Nixon publicly announced that she was in a relationship with activist Christine Marinoni. She told New York Magazine, "I never felt like there was an unconscious part of me around that woke up or that came out of the closet; there wasn't a struggle, there wasn't an attempt to suppress. I met this woman, I fell in love with her, and I'm a public figure."

In May 2009, Nixon announced at a rally for marriage equality that she and Marinoni were engaged and hoped to be legally wed in their home state of New York. She also spoke in support of marriage equality at the National Equality March in Washington, D.C. in October 2009.

The Vito Russo Award is named after a founding member of GLAAD and the author of The Celluloid Closet. The award is presented to an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for our community. Previous Vito Russo Award honorees include Suze Orman, Rosie O'Donnell, Alan Cumming, Nathan Lane, Cherry Jones, Elton John, Liz Smith, k.d. lang, David LaChapelle, Brian Graden, and Tom Ford.

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. For more information, please visit www.glaad.org.

The GLAAD Media Awards recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and the issues that affect their lives.

The 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards nominees were published, released or broadcast between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009. Nearly 1,000 media projects were considered by over 85 volunteers serving on seven nominating juries. Each year, the GLAAD Media Awards in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco bring together more than 5,000 supporters to raise nearly $3.5 million for the organization's work.

More than 100 corporate partners are showing their support, including Los Angeles Presenting corporate partner ABSOLUT® Vodka and San Francisco Presenting corporate partner Southwest Airlines. GLAAD is also grateful to the 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards Platinum Underwriter corporate partners: Anheuser-Busch, Inc. and University of Phoenix, as well as Underwriter corporate partners: Allstate Insurance Company, American Airlines, Comcast, Delta Air Lines, Harrah's Foundation, Herb Ritts Foundation, MillerCoors, New York City Marriott & Renaissance Hotels, The Palette Fund, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP, and Time Warner. For a full list of corporate partners and information on how to become a corporate partner, or to become a table host, purchase tickets or place a tribute in the tribute book, visit http://www.glaad.org/mediaawards or call (877) 519-7904.

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. For more information, please visit www.glaad.org.