George Takei, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, and More to Be Honored at Celebration Of LGBTQ+ Cinema & Television

The Critics Choice Association (CCA) have announced the date and honorees for its inaugural Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema & Television. Several honorees are Broadway performers, including Nathan Lane, George Takei, and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez.

The gala event will be hosted by actress, stand-up comedian, and writer Sherry Cola, a fierce advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and a barrier breaker as a queer Chinese-American immigrant woman in film, television and comedy. 

The Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema & Television event will take place during Pride Month on Friday, June 7, 2024 at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles, CA. Following the event, the show will stream on HereTV, the first and largest LGBTQ+ TV and streaming service in the USA.

The celebration will honor the finest achievements from the LGBTQ+ entertainment community, both in front of and behind the camera, as well as showcase emerging and established talent. This event marks the newest addition to the CCA’s series of Celebrations (The Critics Choice Association’s Celebration of Latino Cinema and Television, The Critics Choice Association’s Celebration of Asian Pacific Cinema and Television and The Critics Choice Association’s Celebration of Black Cinema and Television). The Celebrations aim to shine a light on work from historically underrepresented talent. 

“I am extremely proud to be able to announce this inaugural event showcasing the best performances from the LGBTQ+ community in film and television,” said Joey Berlin, CEO of the Critics Choice Association. “A significant number of the CCA’s membership identifies as LGBTQ+, so this Celebration is extremely meaningful to our organization.”

“Now more than ever, LGBTQ+ representation matters. We are so proud to be part of an organization that honors diversity and celebrates the achievements of the LGBTQ+ community,” said CCA Members and Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema & Television Co-Programmers Jerry Nunn & Andrew Freund.

Honorees include:

Multi Emmy Award-winning actor Nathan Lane will be honored with the Career Achievement Award for his work in an impressive range of projects including The Birdcage, The Producers, The Lion King, Guys and Dolls, Dicks: The Musical, Only Murders in the Building, and more.

Multi-hyphenate author, activist and Star Trek actor George Takei will accept the Social Justice Award for his tireless fight for LGBTQ+ rights, racial justice, and marriage equality. With over 250 credits across more than six decades, Takei has left a lasting mark on Hollywood and the entire LGBTQ+ community. In addition to his many roles in film and television, Takei has performed onstage in Pacific Overtures and Allegiance.

Emmy Award-nominated actor Michaela Jaé Rodriguez will be honored with the Vanguard Award for her work in the Apple TV+ series, Loot. Rodriguez also appeared in the film Tick...Tick...BOOM! and as Audrey in a Pasadena Playhouse production of Little Shop of Horrors in 2019. STARZ will bestow Rodriguez’s award with a special STARZ #TakeTheLead designation as part of its ongoing commitment to amplifying narratives by, about, and for women and underrepresented audiences.Showrunner, Executive Producer, Director, and Writer Abe Sylvia will receive the Showrunner Award for his work on the hit Apple TV+ comedy series, Palm Royale.

RuPaul’s Drag Race team will accept the Trailblazer Award for the Emmy Award-winning MTV Entertainment series, RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Actor Carl Clemons-Hopkins will be awarded the Supporting Performance Award for Television (Series) for their role in the Max Original and Universal Television’s Hacks.

Actor Chris Perfetti will be honored with the Breakthrough Performance Award for Television (Series) for his role as Jacob Hill in the ABC, Warner Bros. Television and 20th Television series, Abbott Elementary.

Actor Fernando Carsa will receive the Rising Star Award for his role as Memo in the Apple TV+ series, Acapulco.

Henry R. Muñoz III will receive the CCA’s first-ever Industry Leadership Award for not only being an advocate for LGBTQ+ equality, but also for his philanthropic involvements and commitment to advance diverse storytelling through his leadership at Funny Or Die.

Chef, Author, and Entrepreneur Kristen Kish will be awarded the TV Host Award for her work as the host on Bravo’s Emmy and James Beard Award-winning series Top Chef.

Director/writer Luke Gilford will be honored with the Breakthrough Director Award for his work on LD Entertainment’s film National Anthem.

Director Oliver Hermanus will be awarded the Director Award for Television (Series) for his work in the STARZ limited series, Mary & George.

Producers Ron Nyswaner, Matt Bomer, Daniel Minahan, and Robbie Rogers will receive the Producer Award for their work on the Paramount+ with Showtime series, Fellow Travelers.

RuPaul’s Drag Race team will accept the Trailblazer Award for the Emmy Award-winning MTV Entertainment series, RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Actor, writer, and director Shakina will receive the Writer Award for Television (Series) for her work in the NBC and Universal Television series, Quantum Leap.

Co-creators Johnnie Ingram and Stephen Warren, along with showrunner/director Peter LoGreco, and drag queens Sasha Velour, Priyanka, Jaida Essence Hall, and Latrice Royale will be honored with the Reality TV Award on behalf of the Emmy Award-winning HBO Original series, We’re Here.

Sponsors of the event include Delta Air Lines, Fairmont Century Plaza, FIJI Water, Here Media, Milagro Tequila, NEP Sweetwater, and STARZ.

About the Critics Choice Association (CCA) 

The Critics Choice Association is the largest critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing more than 600 media critics and entertainment journalists. It was established in 2019 with the formal merger of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association, recognizing the intersection between film, television, and streaming content

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