Pride
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For most of his career, Adam Lambert has been playing characters. Whether in his musical theater roots, his touring role as the frontman of Queen or even on American Idol, the 42-year-old singer says much of his career has been about performance.
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But he’s ready to change that. “I’ve watched other artists express this very real, authentic part of themselves over the last few years,” he tells Billboard. “Now, it’s my turn.”
Lambert’s new solo EP Afters (due out July 19) sees the singer embracing a new, dance-focused sound to talk about sex, desire and romance in a more honest way than he ever has before. The first pair of singles off the project, “Lube” and “Wet Dream” (both due out Friday, May 31), give audiences a glimpse of what the singer has in store for them, with Lambert’s rock-inspired sound swapped out for pounding club beats and uncensored lyrics.
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“I wanted to make a project that felt like the kind of music I listened to with my friends, talking about the things I talk about with my friends,” Lambert explains. “Sometimes, things get a little naughty, and I wanted to capture that energy.”
Below, Lambert breaks down the inspirations behind his new project, what it means to be rediscovering himself 15 years into his career, and how advancements for LGBTQ artists in the music industry have fundamentally changed the way he approaches music.
Let’s talk about your new project, Afters. This is a very different direction that you’re taking — can you tell me a little bit about where the idea for this project came from?
I’ve experimented with so many different sorts of directions and genres and sounds over the years. I’ve done a lot and for this, I was like, “Okay, what have I not really done?” I wanted whatever I did next to feel as authentic as possible — I wanted it to feel real to my life. I started my career on stage playing different characters and then stepping onto American Idol, and then stepping in with Queen. I get to sing the most amazing music and tour the world with them. But it’s all serving specific audiences, you know what I mean? And I wanted to do something that sounded like my social life.
Here in West Hollywood, I love going out, I love having after parties at my house, I love nightlife. I love dressing up and and interacting with people and and getting that charged up and flirty feeling with people. So I just was like, “I want to capture that energy of sexuality and desire for connection and liberation.” And that’s the after party.
That’s an interesting point about you playing “roles” in your past music career — was there any trepidation in making this project about fan or industry reactions to this very raw sound?
Yeah, there might be some fans out there that might go, “Whoa, what is all this” and not understand it. But it’s the most honest that I’ve gotten to be in a really long time because there’s no filter. When I first came onto the scene in 2009, the scene was very different. The music industry was very different, and being a gay man in the music industry was uncharted territory in some ways. We had other greats before us in other genres, but doing contemporary pop, I felt like I didn’t have anybody else to sort of see as an example in that world.
It was a trial and error experience; I had that first single that was kind of sexy, and then the performance where I kissed a guy and I got a big slap on the wrist for it. I had so much support from the industry coming off of Idol, and I think there was this collective sort of gasp and clutching of the pearls at that performance. They didn’t turn their back on me, but it felt like the audience took a collective step back.
I had to play the game at that point, because I wasn’t going to lose my opportunity. So I just kept moving forward and doing my thing. And obviously there’s a lot more to me than just my sexuality, but that is a big part of who I am. Romance and sex and heartbreak, we see all of our favorite hetero artists sing about all that stuff all the time. So I was always a little frustrated with the double standard early on, because I was like, “Well, why can’t I?” The game, for a while, became me asking how I could push things.
I feel like [now] we’re in 2024, and the rules have completely been tossed out the window. It’s a totally different playing field. Now, the way people get music and find music is completely different. I think the fact that we can go straight to the listener as an artist changes the politics of all of it. Back in the day, radio was this gatekeeper — and it was like, and if you really wanted to be successful, you had to play the game on the radio. Now that’s completely different, too. So there are less hurdles you have to jump over.
When it comes to “playing the game” and the rules changing, do you think the industry has reached a point where the old playbook when it comes to artist authenticity is entirely outdated, or are we still in a transition phase?
I mean, it’s still a bit of a game — you still have to strategize, and you still have to figure out what people like and how they’ll respond to things and marketing and all that. But I think that identity politics has become such an important part of an artist’s whole package. People are not stupid: They know when someone’s being who they are, and when they’re not. If anything, with this next project, the people that know me will go, “Oh, yeah.” The other thing is that in today’s world, where we’re showing so much more of ourselves with social media, the audience want in on our lives. So in a way, this is a glimpse. This is my experience.
I was listening to “Lube” right before we started, and even as a queer person who’s been following you for a long time, I was like, “Whoa, okay, we’re going there!”
Yeah, I really did sing the words “gonna make you nut.” [Laughs.] I actually wrote this song with Vincint and Parson James, and we had a different chorus originally. I walked away with the song, and I was like, “That chorus is not really doing it for me.” So I had the producer take the chorus vocal off of it, leaving it as an instrumental, and I just kept listening to it. I opened the program up and I just started running the track and recording ideas. When I thought of the rhyme and I was like, “Oh, that’s crazy, I can’t say that.” And then I was like “…maybe I should just say it? Just f–king say it! Why am I editing myself?”
I recognize that this is literally a dance song about lubrication; it’s ridiculous, I’m aware. But there was a part of me that was like, “I want to make music that sounds like the way I dress.” Sonically, like the aesthetic, I want it to sound like how I like to look. Because I’ve been very inspired by fashion lately, and I keep finding things that are just really weird. And I get inspired by that, as well.
I also love that you let fans get an early listen of “Wet Dream.” How closely were you watching the fan reaction to it? How much were you letting that dictate the rest of your release strategy?
I was definitely taking note, and I think the overall impression was really strong. People were surprised by it, because it’s different. It’s a different sound for me, and it really goes off in a way the audience seemed to like. It was so fun to perform live down in Australia — and that’s sort of why we put it out. I really wanted to perform it on stage, especially for Pride Month. So that was why I was like, “Let’s kind of put it out. If you want to check it out, you can on SoundCloud, let’s just have it around.”
Part of what I love about the songs is that you are really leaning into the gay club aesthetic — because oftentimes, this house, dance-pop sound has a tendency, especially when coming from queer artists, to be written off as “gay music” and taken less seriously. It feels like that has changed a lot in recent years where that brand of music has become much more high profile — why do you think that is?
That’s a really good point, and I actually hadn’t thought a lot about that. Even before American Idol, the music that I was listening to in my 20s was a lot of electronic music. It was all dance-y electronic stuff. To be honest, I don’t really listen to classic rock in my free time, but when I auditioned for Idol, it was a lane that I saw opened up for me. And I was like, “I can do that. I like classic rock.”
I think when I first started wearing makeup and heels and all of that, the “rock star version” of all that was like a way to justify looking that way and wanting to express myself that way. It got me past certain people. I think even artists of those genres — like Freddie Mercury, first and foremost, and Bowie — gave me permission to express myself that way. It made sense for me to go and sing glam rock and classic rock, because that era was such a beautiful expression of men being able to be feminine and messing with gender. It made it feel safer for me to go there.
As you get older, you get way more comfortable in your own skin and you accept everything about yourself. Now I’m just like, ”This is just who I am — I’m basically a blouse, a feminine top.” It’s amazing the way that society has shifted, because you go online and you see tons of boys doing makeup tutorials. The idea of of expressing yourself in any way shape or form — whether it’s your feminine side, your masculine side, the queer umbrella — [has] gone through this prism and expanded. There’s so much more visibility on all corners of it right now than there has ever been. That’s one reason why I feel like it’s just completely blown open, especially when it comes to music.
These songs are going to be coming out right at the same time that you’re going to be doing your headlining performance for WeHo Pride. What does that mean for you to be getting to headlining this event, and what can fans expect to see?
The lineup over the weekend is crazy. When I saw that I’m on the bill with Kesha, it made me smile so hard, because we go so far back — when I first got signed to RCA, she was on RCA, right after “TiK ToK” had come out. We were at a lot of these industry events together and we just totally clicked, and so it’s it’s a pretty full circle moment. I mean, the fact that Kylie’s playing on Saturday, I just … it’s gonna be a really amazing weekend.
The female ensemble of Jacques Audiard’s crime musical Emilia Pérez — Selena Gomez, Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón and Adriana Paz — received the best actress honor at the prestigious 2024 Cannes Film Festival gala ceremony Saturday night (May 25).
“Women together — that’s something we wanted to honor when we made this award,” Cannes jury president and Barbie director Greta Gerwig said of the shared win, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “Each of them is a standout, but together transcendent.”
In a groundbreaking moment for the trans community, Emilia Pérez star Gascón, who accepted the ensemble cast’s award with a tearful speech, is the first transgender actress to win at Cannes. The Spanish-language musical/crime pic about a Mexican drug lord (Gascón) embracing her true identity as a woman also received the jury prize at this year’s festival.
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Gomez was in Cannes for the film‘s premiere, press and photo calls earlier in the week, but not in attendance at Saturday’s gala. She portrays the wife of Gascón’s character in the film.
The singer-actress got the news of the win through a phone call from co-star Saldaña. “When @zoesaldana told me we all won best actress!!” Gomez captioned an Instagram Story reaction video, in which she’s seen sitting outdoors, and in which her excitement is palpable.
The Palme d’Or, the festivals’s top honor, was given to Sean Baker’s Anora. The Grand Prix went to Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light. Mohammad Rasoulof’s The Seed of the Sacred Fig received a special award from the jury, and Jesse Plemmons won best actor for his work in Yorgos Lanthimos‘ Kinds of Kindness.
George Lucas was presented with an honorary Palme d’Or on Saturday, for his contribution to cinema since 1971, when his directorial debut, THX-1138, received a nod in the Directors’ Fortnight section at Cannes.
Cannes 2024 Winners List:
Palme d’Or
Sean Baker, Anora
Grand Prix
All We Imagine As Light
Jury Prize
Emilia Pérez
Best Director
Miguel Gomez, Grand Tour
Best Screenplay
Coralie Fargeat, The Substance
Best Actress
Adriana Paz, Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón, Selena Gomez, Emilia Pérez
Best Actor
Jesse Plemons, Kinds of Kindness
Honorary Palme d’Or
George Lucas
Special Award
Mohammad Rasoulof, The Seed of the Sacred Fig
Camera d’Or for Best First Film
Halfdan Ullman Tondel, Armand
Palme d’Or for Best Short Film
Nebojsa Slijepcevic, The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent
Much has changed in the 55 years since the The Stonewall Uprising — and Cynthia Erivo is ready to celebrate the progress we’ve made. In an announcement on Tuesday (May 21), LGBTQ+ advocacy group Pride Live announced Erivo as the official headliner for the Stonewall Day 2024 benefit concert, taking place Friday, June 28. The […]
With Donald Trump spending much of his time in court as of late, internet sensation Randy Rainbow decided to serve up his latest take on the former president’s legal troubles with a little help from Dolly Parton. In his new video published Monday (May 20), Rainbow parodied Parton’s iconic work anthem “9 to 5,” replacing […]
In need of some new tunes from your favorite queer artists? We’ve got your covered. Billboard Pride is proud to present the latest edition of Queer Jams of the Week, our roundup of some of the best new music releases from LGBTQ artists.
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From Billie Eilish’s long-awaited new album to Omar Apollo’s moody new single, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below:
Billie Eilish, Hit Me Hard and Soft
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With her third studio album, Billie Eilish has made one thing abundantly clear — she’s not slowing down any time soon. Hit Me Hard and Soft feels like a purposeful progression from the unabashed eccentricity of When We All Fall Asleep, and the confessional dreaminess of Happier Than Ever. The 22-year-old star simultaneously embraces her fears (“Chichiro”) and her confidence (“The Greatest”) to thrilling effect with each successive song, while maintaining the vocal flourishes and production flair (courtesy of Finneas) that made her a star to begin with. But the star also takes a more candid look at her sexuality throughout the album, allowing herself to declare that she wants to “eat that girl for lunch” and singing about the unrequited love of the girl she sees “in the back of my mind all the time,” offering a new level of intimacy to an already stunning body of work.
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Omar Apollo, “Dispose of Me”
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Omar Apollo wants to slow it down, and after hearing “Dispose of Me,” you’ll be sure to understand why. This moving R&B ballad serves as a testament to the rising star’s vocal prowess, as he shows off as much of his impressive range as possible. Flowing from flawless falsetto to rumbling baritone, Apollo evokes the heartbreaking feeling the title promises within the first few seconds of this number, making “Dispose of Me” an absolute must-listen for anyone in need of a good cry.
Monét X Change, Grey Rainbow Vol. 1
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The exchange rate just went up with Monét X Change’s stunning new R&B album Grey Rainbow Vol. 1. Throughout the Drag Race winner’s new project, Monét takes control of her own narrative with confessional songwriting about heartbreak (“Streetlight”), sex (“Rotation”) and moving forward (“Grey Rainbow”), all while utilizing her silky-smooth, classically-trained voice to thrilling effect. With part two due out later this year, Grey Rainbow Vol. 1 promises even more excellence from a drag superstar to watch.
VINCINT feat. Adam Lambert, “Another Lover”
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VINCINT and Adam Lambert is the kind of artist pairing that spins your head with even the thought of them collaborating. So it’s all the more thrilling when the final product of that collaboration, “Another Lover,” is even better than you would have imagined. This pounding dance-pop track perfectly utilizes both artists’ stratospheric voices, as VINCINT and Lambert trade sultry verses about their powers of provocative persuasion. By the time you reach the final chorus, where both stars are riffing and running their hearts out over a thrilling beat, you’ll be feeling the ecstasy they keep singing about on this phenomenal pop banger.
Ben Platt feat. Brandy Clark, “Treehouse”
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When you take a Broadway star and pair him with a once-in-a-generation folk singer, you get something magical. Ben Platt and Brandy Clark are a match made in heaven on the stunning new single “Treehouse,” as they duet together on a lovestruck ballad about finding love in all the right places. Neither artist allows the delicate mood to break, keeping their respective voices as tender as possible for this moving ode to building a foundation of love.
Towa Bird, “Time to Pretend” (MGMT cover)
There’s something ingenious about Towa Bird’s Spotify Singles cover of MGMT’s 2007 space-rock jam “Time to Pretend.” Where the original relied on synth arpeggios and electronic distortion, Bird’s version sees the singer embracing her top-tier guitar skills to make a thrilling, markedly-different version of the track. With her own distorted voice filtering through the driving guitar licks that provide the cover its internal engine, Towa Bird takes “Time to Pretend” to a new level on this thrilling new rendition.
Girli, Matriarchy
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Rising alt-pop singer Girli has approximately zero time for bulls–t on her entrancing new album, Matriarchy. Across 14 songs, the singer-songwriter embraces a more electro-pop sound to help her talk about self-love (especially on the immediately arresting “Feel My Feelings”), queer crushes (“Nothing Hurts Like a Girl”) and embracing the fact that sometimes, things are just deeply messy (“Lose My Cool”). For anyone dealing with the harsh realities of learning to be an adult, Matriarchy is absolutely essential.
Check out all of our picks on Billboard’s Queer Jams of the Week playlist below:
A viral question aimed at women has spread around the internet over the last few weeks: Would you rather be alone in the woods with a man or with a bear? After listening to Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker’s bigoted commencement address at Benedictine College, singer Maren Morris has her answer.
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In a post to her Instagram Stories on Wednesday (May 15), Morris shared a clip from Butker’s address, in which the footballer claimed that the graduating women had “the most diabolical lies” told to them, and encouraging them to consider taking on “one of the most important titles of all: homemaker.” Morris summed up her feelings on Butker’s comments — and on the aforementioned question — in just four words: “I choose the bear,” she wrote.
Morris is far from the only celebrity to criticize Butker’s comments. In a post to his X account on Tuesday (May 14), rapper Flavor Flav called out Butker and encouraged him to, respectfully, stop talking. “Sounds like some players ‘need to stay in their lanes’ and shouldn’t be giving commencement speeches,” he wrote.
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Meanwhile, Sarah Kate Ellis, the president and CEO of LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD, responded to Butker’s anti-LGBTQ comments made throughout his address — including saying that Pride Month represented “deadly sins” — calling them “a clear miss,” as well as “inaccurate, ill-informed, and woefully out of step with Americans about Pride, LGBTQ people and women.”
The speech began blowing up online thanks, in part, to the fact that Butker quoted lyrics from Taylor Swift’s “Bejeweled” during his speech. Speaking about bishops who derive pleasure “from the adulation they receive from their parishioners,” Butker made sure to quote “my teammate’s girlfriend” in saying “‘Familiarity breeds contempt.’”
After many called for the NFL and the Kansas City Chiefs to comment on Butker’s speech, Jonathan Beane, senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer for the league, shared a statement with People on Wednesday. “Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity,” he said. “His views are not those of the NFL as an organization. The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger.”
Billboard has not yet heard back from the Chiefs after a request for comment.
After Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker made a series of misogynistic, homophobic and transphobic remarks while quoting Taylor Swift during his commencement address at Benedictine College on Saturday (May 11), GLAAD president Sarah Kate Ellis decided to set the record straight. In a statement Wednesday (May 15) reacting to Butker’s speech — in which […]
In the same 20-minute commencement speech at Benedictine College in Kansas Saturday (May 11), Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker both discouraged female graduates from pursuing careers outside of homemaking while quoting objectively one of the world’s hardest-working career women: Taylor Swift, whom he referred to as “my teammate’s girlfriend.”
The 28-year-old athlete, who shares two children with wife Isabelle, also condemned President Joe Biden, abortion, birth control, Pride Month and “the cultural emasculation of men” during his controversial address at the Catholic liberal arts school, who shared the speech on its YouTube page. But it was while he was admonishing bishops who he says gain too much satisfaction “from the adulation they receive from their parishioners” and “become overly familiar” that he dropped in a line from the pop star’s Midnights single “Bejeweled.”
“This undue familiarity will prove to be problematic every time,” Butker said with a smile. “Because as my teammate’s girlfriend says, ‘Familiarity breeds contempt.’”
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The teammate in question, of course, is tight end Travis Kelce, who has been dating Swift since last summer. In addition to championing the LGBTQ community, the 14-time Grammy winner has been open about her feminist beliefs — which probably don’t align with what Butker said next in the speech.
“For the ladies present today, congratulations on an amazing accomplishment,” he continued. “I want to speak directly to you briefly, because I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you.”
“How many of you are sitting here now, about to cross this stage, and are thinking about all of the promotions and titles you are going to get in your career?” Butker went on. “Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world.”
“I can tell you that my beautiful wife, Isabelle, would be the first to say her life truly started when she started living her vocation as a wife and as a mother,” he added, noting that homemaker is “one of the most important titles of all.” “Isabelle’s dream of having a career might not have come true, but if you ask her today if she has any regrets on her decision, she would laugh out loud without hesitation, and say, ‘Heck no.’”
Billboard has reached out to the Chiefs and NFL for comment.
The Chiefs have gained an army of new fans in the past year, thanks to Swift’s association with the team and her attendance at several games at Arrowhead Stadium over the course of the 2023-24 season. And while some people online have praised Butker for expressing his values during then commencement speech, many of those same Swifties/football fans are taking to social media to slam the team’s kicker.
“Harrison Butker gave a misogynistic, homophobic, and transphobic commencement speech and then quoted Taylor Swift?” one person tweeted. “Dude. That’s so messed up.”
“I dare Harrison Butker to tell Taylor Swift she has no value unless she is a wife, mother, and homemaker,” wrote another fan.
See more reactions below.
And another thing…Butker mentioned Taylor Swift not by name, but as “my teammate’s girlfriend” The audacity.— Jess Piper (@piper4missouri) May 15, 2024
I dare Harrison Butker to tell Taylor Swift she has no value unless she is a wife, mother, and homemaker. pic.twitter.com/i32ez5fsSt— mimi ✨🎧🦋🫶🏻 (@watchinwisteria) May 14, 2024
Harrison Butker gave a misogynistic, homophobic, and transphobic commencement speech and then quoted Taylor Swift? Dude. That’s so messed up.— Saltier Than Usual Willow (@saltysuburban29) May 14, 2024
With Pride season nearly upon us, music fans are busy buying tickets to their local Pride festivals. But if you can’t make it to an in-person celebration this year, don’t worry — Billy Porter, Orville Peck and plenty of others are here to help.
On Wednesday (May 15), iHeartMedia and P&G announced the lineup for their fifth annual Can’t Cancel Pride event. Taking place on June 12, the livestreamed event will feature a series of appearances and performances from stars including Porter, Peck, Allison Russell, Ben Platt, David Archuletta, Meghan Trainor, Melissa Etheridge, Raye and Victoria Monét.
Along with performing at the event, Porter is set to host and receive the Elton John Impact Award for his LGBTQ+ advocacy throughout his career. The award was first given to John during the event’s 2022 broadcast, and was later presented to Americana star Brandi Carlile in 2023.
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In a statement released with the news, iHeartMedia’ spokesperson ‘s chief marketing officer Gayle Troberman teased a can’t-miss event. “We are proud to celebrate Can’t Cancel Pride’s fifth birthday with another fantastic show that celebrates the intersection and unconditional power of music, message and inclusivity,” she wrote. “It’s incredible to see and hear the positive impact this franchise has on the community each year.”
Peck’s performance at the event will come on the heels of his recent win at the 2024 GLAAD Media Awards, where the country star took home the organization’s Vito Russo Award. During his acceptance speech on Saturday (May 11), Peck pointed to the importance of having more out queer artists in the genre, in order “to allow some kid in a small town who loves country music to see themselves in me or Mickey Guyton or T.J. Osborne.”
Can’t Cancel Pride will take place live at the iHeartRadio Theater in Los Angeles on June 12 at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET, with a livestream of the event that will take place on iHeartRadio’s YouTube and Facebook pages, Hulu, Revry, and The Advocate Channel. Check out the full lineup for the event below:
Two months after its Los Angeles counterpart, the 2024 GLAAD Media Awards hit New York City on Saturday (May 11) to reveal the rest of the winners and honor Orville Peck with the Vito Russo Award (presented by Jennifer Lawrence, no less). Additionally, Red, White, and Royal Blue received the GLAAD Media Award for queer fan favorite, presented by Cody Rigsby and Beanie Feldstein.
Billboard was among the winners, earning the award for outstanding print article for Pride Editor Stephen Daw’s June 2023 cover story, which found Maren Morris don Willie Nelson drag and go deep with drag artists Eureka O’Hara, Landon Cider, Sasha Colby and Symone about the proliferation of drag bans around the country. The honor comes six years after Billboard won its first GLAAD Media Award for outstanding magazine overall coverage in 2018.
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Here’s a list of the categories that were presented at the Midtown Hilton Hotel on Saturday night, with winners marked. You can see the winners announced at the 2024 GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles here.
Outstanding Variety or Talk Show Episode
“Certainty” Turning the Tables with Robin Roberts (Disney+)
“Chaos, Law, and Order” The Problem With Jon Stewart (Apple TV+)
“Cynthia Nixon and Kim Petras” Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen (Bravo)
“Dulcé Sloan & Sasha Colby Talk What It Means to Be A Happy Trans Person” The Daily Show (Comedy Central)
“Elliot Page Opens Up In New Memoir: ‘It Felt Like The Right Time’” The View (ABC)
“The Hardest Fight Is the Fight Against Status Quo” The Conversations Project (Hulu)
“I’m Not Just Gay, I’m Your Son” Karamo (syndicated)
WINNER: “Jennifer Hudson Surprises HIV Activist with $10,000” The Jennifer Hudson Show (syndicated)
“Trace Lysette & Patricia Clarkson, Laverne Cox” The Kelly Clarkson Show (syndicated)
“Unapologetically Me” Tamron Hall (syndicated)
Outstanding TV Journalism Segment
“11th Hour: Transgender Athletes and What People Don’t Understand” The 11th Hour (MSNBC)
“19-Year-Old Designer CJ King Gets Second Chance to Walk the Runway” GMA3 (ABC)
“The All in Y’all” (KEYE-TV CBS Austin)
“Anti-LGBTQ+ Law in Uganda that Threatens the Death Penalty Sparks International Outcry” PBS Newshour (PBS)
“Bringing Queer Joy into the World of Hip-Hop” ABC News Live Prime (ABC News Live)
“Des Moines LGBTQ Community Hosts First-Ever ‘People’s Pride’” (WOI-TV Local 5 Des Moines)
“Geena Rocero Talks About Her New Memoir ‘Horse Barbie’ and the Power of Living Unapologetically” CBS Mornings (CBS)
“How Eco-Drag Queen Pattie Gonia Defines What It Means to Fight for the Environment” Nightline (ABC)
WINNER: “New York City Gay Bar Deaths Classified as Homicides” (NBC News Now)
“One-on-One with the President of the American Medical Association (AMA)” The CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell (CBS)
Outstanding TV Journalism – Long-Form
“Beyond Limits: Who I Am” CBS Sports (CBS)
“CBS Reports: A Nation in Transition” CBS News (CBS)
“Club Q One Year Later” (KKTV CBS 11 Colorado)
“Freedom to Exist” Soul of a Nation (ABC)
“It’s Ok To Ask Questions – Pidgeon Pagonis” (WMAQ-TV NBC 5 Chicago)
“Marty’s Place: Where Hope Lives” (+Life Media with KGO-TV & ABC Localish)
WINNER: “Our America: Who I’m Meant to Be” (ABC Owned Television Stations)
“Proud Voices: A NY1 Special” (Spectrum News NY1)
“Serving in Secret: Love, Country and ‘Dont Ask Don’t Tell’” (MSNBC)
“VICE Special Report – Out Loud // Big Freedia Presents: Young Queer Artists To Look Out For” (Vice News)
Outstanding Live TV Journalism – Segment or Special
“Capehart on SCOTUS rulings: ‘My Possibilities are Up to Them, Not Up to Me’” The Last Word (MSNBC)
“CNN’s Anderson Cooper Speaks With Lauri Carleton’s Daughter, Ari Carleton, About Her Mother’s Legacy” Anderson Cooper 360 (CNN)
“Flipping the Script: Live Interviews on LGBTQ+ Community” Morning News NOW (NBC News Now)
“Gio Benitez Interviews Sasha Velour on Her Book and the Climate of Drag in America” Good Morning America (ABC)
WINNER: “Indiana Students Put on LGBTQ-Themed Play Themselves After it’s Canceled By the School” Yasmin Vossoughian Reports (MSNBC)
“José Díaz-Balart Reports: A Texas Mother’s Fight: the Case for Gender-Affirming Care” José Díaz-Balart Reports (MSNBC)
“One-on-One with Eureka O’Hara” The Reid Out (MSNBC)
“Pride Across America” (ABC News Live)
“TikTok Sensations ‘The Old Gays’ Talk About How They Became Friends and Their New Docuseries” TODAY with Hoda & Jenna (NBC)
“Two Anti-LGBTQ Bills Advance to Louisiana House” Breakdown (WWL-TV CBS New Orleans)
Outstanding Print Article
WINNER: “As Drag Bans Proliferate, Maren Morris Goes Deep With Drag’s Biggest Stars on Why the Show Must Go On” by Stephen Daw (Billboard)
“Black Queer History is American History” by Myeshia Price (TIME)
“‘But Most of All I’m Human’: These 3 Transgender Teens Prove Identity Stretches Beyond One Label” by Susan Miller (USA TODAY)
“The Dancer” by Matt Kemper (The Atlanta-Journal Constitution)
“Heroism Overpowers Hate” by John Sotomayor (Embrace Magazine)
“Kim Petras Is Breaking the Mold” by Jeff Nelson (People)
“Pop Icons Are ‘Mothers’ Now. The LGBTQ Ballroom Scene Wants Credit.” by Samantha Cherry (The Washington Post)
“Stop Bad Hair and Uglier Legislation (The New Classics)” by Karen Giberson (AC Magazine)
“Transgender Youth: ‘Forced Outing’ Bills Make Schools Unsafe” by Hannah Schoenbaum and Sean Murphy (AP)
“We Have the Tools to Stop HIV. So Why Is It Still Spreading?” by LZ Granderson (Los Angeles Times)
Outstanding Online Journalism Article
WINNER: “The AP Interview: Pope Francis Says Homosexuality Not a Crime” by Nicole Winifield (AP.com)
“Book Banners Came for This Colorado Town. They Didn’t Anticipate Resistance.” By Jeff Fuentes Gleghorn (LGBTQNation.com)
“Evidence Undermines ‘Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria’ Claims” by Timmy Broderick (ScientificAmerican.com)
“From Drag Bans to Sports Restrictions, 75 Anti-LGBTQ Bills Have Become Law in 2023” by Jo Yurcaba (NBCNews.com)
“How the Latinx Drag Queens of Brooklyn Are Finding Freedom through Their Cultures” by Juan De Dios Sanchez Jurado (TeenVogue.com)
“Pedro Zamora, ‘Real World’ Star Who Died of AIDS, ‘Humanized the Disease for a Generation,’ Say Activists” by David Artavia (Yahoo.com)
“Pride Month Feels Different As Threats, Fear of Violence Grows” by Brooke Migdon (TheHill.com)
“Some Trans Kids Are Being Forced to Flee America for Their Safety” by Nico Lang (HuffPost.com)
“Stochastic Terrorism: Links between the GOP, Right-Wing Influencers & Neo-Nazi Violence” by Christopher Wiggins (Advocate.com)
“What Does Queer Gen Z Want on TV? Everything under the Rainbow” by Jude Cramer (INTOMore.com)
Outstanding Online Journalism – Video or Multimedia
WINNER: “7 Remarkable Trans Elders Share Lessons for the Next Generation” (them.us)
“Brave Spaces” (PBS.org)
“CANS Can’t Stand” (NewYorker.com)
“Club Q: Stronger Together” (NFL.com)
“‘I’ve Always Known I Was Different’: Four Trans People Share Their Stories” (WashingtonPost.com)
“Michaela Jaé Rodriguez Calls Out the New York Times’ Anti-Trans Coverage & Advice for Trans Youth” (Variety.com)
“Moving Isa” (Insider.com)
“People Come Out to Their Parents | Truth or Drink” (Cut.com)
“Protecting Pride: Resilience after Tragedy – Club Q Survivors Fight to Project Their Community” (GoodMorningAmerica.com)
“Transnational” (Vice.com)
Outstanding Blog
Charlotte’s Web Thoughts
WINNER: Erin in the Morning
Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters
LawDork
Mombian
Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents
The Queer Review
The Randy Report
The Reckoning
Outstanding Reality Program
Bargain Block (HGTV)
WINNER: Family Karma (Bravo)
I Am Jazz (TLC)
Living for the Dead (Hulu)
Queer Eye (Netflix)
Real Housewives of New York City (Bravo)
Selling Sunset (Netflix)
Swiping America (Max)
TRANSworld Atlanta (Tubi)
The Ultimatum: Queer Love (Netflix)
Outstanding Broadway Production
Fat Ham, by James Ijames
How to Dance in Ohio, by Jacob Yandura and Rebekah Greer Melocik
WINNER: Melissa Etheridge: My Window, by Melissa Etheridge
Once Upon a One More Time, by Jon Hartmere
The Sign in Sydney Brustein’s Window, by Lorraine Hansberry
Outstanding Podcast
Finding Fire Island (Broadway Podcast Network)
Gay and Afraid with Eric Sedeño (Past Your Bedtime)
WINNNER: Las Culturistas (iHeart)
NPR’s Embedded (NPR)
Queen of Hearts (Wondery)
Rooted Recovery Stories (Promises Behavioral Health)
Sibling Rivalry (Studio 71)
That Conversation With Tarek Ali (Buzz Sprout)
This Queer Book Saved My Life (This Queer Book Productions, LLC)
TransLash (TransLash Media)
Outstanding Film – Streaming Or TV
Cassandro (Amazon Prime Video)
Christmas on Cherry Lane (Hallmark Channel)
Friends & Family Christmas (Hallmark Channel)
Frybread Face and Me (Array Releasing)
Nuovo Olimpo (Netflix)
Nyad (Netflix)
Red, White, and Royal Blue (Amazon Prime Video)
Runs in the Family (Indigenous Film Distribution)
WINNER: Rustin (Netflix)
You’re Not Supposed To Be Here (Lifetime Television)
Outstanding Documentary (Multiple winners)
WINNER: Beyond the Aggressives: 25 Years Later (MTV Documentary Films)
Eldorado: Everything the Nazis Hate (Netflix)
Every Body (Focus Features)
WINNER: Kokomo City (Magnolia Pictures)
Little Richard: I Am Everything (Magnolia Pictures)
Orlando, My Political Biography (Janus Films)
Rainbow Rishta (Amazon Prime Video)
Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed (HBO Documentary Films)
WINNER: The Stroll (HBO)
“UYRA – The Rising Forest“ POV (PBS)
Outstanding New Series
The Buccaneers (Apple TV+)
Class (Netflix)
Culprits (Hulu)
Deadloch (Amazon Prime Video)
Everything Now (Netflix)
Found (NBC)
Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies (Paramount+)
WINNER: The Last of Us (HBO)
The Other Black Girl (Hulu)
Tore (Netflix)
Outstanding Kids & Family Programming or Film – Live Action
WINNER: Heartstopper (Netflix)
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (Disney+)
Jane (AppleTV+)
Power Rangers Cosmic Fury (Netflix)
XO, Kitty (Netflix)
Outstanding Online Journalism Article (Spanish Language)
“Abogan por una política pública contra la violencia hacia la comunidad trans en Puerto Rico” por Carolina Gracia (ElVocero.com)
“La activista trans que sepulta a sus amigas olvidadas: ‘Los primeros cuerpos los velaba yo sola, solita’” por Daniel Alonso Viña (ElPais.com)
“Carlos Adyan nos invita a su boda civil con Carlos Quintanilla: ‘Todo ha pasado como yo soñaba’” por Lena Hansen (PeopleEnEspanol.com)
“El eterno desafío de ser un hombre o mujer trans en El Salvador” por María Teresa Hernández (APnews.com)
“Familias latinas con menores trans temen a nuevas leyes que limitan el acceso a tratamientos médicos: ‘Es lo que ha mantenido a mi hija viva’” por Anagilmara Vílchez y Lourdes Hurtado (Telemundo.com)
“‘Hemos huido de algo muy cruel’: las familias que buscan una vida mejor para sus hijos transgénero en otros estados de EE.UU.” por Leire Ventas (BBC.com)
WINNER: “Personas mayores LGBTQIA+ ‘tienen que regresar a un clóset para poder buscar vivienda’” por David Cordero Mercado y Joaquín A. Rosado Lebrón (PeriodismoInvestigativo.com & ElNuevoDia.com)
“Quiero que todo el mundo pueda decir libremente ‘así soy yo’” por Maria Mercedes Acosta (Sentiido.com)
“Reconocimiento a medias también es estigmatizante: RAE agrega ‘no binario/a’ a su diccionario” por Alex Orue (Homosensual.com)
“Wendy Guevara, la ‘perdida’ que lo ganó todo” por Jonathan Saldaña y Mari Tere Lelo de Larrea (Quien.com)
Outstanding Online Journalism – Video or Multimedia (Spanish Language)
WINNER: “Conoce a la primera diputada negra y trans de Brasil” por Natalia Barrera Francis, Joyce García, David von Blohn, Paula Daibert y Claudia Escobar (Descoloniza – AJ+ Español)
“La increíble historia de cómo ‘Mami Ruddys’ refugió a decenas de jóvenes LGBTIQ en Puerto Rico” por Marcos Billy Guzmán y Pablo Martínez Rodríguez (El Nuevo Día)
“Mi novio vive con VIH y yo no: ser una pareja serodiscordante” por Mariana Escobar Bernoske y Daniela Rojas (La Disidencia – El Espectador)
“This gay cowboy convention celebrates sexual freedom — and Mexican identity” por Jackeline Luma, Kate Linthicum y Maggie Beidelman (Los Angeles Times)
“Villano Antillano cuenta todo de la realidad Queer de su música” por Yollotl Alvarado, René Barreto, Alfredo Castellanos, Sofía Reyes, Rai Irizarry, Arjun Demeyere, Luis Ramírez, Florencia Botinelli, Iván Juárez y Sebastian Fernández (GQ México y Latinoamérica)