GLAAD Media Awards 2025 Celebrate LGBTQ Voices in Entertainment

A collage image featuring four GLAAD Media Awards 2025 honorees. Top left: Cynthia Erivo, recipient of the Stephen F. Kolzak Award, smiling in a strapless white dress. Top right: Doechii, awarded Outstanding Music Artist, in a black outfit with a radiant smile. Bottom left: Promotional image of “Agatha All Along,” winner of Outstanding New Series, featuring the character Agatha in a mystical blue costume. Bottom right: RuPaul from “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” winner of Outstanding Reality Program – Competition, wearing a neon green dress and voluminous blonde hair.

Honoring the Power of Representation

The 36th Annual GLAAD Media Awards, held March 27, 2025, in Los Angeles, weren’t just about glitz and red carpet glamour. They were a deliberate, heartfelt celebration of media creators who dare to center LGBTQ+ lives in their most authentic form. Hosted by Michael Urie, the event was both a mirror and a megaphone—reflecting the stories that shape culture, and amplifying the voices that are too often left out of the conversation.

Cynthia Erivo: Beyond the Spotlight

This year’s Stephen F. Kolzak Award recipient, Cynthia Erivo, delivered a moving acceptance speech that reminded us why advocacy and art must go hand in hand. Erivo, known not only for her stunning voice and screen presence but also for her relentless support of queer and trans communities, spoke powerfully about visibility, accountability, and creating space where none existed before. Her elegance—draped in a custom Dior gown—was only matched by her sincerity.

Doechii: Music with a Message

In a year bursting with musical voices, it was Doechii who took home Outstanding Music Artist, and deservedly so. Her bold genre-bending sound has made her a breakout force, but it’s her lyrical honesty and outspoken pride that sets her apart. Whether performing on stage or speaking on gender, identity, and resistance, Doechii reminds us that the mic is a tool—and she’s using hers to dismantle walls.

Agatha All Along: Magic, Queerness, and a Moment

There’s a reason RuPaul’s Drag Race continues to dominate: because it evolves with its audience, while holding tight to the heart of drag culture. Winning Outstanding Reality Program – Competition, the show has not only elevated drag into the mainstream—it’s educated, liberated, and inspired generations to live out loud. Acceptance isn’t a theme here; it’s a requirement.

Why the GLAAD Media Awards 2025 Still Matter?

In a media landscape often oversaturated with content, GLAAD continues to set the standard for meaningful, diverse, and affirming storytelling. It’s a reminder to all of us in media—creators, bloggers, readers, and platforms alike—that inclusion isn't a trend. It’s a necessity.

To every winner and nominee: thank you for your voice, your work, and your bravery. You are not just shaping headlines—you’re shaping hearts.