Christina Aguilera, Bad Bunny and Jeremy Pope are being honored for their contributions to the LGBTQ community.
GLAAD, the world’s largest media advocacy group, announced Wednesday the recipients of three prestigious awards given to performers and newsmakers who help the organization with its mission of accelerating LGBTQ acceptance and influencing cultural change.
They will be honored March 30 at the 34th Annual GLAAD Media Awards at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles.
Aguilera will be presented with GLAAD’s Advocate for Change Award, an honor bestowed upon a person who has “changed the game for LGBTQ people around the world” through her work.
“Christina Aguilera is a beloved icon who has inspired and shared messages of love for the LGBTQ community since the start of her music career,” GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement shared with the Daily News.
The “Beautiful” singer will join an impressive list that includes former President Bill Clinton and the Queen of Pop Madonna.
Trap-reggaeton superstar Bad Bunny is also being recognized for his work as a staunch LGBTQ ally.
Spotify’s most-streamed artist of 2022 will receive GLAAD’s Vanguard Award for his advocacy and “outspoken allyship for the LGBTQ community.”
As one of the world’s most popular artists, the Puerto Rican musician and producer uses his stellar career “to boldly shine a light on LGBTQ people and issues, including transgender equality and ending violence against trans women of color,” Ellis said.
Bad Bunny, named Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, will join a list of allies that includes Cher, Taylor Swift, Liza Minnelli and Beyoncé and Jay Z.
Emmy, Grammy and Tony-nominated performer Jeremy Pope — who gained international recognition after appearing in the third season of FX’s hit drama “Pose” in 2021 — will receive the Stephen F. Kolzak Award. The award is named in honor of the late casting director who devoted the last part of his life to fighting homophobia and HIV stigma within the entertainment industry. Previous recipients include Laverne Cox, Ellen DeGeneres, Jim Parsons and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez.
His role as a powerful LGBTQ advocate, as well as his acting projects, in which he portrays characters who elevate the conversation around LGBTQ equality, are key to “continuing to erase stigma and bias that affect out actors today,” Ellis said.
The GLAAD Media Awards celebrates accurate and inclusive LGBTQ representation in film, television, news and Spanish-language media in a bicoastal, star-studded celebration.
In January, GLAAD announced nearly 300 nominees across 33 categories for its 34th edition.
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