LGBTQ+ people are cleaning up this award season. Along with having the best executed and most tasteful outfits out there, the community is also proving that they’re the best at what they do.
The Golden Globes were a big night for the LGBTQ+ community; with many nominations coming in for proudly queer actors, such as Andrew Scott for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series – Fleabag (Hot Priest hit me up), and Ellen DeGeneres winning the Carol Burnett Award for achievement in television.
Ellen’s award was presented by Kate McKinnon, paying a beautiful tribute and speaking of how Ellen inspired her was when she was young – being an out, gay woman on TV to look up to, making it a bit less scary to be a lesbian woman in the spotlight. These are two wonderful lesbians who deserve all the success they continue to get.
Elton John also picked up an award for Best Original Song with ‘I’m Gonna Love Me Again’ from his biopic Rocketman, and saw his on-screen double, Taron Egerton, pick up the win Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical for his portrayal of The Pinball Wizard. The King of the red carpet, Billy Porter, was nominated in the Best Actor in a Television Series category for his work on On Pose. Even though he was absolutely ROBBED, he dazzled in a bright white suit with a dramatic feathered train, dripping in over 4000 crystals. Not even Ricky Gervais, with his tired, old ‘edgy’ jokes, could ruin the glamour of the occasion!
Queer men of colour were out in force at the GRAMMYS. Lil Nas X, who came out as gay mid-last year, hit big at the Grammy’s, snatching up Best Video and Best Pop Group Performance (along with Billy Ray Cyrus) for Old Town Road. Lil Nas was dressed in a hot pink, bondage-inspired, Versace cowboy outfit for his cowboy-inspired bop (it STILL slaps, I don’t care if it was overplayed). Fellow rapper Tyler, The Creator, won Best Rap Album for his 5th album IGOR. While never outrightly saying it, Tyler has referenced same-sex relationships in his lyrics, and Jaden Smith referred to him as his boyfriend after Tyler was given his much-deserved award. Billy Porter definitely wins the award for Most Wigs Snatched with his incredible fringed jumpsuit and hat, with a motorised curtain that opened and shut as he pleased, inspiring many memes.
LGBTQ+ women also swept up awards left, right and centre. DJ Tracy Young won the GRAMMY for Best Remixed Recording Award her record ‘I Rise (Tracy Young’s Pride Intro Radio Remix)’, being the first woman and first lesbian to ever win, shouting out all the overlooked female producers as she accepted it. Bisexual icon (bi-con, if you will) Lady Gaga won the GRAMMY for Best Song Written for Visual Media with (of course) ‘I’ll Never Love Again’ from A Star is Born – much deserved for such a beautiful song that still makes me cry. LGBTQ+ people contribute so much to art, culture, cinema and music – what makes life fun. Yet sadly, they are often overlooked during awards season, and it’s amazing to see massive wins for films like Rocketman and young, queer people of colour like Lil Nas X. Hopefully as awards season carries on, the LGBTQ+ community carry on winning, both the awards themselves and on the red carpet!
