Date: Sun, 9 May 1999 13:19:07 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: 10TH ANNUAL GLAAD MEDIA AWARDS COME TO A RECORD-BREAKING CLOSE IN WASHINGTON, DC MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contacts: Ben Stilp Interim Communications Director ph: (212) 807-1700, x14 e-mail: stilp@glaad.org Cathy Renna Director of Community Relations ph: (202) 986-1360 e-mail: renna@glaad.org 10TH ANNUAL GLAAD MEDIA AWARDS COME TO A RECORD-BREAKING CLOSE IN WASHINGTON, DC DC CEREMONY HONORS LARRY KING, ARMISTEAD MAUPIN, DOCKERS AND MOREŠ EVENTS DRAW NEARLY 4,000 GUESTS AND 150 MEDIA OUTLETS NATIONWIDE, RAISING $1.8 MILLION WASHINGTON, DC, SUNDAY, MAY 9, 1999 - The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) set record attendance at its 10th Annual Media Awards, honoring the best and brightest media representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community over the past year. The star-studded awards ceremonies were held in New York on March 28, in Los Angeles on April 17, and last night in Washington, DC. In addition to the 150 media outlets that covered the events this year, a total of nearly 4,000 people were in attendance, raising more than $1.8 million which will be used to support GLAAD's ongoing work in ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representations in the media. Of the total funds raised, $1.1 million came from corporate sponsorship, setting a record for corporate support of any lesbian and gay community event held to date. At last night's GLAAD Media Awards ceremony in Washington, DC, special awards were given to best-selling author Armistead Maupin and Peabody Award-winning talk show host Larry King. Hosted by Patrick Bristow, special guests at the event included Michael Boatman, The Lady Chablis, Jessica Hecht, Laura Linney, U.S. Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, Heather Tom and Jack Valenti. Special guests at the Los Angeles ceremony on April 17 included Debbie Allen, Adam Arkin, Bill Brochtrup, David Crosby, Ellen DeGeneres & Anne Heche, Tom Hanks, Sean Hayes, Richard Kind, k.d. lang, Judith Light, Lucy Liu, Eric McCormick, Garry Marshall, Debra Messing, Megan Mullally, Kathy Najimy, David Hyde Pierce, Lynn Redgrave, Caroline Rhea, Doris Roberts, Kerr Smith, Sharon Stone, Tracey Ullman, Bruce Vilanch and Rita Wilson. The Murmurs, Erin Hamilton and Rufus Wainwright performed at the sold-out event. Special awards were given in Los Angeles to singer Melissa Etheridge and her partner, producer Julie Cypher, as well as to Oscar-winning actor Whoopi Goldberg. At the March 28 ceremony in New York, hosted by Alan Cumming, special guests included Richard Belzer, Kathleen Chalfant, Stockard Channing, Olympia Dukakis, David Marshall Grant, Swoosie Kurtz, Ananda Lewis, Bebe Neuwirth, Rosie Perez, Bernadette Peters, Judy Shepard, Stephen Spinella, John Waters and Roshumba Williams. Special performances were given by Betty Buckley and Vicki Sue Robinson, and drag diva RuPaul was the evening's special honoree. The GLAAD Media Awards were created in 1990 to honor individuals and projects in the media and entertainment industries for their fair and accurate representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and the issues that affect their lives. This year's ceremonies were sponsored by more than 100 corporations, with Absolut Vodka as the Platinum Underwriter of the events. American Airlines participated as GLAAD's official airline. A complete list of winners follows. 1999 GLAAD Media Award Winners Special Honorees: Melissa Etheridge & Julie Cypher, Stephen F. Kolzak Award The Stephen F. Kolzak Award is presented to an openly lesbian or gay invidvidual in the media for their outstanding contribution in combating homophobia. It was named for its first recipient, a highly successful Los Angeles casting director who devoted the last part of his life to fighting AIDS-phobia and homophobia within the entertainment industry. Whoopi Goldberg, Vanguard Award The Vanguard Award is presented to a member of the entertainment or media community who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for lesbians and gay men. Larry King, Vision Award The Vision Award is presented to a media professional who has had long-term vision and commitment to making a significant difference in society by promoting equal rights for lesbians and gay men. Armistead Maupin, Capital Award The Capital Award is given to an openly lesbian or gay individual who has achieved excellence in a specific area of media and furthered the visibility and inclusion of the community through his/her work. RuPaul, Vito Russo Entertainer Award The Vito Russo Entertainer Award is presented to an openly lesbian or gay individual who has achieved excellence in a specific area of media and has furthered the visibility and understanding of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community through his/her work. It is named for one of the founding members of GLAAD, who wrote the groundbreaking and definitive source on lesbian and gay images in film, "The Celluloid Closet". Outstanding Advertising: Dockers Outstanding Documentary: Out of the Past Outstanding Film - Wide Release: Gods and Monsters Outstanding Film - Limited Release: High Art Outstanding LGBT Print: Philadelphia Gay News Outstanding LGBT Radio: Lesbigay Radio Outstanding Los Angeles Theater Production: The Last Session Outstanding Magazine Article: "To Be Young and Gay" by David Lipsky, Rolling Stone Outstanding Music - Album: Rufus Wainwright, Rufus Wainwright Outstanding New York Theater - Broadway/Off Broadway: Stop Kiss Outstanding New York Theater - Off Off Broadway: The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told Outstanding Newspaper Columnist: Frank Rich, the New York Times Outstanding Newspaper Overall Coverage: Casper Star Tribune Outstanding Television - Comedy Series: Will & Grace Outstanding Television - Drama Series: Chicago Hope Outstanding Television - Individual Episode: Tracey Takes OnŠ "Tracey Takes On Religion" Outstanding TV Journalism: 20/20, "Night of Terror: Matthew Shepard" Outstanding TV Movie or Mini-Series: Armistead Maupin's More Tales of the City (Showtime) Outstanding TV Talk Show: The View Awards for Outstanding Comic Book, Outstanding Music - Single, and Outstanding Newspaper Article will be presented specially at GLAAD's Leadership Awards in Kansas City on May 23. Awards for Outstanding Interactive Media and Outstanding LGBT Interactive Media will be presented at a special ceremony in the San Francisco Bay Area later this year. For more information on these awards ceremonies, please contact Nick Adams at (323) 658-6775 x12, or by e-mail at: adams@glaad.org . GLAAD is the nation's lesbian and gay media advocacy organization, with offices in Atlanta, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Washington, DC. GLAAD is dedicated to promoting fair, accurate and inclusive representations of individuals and events in the media as a means of challenging discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity. -30- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) glaad@glaad.org TO REPORT DEFAMATION IN THE MEDIA - Call GLAAD's Alertline at 1.800.GAY.MEDIA or go to the GLAAD Web Site at www.glaad.org and report through our Alertline Online. TO JOIN GLAAD AND RECEIVE GLAAD's QUARTERLY IMAGES MAGAZINE, call 1.800.GAY.MEDIA or join on the Web today at www.glaad.org/glaad/join/join-about.html TO SUBSCRIBE TO GLAAD-Net, GLAAD's electronic mailing list, send e-mail to majordomo@vector.casti.com with the message "Subscribe GLAAD-Net" (without the quotation marks). Make sure that you turn off all signatures and extraneous text. TO UNSUBSCRIBE, send e-mail to majordomo@vector.casti.com with the message "Unsubscribe GLAAD-Net" (without the quotation marks). Make sure that you turn off all signatures and extraneous text. The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is a national organization that promotes fair, accurate and inclusive representation of individuals and events in the media as a means of combating homophobia and challenging discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "GLAAD" and "Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation" are registered trademarks of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Inc.