GALECA & GLAAD: Gay 'Best of the Year' Honors
Friday, January 31, 2014 at 7:38PM
NATHANIEL R in AHS, Blue is the Warmest Color, Dallas Buyers Club, GLAAD, James Franco, Jessica Lange, Kill Your Darlings, LGBT, Laverne Cox, Oscars (13), comic books

Though I complain about the proliferation of awards groups some of them serve more of a purpose than others, even if they're also lining up to honor the same things as every other group. Like AIDS related Best Picture nominee Dallas Buyers Club twhich some gay critics don't like at all and on principal but which factors into both of the gay-specific awards recently announced.

Now, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation has made really suspect endorsements over the years (Let us not speak of I Know Pronounce You Chuck & Larry) but they've also highlighted and fought against a very real problem so you have to respect their greasy wheel existence if not always their execution of message. 

As per usual, GLAAD will hold a bicoastal bifurcated awards ceremony, first in Los Angeles in April and then in New York in May, long after Oscar season is over. GLAAD's film (and other medium) nominees as well as the nominees and winners of GALECA (the Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association) are after the jump with commentary and in some cases links. It's always bugged me that when magazines, blogs, and web articles are nominated for prizes the nominations list rarely have an easy way to check out the nominees so I figure I'm doing a public service by including them. You're welcome. 

Kill Your Darlings honored by both groups

GLAAD

OUTSTANDING FILM – WIDE RELEASE

GLAAD apparently has a different definition of "wide" than almost anyone else. Blue is the Warmest Color never reached even 200 screens (the traditional definition of wide is at least thrice that amount) and Kill Your Darlings never even reached 100. I'm genuinely confused by this. Also, why did no one tell me that The Mortal Instruments was gay-related in some way? Please to explain.

OUTSTANDING FILM – LIMITED RELEASE

I regret to inform that I've only seen one of these pictures (Yossi) and did not like it. Concussion I shall seek out since I've only heard good things, particularly about Robin Weigert getting a big role. 

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES

Grey's Anatomy is still on?!? Is GLAAD on the ABC Family payroll? I can't feel charitable toward ABC Family shows because they cancelled Bunheads and that was just not right. I'm still not over it. 

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES

Glee is still on ?!? I'm kidding. I know it's still on. The more pertinent question is why is anyone giving it prizes at this point?

OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUAL EPISODE  (in a series without a regular LGBT character)

Drop Dead Diva is still on ?!? I cannot accept this list because no Southland episode appears and speaking of great shows with a gay character.

OUTSTANDING TV MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES

Why are there only two nominees?

OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY

Remember when Call Me Kuchu & God Loves Uganda were oft compared and vying for Oscar attention. Neither were nominated but they both hit with GLAAD.

OUTSTANDING REALITY PROGRAM

As a life long fan of Cyndi Lauper I have the credentials to tell you that her reality series is TERRIBLE. It made me like her a little less which is a feat nothing has ever accomplished. No, not the wrestling fanaticism. No, not the years of covers and greatest hits albums instead of making awesome new pop, no not anything. The title is "Still So Unusual" a reference to her classic solo debut "She's So Unusual" but if anything the show, makes her look just like every other celebrity. Maybe it's the format which is lazily generic, taking no risks and following every single formal and formulaic element of the the weirdly nonflexible reality genre in terms of editing, confessionals, and lack of actual content in favor of repetition, overexplaining, prefacing and then recapping. I swear most shows using this format (i.e. most of them) could be like 10 minutes long there's so little actual content. End rant.

OUTSTANDING TALK SHOW EPISODE

OUTSTANDING TV JOURNALISM – NEWSMAGAZINE

OUTSTANDING TV JOURNALISM SEGMENT

Methinks MSNBC is going to win something

OUTSTANDING NEWSPAPER ARTICLE

OUTSTANDING MAGAZINE ARTICLE

OUTSTANDING MAGAZINE OVERALL COVERAGE

OUTSTANDING DIGITAL JOURNALISM ARTICLE

OUTSTANDING DIGITAL JOURNALISM – MULTIMEDIA

OUTSTANDING BLOG

OUTSTANDING MUSIC ARTIST

Any preferences here? I ask because I am not well versed in music and am constantly willing to take other people's advice in this one artistic arena

OUTSTANDING COMIC BOOK


Though I don't follow comics closely and haven't for years I do occasionally notice news stories about them. The first Wiccan/Hulkling kiss happened in 2012 but the teen superheroes are still a couple (last I heard) which accounts for The Young Avengers nomination in this category. Sadly, though comics have long since gone there, it's hard to imagine a superhero movie featuring gay heroes. Over at DC, a few months back in September the writers of Batwoman quit over objections to the company's objections to storylines (see J.H. Williams blog) they were trying to see out - one, specifically, was a wedding for Batwoman who is an out lesbian so this nomination probably feels like a nice post script.

GALECA

I happened to be travelling when The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association (of which, full disclosure, both Glenn and I are members) announced their nominees and then their winners but it went down and that was two weeks ago but if you haven't yet heard, here are the nominees (a few nice surprises) and winners (the usual)

Film of the Year
American Hustle
Blue is the Warmest Color
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity
Her
Laurence Anyways
12 Years a Slave - *winner*

Film Performance of the Year - Actor
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street 
Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave 
James Franco, Spring Breakers
Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club 
Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club  - *winner*

Film Performance of the Year - Actress
Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine  - *winner*
Sandra Bullock, Gravity 
Judi Dench, Philomena 
Adele Exarchopoulos, Blue is the Warmest Color
Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave 

Blue is the Warmest Color won two awards

LGBT Film of the Year
Blue is the Warmest Color  - *winner*
Dallas Buyers Club
Kill Your Darlings 
Laurence Anyways
Philomena

Foreign Language Film of the Year
Blue is the Warmest Color - * winner* 
The Great Beauty 
The Hunt 
I'm So Excited!
Laurence Anyways
Out in the Dark

Documentary of the Year
The Act of Killing 
Blackfish 
Bridegroom - *winner*
I Am Divine 
20 Feet from Stardom 

Campy Flick of the Year
August: Osage County
The Canyons
Carrie 
The Great Gatsby 
I'm So Excited!  - *winner*

I was horrified that the by-all-accounts misbegotten remake of Carrie was honored in any way. But I haven't seen it so I suppose I should keep my mouth shut. Also: August could have probably used more camp. 

Unsung Film of the Year
Frances Ha
In A World . . .
Kill Your Darlings - *winner (tie)*
Short Term 12 -*winner (tie)*
The Spectacular Now 

Visually Striking Film of the Year
Frozen
Gravity - *winner*
Inside Llewyn Davis 
Laurence Anyways 
The Great Gatsby 


TV Drama of the Year
American Horror Story: Coven 
Behind the Candelabra  - *winner* 
Breaking Bad 
Mad Men 
Orange is the New Black 

TV Comedy of the Year
The Big Bang Theory 
Getting On 
Girls  - *winner*
Ja'mie: Private School Girl 
Modern Family 
Veep

TV Performance of the Year - Actor
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Michael Douglas, Behind the Candelabra - *winner* 
Jon Hamm, Mad Men 
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory 
Kevin Spacey, House of Cards 

 

 

TV Performance of the Year - Actress
Vera Farmiga, Bates Motel 
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Coven - *winner*
Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black 
Taylor Schilling, Orange is the New Black 
Kerry Washington, Scandal 
Robin Wright, House of Cards

If you had told people in the mid 1990s when Jessica Lange's film career was petering out that she was going to a major gay icon in the 21st century I don't think many people would have believed you. 

TV Musical Performance of the Year
Shirley Bassey, "Goldfinger," 82nd Academy Awards - *winner* 
Neil Patrick Harris, "Bigger," 67th Annual Tony Awards 
Jane Krakowski, "Theme from Rural Juror," 30 Rock 
Jessica Lange and cast, "The Name Game," American Horror Story: Asylum 
Lea Michele, "To Make You Feel My Love," Glee

I have to say I was SOOOO angry that Megan Hilty or Bernadette Peters weren't honored here for "Smash"

LGBT TV Show of the Year
Behind the Candelabra 
Bridegroom  - *winner* 
Modern Family
Orange is the New Black
RuPaul's Drag Race 

I'm confused how Bridegroom can win both a TV and Film prize? Fishy! I really thought that Orange is the New Black had this in the bag. 

I feel so ashamed that I never really wrote about Coven. Just that one time. (sigh)

Campy TV Show of the Year
American Horror Story: Coven - *winner* 
Behind the Candelabra 
House of Versace 
Sharknado 
Smash 

Unsung TV Show of the Year
Broadchurch 
The Carrie Diaries 
Cougar Town 
Getting On - *winner* 
Mom 
Orphan Black

I voted for the winner here but color me shocked that it prevailed. I thought for sure it'd be something else. 

The We're Wilde About You
Adele Exarchopoulos
Dane DeHaan
Laverne Cox - *winner*
Lupita Nyong’o
Tatiana Maslany

Wilde Wit of the Year
Rachel Maddow - *winner*
Bill Maher
Kate McKinnon
Dan Savage
Amy Schumer

I was sad that more people didn't Consider His Shit... but at least Franco got a couple prizes for Spring Breakers

Wilde Artist of the Year
Alfonso Cuaron
Xavier Dolan
James Franco - *winner* 
Spike Jonze
Steve McQueen

Timeless Award
Lily Tomlin

GALECA does not host an awards show but instead holds a toast in LA each year for the winners.

That's a lotta list. Go forth and gay it up. 

Article originally appeared on The Film Experience (http://thefilmexperience.net/).
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