Cynthia Erivo to Receive GLAAD Media Award for Promoting LGBTQ+ Visibility
After defying gravity in 2024’s Wicked, Cynthia Erivo has raked in plenty of nominations during the 2025 awards season. Now, she’s add at least one trophy to her collection.
On Wednesday (Feb. 12), LGBTQ+ advocacy group GLAAD announced that Erivo would be the recipient of its annual Stephen F. Kolzak prize at the 2025 GLAAD Media Awards. Presented each year to a queer celebrity who “made a significant difference in raising visibility and promoting acceptance of LGBTQ people and issues” the year prior, the award will be presented to Erivo at the organization’s Los Angeles ceremony on March 27.
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Erivo, who is nominated for best actress in a leading role at the upcoming Academy Awards for her portrayal of Elphaba, came out publicly as queer in a 2022 interview with British Vogue, explaining that she wanted to help any other up-and-coming actors weighing whether or not to come out. “Some young Black queer actress somewhere will know coming in that she’s not alone,” she said at the time. “I could feel myself actively hiding that part of myself and it didn’t feel good. That takes a lot of energy to uphold and there is zero return.”
In a statement shared with the news, GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis applauded Erivo’s work in pushing forward narratives around intersectionality in the entertainment industry. “Her legacy is defined not by her numerous accolades and honors but by how with each new platform and milestone, she continues to show up for Black, queer and other marginalized peoples amid her well-deserved success,” she wrote. “As she continues to shatter glass ceilings, I am certain her commitment to showing up as the intersectional and authentic person she is will never falter, and it is a privilege to present her with the Stephen F. Kolzak Award at this year’s GLAAD Media Awards.”
Erivo won’t be the only musician receiving a GLAAD award in 2025 — fellow LGBTQ+ artists including Billie Eilish, Doechii, Elton John, Adam Lambert and Omar Apollo were announced as nominees in the show’s music categories in January.
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