Taylor Swift’s Surprise Shimmy (and 4 Other GLAAD Media Award Moments You Probably Won’t See on TV)
Ruby Rose and Taylor Swift (Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
The 27th annual GLAAD Media Awards presented by Ketel One Vodka took over the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills on Saturday night, celebrating television, film, music, and other media industries for their support and positive representations of the LGBT community.
The stars were definitely out in full force, including award winners Demi Lovato and Orange Is the New Black star Ruby Rose, along with Nick Jonas, Oscar winner Patricia Arquette, Paula Abdul, Queen Latifah, Caitlyn Jenner, and many others. But while you can catch the show on Logo on Monday at 10 p.m. ET/PT, there were some great moments that may not make it to the TV broadcast, so Yahoo Celebrity has compiled a few of them here for posterity. Sometimes, the best stuff happens when they cut to commercials!
Swift surprised everyone when she took the stage. (Photo: Michael Tran/FilmMagic)
Taylor Swift Gets Her (Surprise) Groove On
To the endless delight of host Ross Mathews — and everyone else in attendance — Taylor Swift made a surprise appearance to present actress and activist Ruby Rose with the Stephen F. Kolzak Award. Once everyone sat down after giving her a standing O (and put their phones down), Rose continued to do her best “Taylor Swift surprise face” impression as Swift gave her a glowing introduction. Rose “proves she is a force of nature,” said Swift. “She tells the world that no one can judge us and no one can stop us. She is a woman with many talents. She is my friend, Ruby Rose.” A video then rolled, outlining Rose’s accomplishments in the fight for LGBTQ equality and acceptance. It was as the video played that Swift turned pointedly toward Rose and did a little shimmy dance, with a mischievous grin on her face (the direct translation of which likely meant, “Nah nah nah, boo boo, I surprised you!”).
Demi Lovato and Nick Jonas (Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Demi Lovato’s Heated Silent Auction
Prior to the show’s start, a silent auction was held to raise funds for GLAAD, and the big-ticket item was a first-class trip to Beijing, complete with a seven-night stay at the Waldorf Astoria. Bidding started at around $13,000, with Demi Lovato offering the first bid — and things got heated when another audience member bid against her. For a moment, it looked like Lovato would take it at $21,000, but when her adversary outbid her, she good-naturedly muttered “B****!” and drove the bidding up by another $1,000. It was on — to the point where Lovato defiantly stood up, almost daring the other bidder to back down. In the end, they both won the trip and both donated $75,000 to GLAAD in the process.
Pal Nick Jonas later presented Lovato with the GLAAD Vanguard Award, given to those in the media who have made an impact in promoting equality and acceptance. “I always knew that if I made it as a singer I would need to use my voice for so much more than just singing,” Lovato said while receiving the honor. “This award means so much to me, more than any music award, because this is the real stuff."
Film director Lilly Wachowski (Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
The Crowd Goes Wild for Lilly Wachowski
One of the most buzzed-about moments of the night was the arrival of Matrix director Lilly Wachowski, who recently came out as transgender. Following in the footsteps of her sister Lana, Lilly announced that she was transgender after a Daily Mail reporter threatened to out her. Lilly’s attendance at the GLAAD Awards marked her first official public appearance, and it was one of the high points of the evening.
While making her way to the stage to accept the award for Outstanding Drama Series for Netflix’s Sense8, Wachowski received a standing ovation. Constant calls of “We love you, Lilly!” followed her as she walked through the crowd. Wachowski took it all in stride and focused on delivering a beautiful speech that included a little jab at the Daily Mail. “OK, first of all … ta-da,” she began before sarcastically thanking “the extremely sensitive and courteous people at the Daily Mail.” She continued, “The ideas of identity and transformation are critical components of our work. The bedrock that all ideas rest upon is love. Love is a crucial thing for transgender people. It’s a tether. For while our creativity can soar beyond seemingly immutable biological gender designations, when faced with the rather simple proposition of whether or not we are lovable, our imagination falters. Too many of us end up on the wrong side of the existential question of love in oblivion. And so we ring that bell, not for everyone else’s sake, but for our own.” She concluded her heartfelt speech with, “Now get out there and go love with all your f***ing might!”
Related: Stars Hit the Red Carpet at the 2016 GLAAD Media Awards
Caitlyn Jenner (Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Caitlyn Jenner Is Still the Belle of the Ball
In case you thought Caitlyn Mania has died down, it definitely hasn’t. Resplendent in red, Jenner, 66, was constantly besieged by selfie-seeking fans and celebrity well-wishers whenever there was a free moment during the show. For some, nabbing a Jenner selfie was the trophy of the night. “I can die happy now,” one guest could be heard telling another while proudly showing off the prized picture. Jenner later took the stage to accept the award for Outstanding Reality Series, an honor her show shared with the cast of TLC’s I Am Jazz, which follows transgender teen Jazz Jennings.
“I’m honored to share this award with Jazz,” Jenner said. “We have so many issues with trans youth — suicide rates and murder rates — and with your example, with your show, it gives these young people hope that they can survive those very difficult times as they grow up trying to figure out who they are.”
Lea Michele and Keke Palmer (Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
GLAAD Love Fest
Everyone was there to have a good time and support one another, and it showed. When Keke Palmer flubbed her teleprompter presentation, co-presenter and Scream Queens pal Lea Michele was on hand to help her out — and got an affectionate hug of thanks with a pat on the butt from Palmer when the lights went down. … Ruby Rose and Taylor Swift clung to each other as they disappeared backstage, after Rose gave an impassioned speech sharing how she transcended her outsider status. … Patricia Arquette hugged GLAAD President Sarah Kate Ellis as they commiserated on the latest wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation. … And during the video package highlighting Demi Lovato’s career before she accepted the Vanguard Award, a hearty congratulations from Kesha was met with a huge cheer of appreciation from the crowd … a cheer that was then dwarfed when an image of Jennifer Lopez was shown on the screen.
All in all, this year’s GLAAD Media Awards were an uproarious celebration of equality and acceptance, with an eye to moving forward and creating even more change for the LGBTQ community.
