Sam Smith was honoured with their first GLAAD award on Thursday night (08.04.21).
The ‘Love Goes’ hitmaker accepted the Outstanding Music Artist award virtually from pop sensation Katy Perry at the annual GLAAD Media Awards, which celebrates LGBTQ+ representation across the world.
Thanking them for the accolade, Sam appeared via video link and said: “I watch these award shows every year, and it really means a lot to me to be getting this so thank you very much. Music has remained this constant force of unity throughout the world for people. And looking at this category tonight, of all of these albums, these are the albums that got me and got all of us through this year. So I just wanted to raise a cup of tea – having a tea party – for everyone in this category. I really hope that we can all be together and I can go to a GLAAD Awards someday and meet everyone.”
Introducing the ‘Too Good at Goodbyes’ hitmaker, Katy spoke of the importance of music during the pandemic.
She said: “Music helped us get through this very difficult time, when not much else did. I mean, our fabulous clothes just stayed on the hangers while we lived in sweats every single day. Some of us even went up a couple of sizes – I did, I also had a baby. [These nominees] bought hope, happiness, resilience, and even just plain old escapism to us.”
Elsewhere at the awards, Naya Rivera and her iconic ‘Glee’ character Santana Lopez was remembered by her fellow castmates including Demi Lovato, who played Naya’s girlfriend on the show.
Speaking about her late friend, Demi said: “I will always cherish the chance I got to play Naya’s girlfriend Dani on Glee. The character Naya played, Santana Lopez, was groundbreaking for closeted queer girls like I was at the time and her ambition and accomplishments inspired Latina women all over the world.”
An abridged list of winners at the GLAAD Media Awards 2021 are as follows:
Outstanding Music Artist – Sam Smith
Outstanding Documentary – ‘Disclosure’
Outstanding Comedy Series – ‘Schitt’s Creek’
Outstanding Drama Series – ‘Star Trek: Discovery’
Outstanding Film – Wide Release – ‘Happiest Season’
Outstanding Film – Limited Release – ‘The Boys in the Band’
Outstanding Reality Program – ‘We’re Here’
Outstanding Children’s Programming – ‘The Not-Too-Late Show’
