Nominations for the 21st annual GLAAD Media Awards, honoring "fair, accurate and inclusive" portrayals of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community, have been announced. Among the honorees this year are the cast of the Broadway's Hair and Tony Award winner Cynthia Nixon.
The Hair tribe will receive special recognition for their commitment to raising awareness about the fight for marriage equality. Star Gavin Creel rallied the theater community by co-founding Broadway Impact in 2009 and the cast made several high-profile appearances for the cause, including the National Equality March in October.
Actress Nixon will receive the Vito Russo Award, which is presented annually to an openly gay media professional who made a "significant difference in promoting equal rights" for the LGBT community.
Five productions were nominated in the category of Outstanding New York Theater: Broadway & Off-Broadway. Geoffrey Nauffts' play Next Fall, which is moving to Broadway in February, was honored alongside A Boy and His Soul by Colman Domingo, The Brother/Sister Plays by Tarell Alvin McCraney, Soul Samurai by Qui Nguyen and The Tempermentals by Jon Marans, scheduled to reopen at off-Broadway's New World Stages next month.
Off-off Broadway productions are honored with their own category. Nominated this year are Abraham Lincoln's Big Gay Dance Party by Aaron Loeb, Devil Boys from Beyond by Buddy Thomas, The Lily's Revenge by Taylor Mac, She Likes Girls by Chisa Hutchinson and Wickets, created and conceived by Clove Galilee and Jenny Rogers, adapted from Fefu and Her Friends by Maria Irene Fornes.
In the category of Outstanding Los Angeles Theater, the musical 40 is the New 15, with book and lyrics by Larry Todd Johnson and music by Cindy O'Connor was nominated alongside plays Anita Bryant Died for Your Sins by Brian Christopher Wiliams, Battle Hymn by Jim Leonard, Bingo with the Indians by Adam Rapp and Lydia by Octavio Solis.
There are three coast-to-coast GLAAD media events honoring this year's nominees. Alan Cumming will host a New York ceremony on March 13, 2010, a Los Angeles event will follow on April 17 and Bruce Villanch will host on June 5 in San Francisco.