4 Jewish Things About the GLAAD Awards
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The GLAAD Awards nominees are here and the Jews have a strong presence in the television and music categories. Here are four things you need to know about the 27th edition of the awards, which recognizes LGBT representations in the media.
In the Outstanding Music Artist category, the multitalented Australian Troye Sivan is nominated. Sivan, 20, is a musician, actor and YouTube star. He is openly gay and came out on YouTube in 2013 exactly three years after he came out to his family. Sivan played the young James Howlett in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. He released his debut studio album “Blue Neighborhood” in December 2015 receiving rave reviews from music critics. Sivan was raised Jewish. On his Tumblr he replied to a question about his religion and said, “I’m born of a Jewish (converted, but Jewish) mother, so i’m as jewish as it gets. As for how RELIGIOUS i am, my family isnt very religious, but we are quite traditional, doing all the big chags (jewish holidays) and Friday night Shabbos dinners.”
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Another member of the Tribe member in the Outstanding Music Artist category is Adam Lambert of American Idol fame. Lambert was the runner-up in the eighth season of the TV competition, but that didn’t hurt his career. He’s recorded three albums since then and toured with Roger Taylor and Brian May of Queen. This is not Lambert’s first time on the GLAAD block, he won in the same category in 2010 and won the prestigious Davison/Valenti Award in 2013 for making a significant difference in the LGBT community. Lambert’s mother is Jewish and he was raised as a Jew in San Diego, California.
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Continuing its awards sweep, last year’s Outstanding Comedy Series winner “Transparent” is nominated again. The Golden Globe and Emmy winning drama depicts the story of a family discovering their father is transgender. Tambor plays Maura, formerly Mort, a divorced, Jewish, father of three. Tambor is the first actor to win an Emmy for playing a transgender character and in his acceptance speech he thanked the transgender community.
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The hilarious police sitcom “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”, starring your dream Jewish boyfriend Andy Samberg, is nominated in the Outstanding Comedy Series category. The show’s character Captain Ray Holt, played by Andre Braugher, is the openly gay no-nonsense boss to Samberg’s character Jake Peralta. The show was nominated in the same category in 2014 but lost to Orange is the New Black. Samberg was raised Jewish and stars in and produces the show.
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