Friday, November 20, 2020

15th Annual Outfest Legacy Awards Announces Drive in Gala & Streaming Event in Partnership With Out100


Every year, Outfest and the community join forces to honor the bold, courageous, and creative storytellers of the year at the annual Outfest Legacy Awards, sponsored by Cadillac, Pride Media, and Amazon. In a year unlike any other, Outfest will continue to honor Hollywood’s finest making their mark in LGBTQIA+ film and television with the first drive-in Legacy Awards Gala, hosted at the breathtaking Calamigos Ranch on Saturday, November 21. The evening will feature a streamed Legacy Awards presentation that will also live on Pride Media's family of channels (OutMagazine, Advocate, and YouTube) as well as Outfest social channels and Outfest Now, which will champion the creative and diverse voices of the global LGBTQIA+ community. Proceeds from the event benefit Outfest’s advocacy, education, and development programs year-round on behalf of the LGBTQIA+ community and its artists through Outfest Now, Outfest Forward, and Outfest UCLA Legacy Project.

This year’s Outfest Legacy Awards will honor DreamWorks Animation with the Guardian Award for transforming the landscape of LGBTQIA+ representation in animation with shows like “She-Ra and the Princesses of Power” and “Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts” and Joe Mantello (“Boys in the Band”, “Love! Valor! Compassion!”) with this year’s new Terrence McNally Award, in honor of the acclaimed American playwright who passed earlier this year due to complications from COVID-19. The show will be hosted by BenDeLaCreme and Jinkx Monsoon, who will also do a live performance.

“We could not be more excited to see how our industry has continued to come together to support the diversity of our programs in such an unprecedented way. It really is taking a village to help Outfest weather these uncharted territories. Outfest continues to use this moment to reflect on the businesses and individuals in entertainment that are in most need of a spotlight. Animation, live-stage, music, television and film are now peppered with a cross-section of stories who are using these mediums to even further expand LGBTQIA+ stories into uncharted territories,” remarked Damien S. Navarro, Outfest’s Executive Director.

“As we purpose to never stop arriving, Cadillac is honored to continue supporting the Outfest Legacy Awards and its mission of celebrating trailblazing LGBTQ+ filmmakers from around the globe,” said Alexis Kerr, head of multicultural marketing, Cadillac. “These bold and courageous community champions use their powerful voices to influence our society and culture for future generations.”

Pride Media’s Out magazine is thrilled to release the 2020 Out100. The list remains the largest annual portfolio recognizing members of the LGBTQ+ for their ground-breaking, ripple-inducing, and culture-shifting impact nationwide. The coveted and anticipated Out100 issue features four covers including trailblazing actor Wilson Cruz, activist and BLM organizer Janaya Khan, actor and director Joe Mantello, and artist and icon Janelle Monáe. Each honoree represents not just the past but also the future. Leading into 2021, the LGBTQ+ community as a whole will undoubtedly reap the benefits of their accomplishments. This year might have brought an onslaught of challenges, but it also welcomed new opportunities to reflect about what matters to the LGBTQ+ community and what lies ahead in the fight for equality and justice. Now more than ever, it’s vital to recognize the powerful voices leading the charge and sounding off the new vanguard of queer leaders. In a year of Pride celebrated at home instead of in the streets, community support from company partners like Lexus, Citi, Gilead, McDonald’s USA, Truly Hard Seltzer, and Stoli® Group USA, LLC has never been more important or helpful in amplifying these powerful Out100 voices moving the LGBTQ+ community forward.