Tag Archives: Award Season

Bafta Film Awards: ‘Carol’ And ‘The Danish Girl’ Lead This Year’s Nominations

Great news, Cate Blanchett is up for Best Actress for her critically-acclaimed role in lesbian love story Carol – pitting her against Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl), Saoirse Ronan and Brie Larson – at this year’s Baftas.

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Also nominated is Dame Maggie Smith, nominated for her role in the excellent The Lady In The Van – written by prestigious gay playwright Alan Bennett.

Carol – which is up for a total of nine gongs – is also nominated for Best Film, alongside Bridge of Spies, The Big Short, The Revenant and Spotlight.

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Another queer movie making waves is The Danish Girl, with Eddie Redmayne aiming for a Bafta double after being nominated for Best Actor – twelve months after winning the same prize for The Theory of Everything.

The Danish Girl – in which Redmayne plays transgender pioneer Lili Elbe – is also named for Outstanding British Film.  Vikander – who has won universal praise for her role as Gerda Wegener in the biopic – is also nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in sci-fi thriller Ex Machina.

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She faces Kate Winslet – who recently took part in a stunning androgynous photo shoot – nominated for her role in Steve Jobs.

Ellen DeGeneres Honored For Humanitarian Work By People’s Choice Awards

It’s been announced today that Ellen DeGeneres will be presented with the fourth annual People’s Choice Award for Favorite Humanitarian.

She, of course, couldn’t resist joking about it.

I am so honored to be receiving the People’s Choice Humanitarian Award. I think it sums me up perfectly as I am both a human and an itarian.”

She was chosen in recognition of her efforts to help communities in need and bring awareness to organizations and charities that are making a difference in people’s lives.

DeGeneres is already a 15-time People’s Choice Awards winner and a nominee again in 2016 for Favorite Talk Show Host.

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Should she win in the talk show host category, DeGeneres will be tied for the most People’s Choice Award wins in the 42 year history of the awards show.

Ellen DeGeneres to Present Scandal’s Kerry Washington with GLAAD Award

Scandal star Kerry Washington will be honored with the Vanguard Award, at the 26th Annual GLAAD Media Awards, and talk show host Ellen Degeneres, will be present it to her. Ellen has also received the same honor at the 9th GLAAD Media Awards ceremony, and has been nominated for 12 GLAAD Media Awards total.

Washington is big-time LGBT ally. Not, only does she work on the LGBT-inclusive show, Scandal, she has always supported LGBT equality, participating in GLAAD’s annual anti-bullying campaign, Spirit Day, by wearing purple to show her support for LGBT youth. She has also talked about the importance of stopping bullying on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Washington has also spoken out against the repression of LGBT people in Russia and Africa, and advocated for marriage equality for same-sex couples.

In 2009 Washington was also appointed by President Barrack Obama to the President’s Committee of the Arts and Humanities, and in 2014 Washington was named on Time’s 100 Most Influential People list.

“Throughout her illustrious career, Kerry Washington has consistently brought life to characters that encourage acceptance of LGBT people. Her outspoken support for equality, both her at home and abroad, has sent messages of hope and empowerment to fans all over the world, fostering dialogue that builds understanding and helps move hearts and minds.”

Sarah Kate Ellis, GLAAD President and CEO

When It Pays To Be A Lesbian At The Oscars

Crazy as it seems, but historically a heterosexual, cisgender, actress playing a lesbian or bi women in compelling biopic had the potential to get her into the field of Oscar nominees. That’s not us devaluing the films or acting though, just merely an observation. So, seeing the Oscars are now done and dusted, we took a chance to look back at Oscar’s historic lesbian / bi movies.

Monster – Charlize Theron

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Monster is an epic drama about serial killer Aileen Wuornos, a former prostitute who was executed in 2002 for killing six men. Wuornos was played by Charlize Theron, and her lesbian lover, Selby Wall, was played by Christina Ricci.

Theron won many awards for her portrayal, including the Academy Award for Best Actress.

The Hours – Nicole Kidman

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The film is about how the book Mrs. Dalloway affects three generations of women, all of whom, in one way or another, have had to deal with suicide in their lives. The film starred Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep, and Julianne Moore, with Kidman playing Virginia Woolf, who although married, had a sexual relationship with acclaimed writer Vita Sackville-West.

The Hours received nine Academy Award nominations including best picture, and Nicole Kidman won an Oscar for Best Actress.

Boys Don’t Cry – Hilary Swank

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Boys Don’t Cry is the dramatization Brandon Teena life, a transgender man played by Hilary Swank, who pursues a relationship with a young woman, played by Chloë Sevigny. Directed by Kimberly Peirce and co-written by Andy Bienen, the picture explored the themes of freedom, courage, identity and empowerment. Both Hilary Swank and Chloë Sevigny went on to be nominated for Oscars, with Hilary winning her first Best Actress Oscar for the role.

Vicky Christina Barcelona – Penélope Cruz

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Penélope Cruz gained a Best Supporting Actress award for her turn in Woody Allen’s Vicky Christina Barcelona in 2008. In the movie, Cruz’s character enters a polyamorous relationship with Scarlett Johansson and Javier Bardem.

Mulholland Drive – David Lynch

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Mulholland Drive is a psychological thriller written and directed by David Lynch, and stars Naomi Watts and Laura Elena Harring. The surrealist film was highly acclaimed by many critics and earned Lynch the Prix de la mise en scène (Best Director Award) at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival as well as an Oscar nomination for Best Director.

Why we mention this movie, well Mulholland Drive launched the careers of Watts (who went on to be nominated twice for oscars) and Harring.

See it pays to play gay…

Patricia Arquette’s Oscars Acceptance Speech Causes Backlash

Patricia Arquette, who won the Best Supporting Actress award at last night’s Oscars, is feeling the heat this morning. The Boyhood actress, who received a standing ovation from fellow nominee Meryl Streep as she called for equality for women, didn’t get the same reaction from fans on Twitter.

Backstage she went on to elaborate further on her comments, arguing that it’s time people of colour and the LGBTI community to fight for women’s rights, like women have fought for theirs.

“It is time for women – equal means equal. And the truth is, the older women get, the less money they make. The more children… the highest percentage of children living in poverty are female-headed households.

And it’s inexcusable that we go around the world and we talk about equal rights for women in other countries and we don’t… one of those Superior Court justices said two years ago in a law speech at a university ‘We don’t have equal rights for women in America and we don’t because when they wrote the Constitution, they didn’t intend it for women’.

So the truth is, even though we sort of feel like we have equal rights in America, right under the surface, there are huge issues that are applied that really do affect women. And it’s time for all the women in America and all the men that love women, and all the gay people, and all the people of colour that we’ve all fought for to fight for us now.”

Patricia Arquette

The reason for the criticism, is that many believe she ignored the unique struggles of women who are from ethnic minorities and LGBT with her comments, especially when she then went on to ask for gay people and people of colour to join the fight.

What she failed to recognise is this is a battle many are already facing, but I guess she did bring the debate to table and shine a massive spotlight on something that needs to be said.

Women still get the rough deal, be they gay, bi, ethnic, mothers, grandmothers, daughters… young or old. It is still a tough society to live in, and as a collective we all need to fight as one. Its hard to make changes as individuals, but unified we can do anything.

 

Kristen Stewart Wins a César Award, France’s Version of the Oscar

On Friday, Kristen Stewart won a supporting-actress César for her work in Cloud of Sils Maria, making her the first American actress to ever take home France’s most coveted acting award.

In the drama from writer/director Olivier Assayas, Stewart plays a personal assistant to an aging film actress (Juliette Binoche) who is looking to make a career comeback.

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Accepting the prize, Stewart  said “OK. Here we go. I can’t even move my hands,” she said in English as she unfolded a piece of paper. “Je suis désolée, je ne parle pas Fren — uh, français, mais je promets de travailler — something like that”. Translation: “I am sorry I do not speak French, but I promise to work at it”.

Stewart gave the rest of her speech in English, where she was keen to praise her co-star – “Juliette, thank you, thank you, thank you. I’m standing in front of a room where I do not have to explain the power of Juliette”.

Stewart told journalists backstage,

“The reasons why people make films here in France are very different from the reasons why people make movies in Hollywood and I prefer it here a little bit.” According to the outlet, “she also revealed she will star in another French film but declined to reveal any further details.”

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There also was recognition for another American actor, Sean Penn, who was in attendance with Charlize Theron.

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Oscar Talk | Graham Moore Takes Home Only Oscar For ‘The Imitation Game’

The Imitation Game screenwriter Graham Moore has won the Academy Award for best adapted screenplay.

Moore took the stage, and thanked his collaborators on The Imitation Game, then opened up about his life; mentioning his attempted suicide as a youth and giving a message of hope to teens out there now.

“When was was 16 years old I tried to kill myself because I felt weird and I felt different and I felt like I did not belong. And now, I’m standing here.

And so I would like this moment to be for that kid out there who feels like she’s weird or she’s different and she doesn’t fit in anywhere. Yes, you do. Stay weird and stay different.”

Graham Moore

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGF8bzeRwcw

The Imitation Game screenplay is based on the biography Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges, which tells the story of Alan Turing, the father of modern computing, who cracked impossible German codes in World War II and helped end the war, only for Turning to later be criminally prosecuted for his homosexuality.

Best adapted screenplay was one of the most fiercely competitive categories at this year’s ceremony – The Theory of Everything writer Anthony McCarten and Whiplash writer/director Damien Chazelle were also considered frontrunners.

Oscar Talk | The Best Tweets, GIFS and Memes Of The Night

John Travolta creeping out all…

Lady Gaga does the Sound of Music

Meryl Streep and JLo reaction. “YES! YES! YES!” Mic drop.

Scarlett Johansson new hair style… HOT!

What the ladies were really expecting when Channing Tatum hit the stage…

Matthew McConaughey’s beard

Oscar Talk | Tegan and Sara Rock All Black At The Oscars

We really loved the look Tegan and Sara opted for at last nights Oscars. The rock duo went for an all black matching ensembles for the red carpet: one a black tuxedo suit and the other a chic black dress, respectively. Perfectly complementary. 

87th Annual Academy Awards - Arrivals

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Twin sisters, Tegan and Sara, were at the oscars to perform the song Everything Is Awesome, from The Lego Movie. The song was one of five tunes nominated for the Best Original Song award – and they pulled off a fantastic spot, lightening the mood and making the audience smile, with Andy Samberg’s comedy-music troupe The Lonely Island. Dancers even handed out Lego Oscars to Oprah, Steve Carell and other stars – an epic Oscars collaboration that will make the history books.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlUIYw6RbXU

 

Oscar Talk | Patricia Arquette – Its Time For Women’s Rights

Patricia Arquette last night picked up the first Academy Award for supporting actress in Richard Linklater’s coming-of-age story, Boyhood.

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Arquette, who plays the mother of Ellar Coltrane’s Mason in the film, which deals in real world emotions about what it means to go through life and be a women.

In her acceptance speech, Arquette dedicated her Oscar to American women, and ended with a powerful call to action.

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“To every woman who gave birth to every citizen and taxpayer of this nation, we have fought for everybody else’s equal rights. It’s our time to have wage equality once and for all and equal rights for women in the United States of America.”

Patricia Arquette

And with that she brought Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lopez to their feet, and Twitter exploded with support.

Meryl Streep: “YES! YES! YES!” Mic drop.

In Boyhood, Patricia plays the mother to the main character, and throughout the nearly three-hour film, the audience sees her withstand the tribulations of single motherhood, divorce and domestic abuse.

Her role is touching, funny and without question worthy of the Oscar that it just garnered

Arquette, who also won the Golden Globe in the same category, beat out Laura Dern, Keira Knightley, Emma Stone and Meryl Streep, who has been nominated for an Academy Award a record 19 times.

Oscar Talk | Neil Patrick Harris Calls Out Hollywood’s Diversity Problem

Neil Patrick Harris, made sure to open the Academy Award show with a bang, and well timed joke about Hollywood’s overwhelming diversity problem.

Well, he did say he wanted to outdo Ellen DeGeneres’ epic Oscars selfie, and he may have done that in the first 8 seconds of the show.

The audience looked on in shock as he joked:

“Welcome to the 87th Oscars. Tonight we honor Hollywood’s best and whitest — sorry, brightest.”

Neil Patrick Harris

The actor’s shot at the Academy should really come no surprise. The hashtag #OscarsSoWhite began trending on Twitter shortly after the nominees were announced back in January, and  judging by the reaction on Twitter last night, plenty of others thought he was right to call out this year’s Academy Awards.

The rest of his opening show, involved an epic sing-a-long with Anna Kendrick and Jack Black, which was a heartfelt musical ode to Hollywood, with NPH inserting himself digitally on stage into movies like The Wizard of Oz, Star Wars and Ghost.

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Awesome, Tegan and Sara To Perform At The Oscars

Its been announced that Tegan and Sara will be taking the stage at the Oscars. The duo has been added to the long list of performers, to sing hit song Everything Is Awesome, which is featured in The Lego Movie.

Although The Lego Movie may have been snubbed at the Oscars in the Best Animated Feature category, it did nab a Best Original Song nomination for the song, which was written by Shawn Patterson.

The awards show producers have now announced that the song will be performed live at the Academy Awards by The Lonely Island and Tegan & Sara, who performed the song for the end credits of the movie. The Lonely Island confirmed that they would be playing the song live via their Twitter.

The 87th annual Academy Awards will be held Sunday, February 22 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles.

Lea DeLaria | Best Dressed Butch And Winner At The SAG Awards

At this Sunday’s SAG Awards, the OITNB team took home the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, but what was so great about this award is the fact the team emphasize the importance of diversity on-screen.

DeLaria is a s diverse as they get on the hollywood scene, but that is why we love her. Especially the way she represents our community.

Always stunning in suit, with her beautiful girlfriend by her side, DeLaria does not shy her queerness from the camera.

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She is open and frank about who she is, and projects this with such confidence that we can’t help but smile.

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In a past interview with the UK paper the Independent, she said about her style

“There is a ceiling that allows you to be a certain kind of gay. I’m not a lapdog cut person and I won’t tow the party line. People don’t want you to rock the boat. Even the modern queer movement have a problem with that. When you look like me, you want to act in a certain way.

There are two types of lesbians or dykes – the type that go to the Emmys wearing a tuxedo but don’t wear the bow tie, and those that do – the unapologetically butch.”

Lea DeLaria

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“Being butch is still a dirty little secret, but it’s how some of us are. We can’t forget where we came from. We need to put a positive face on it and it all comes from this international homophobia, that are only certain things are good; that you can’t be that type of lesbian.

It’s important for me to communicate that there’s nothing bad about being gay.”

Lea DeLaria

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Post by Lea DeLaria.

Award Season And ‘Orange is the New Black’ Ladies Come Out To Win At The Screen Actors Guild Awards

Television and movie stars walked the red carpet at Sunday night’s Screen Actors Guild Awards in LA, but like always it was the ladies of Litchfield who stole the show.

Season three of Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black will be with us this summer, and then there is the new addition of Ruby Rose set to cause the a stir, however to keeps us all going the cast and crew were out in force at the latest Award show.

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It was a great night for Netflix, as it cemented itself as a major player, with OITNB picking up it first Screen Actors Guild prizes.

Uzo Aduba was named Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series for her role as Suzanne, aka Crazy Eyes. The actress couldn’t hold back her tears in her acceptance speech, thanking her costars and those who have supported her.

“Oh my God. I really, truly do not know what to say, I just wanna say thank you so much to the Screen Actors Guild for this incredible honor. I want to thank Jenji Kohan for writing a show like this and putting something like this on television, not just for myself but for our incredible team of actors to be seen in such a beautiful way.”

Uzo Aduba

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIB7p0bJqdw

Uzo with winning, as Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series also went to the entire cast meaning everyone was a winner.

 

 

Out TV Star Jane Lynch Picks up a Second #Emmy

Out TV star Jane Lynch has picked up a second Emmy award hosting NBC’s Hollywood Game Night. Best known for her role as Sue Sylvester on Glee, Lynch won the Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality-Competition Program award, for celebrity gameshow Hollywood Game Night.

At last Saturday night’s Creative Arts Emmy awards, she paid tribute to the show’s executive producer – Sean Hayes, who played Jack on Will & Grace, she said:

“Thank you for taking your crazy party and pitching it to NBC… thank you NBC for taking the bait. I hope we’ll do more. I’m tickled pink, actually.” Jane Lynch

Lynch won her first Emmy – for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – in 2010 for her Glee role, and hosted the awards ceremony in 2011.

Also at the awards, actress Uzo Aduba picked up an Emmy for playing lesbian Orange is the New Black character Suzanne Warren, known as Crazy Eyes. She beat out transgender co-star Laverne Cox to take home the award, presented to her by actor Morgan Freeman.