Dorian "Timeless" Award Winner George Takei
The January 2015 ceremony of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's Golden Globe Awards by all accounts was more serious, less, well, fun. As someone who has attended many years as a member of the press I can tell you, some celebrities use (or used) the Globes as a serious way to party with friends old and new; in other words, they drank. And when a group of creatives drink, well, it can get fun. And that was, and could be again, the beauty of the Globes; unpredictable celebrity antics. After all, they are voted on by 88 members (according to The Week) , for perspective The Motion Picture Academy has over 6000 members, The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences 18,000 members and Screen Actors Guild, of which I am a member, 165,000 members.
I am also a member of GALECA, the Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association. In it's short life it already has more members than the Hollywood Foreign Press and its annual awards, the Dorian, are just simply more fun. Over the 25 categories there's the usual best film or TV show, as well as LBGT-focused ones; but there's also Campiest Film of the Year, The Wilde Wit of the Year (after Oscar, of course) and others.
"I started this organization to show that members of the press who are LGBT are interested in mainstream film and TV and also have something to bring to the table from the world of LGBT entertainment," GALECA founder and US Weekly TV Critic John Griffiths told me on the recent Karel Cast. "Our rewards reflect overlap with many other awards which show our common interests but then, we get to have a little fun being the Dorians," he added.
Each year Griffiths and GALECA Board Members poll all GALECA members for their top suggestions in each of the 25 categories. They glean through those to get the nominees from the top vote getters and then send out a final ballot to the 110-plus members of GALECA, myself included. This year more than 90 voted, more than the Golden Globes.
From "Pride"
"Boyhood" took Film of the Year but this being the Dorian Awards "In To The Woods" got a Picture of the Year as well, for Camp Movie of the Year. Ava DuVernay was recognized by the LGBT members of GALECA as Director of the Year for her work on the civil rights film "Selma" having been snubbed by this year's Academy Awards. "Pride" won Unsung Film of the Year as well as "LGBTQ Film of the Year. This completely charming and based-in-fact story of miners and and the LGBT community joining ranks against the common enemy of Maggie Thatcher's England should be in the ranks at the Academy at well and it's a shame it isn't. "Transparent" won for "LGBTQ TV Comedy Show" and it's star Jeffrey Tambor as well. It's safe to say streams on Amazon have skyrocket and rightfully so and as President Barack Obama recognized the transgendered community in his January 20th, 2015 State of the Union it's clear to see a rising tide of visibility and acceptance in a long marginalized community.
A complete list of Dorian Award winners appears below. To find out more about GALECA go to their website. There is a toast where members and winners are encouraged to attend and it grows each year. Move over Globes, the gays know how to party with Hollywood in case you've forgotten and the Dorian Awards are putting the fun back in the season. The toast could easily become the hottest ticket in town.
Film of the Year
Boyhood, director Richard Linklater
Film Performance of the Year - Actress
Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything
Film Performance of the Year - Actress
Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Film Director of the Year
Ava DuVernay, Selma
LGBTQ Film of the Year
Pride
Foreign Language Film of the Year
Mommy, director Xavier Dolan
Unsung Film of the Year
Pride
Documentary of the Year (theatrical release, TV airing, or DVD release)
The Case Against 8 - HBO
Visually Striking Film of the Year (honoring a production of stunning beauty, from art direction to cinematography)
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Campy Flick of the Year
Into the Woods
TV Drama of the Year
The Normal Heart - HBO
TV Comedy of the Year
Transparent - Amazon
TV Director of the Year
Jill Soloway, Transparent
TV Performance of the Year - Actor
Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent
TV Performance of the Year - Actress
Lisa Kudrow, The Comeback
TV Musical Performance of the Year
Neil Patrick Harris, "Sugar Daddy," The Tony Awards
LGBTQ TV Show of the Year
Transparent
Unsung TV Show of the Year
Getting On - HBO
TV Current Affairs Show of the Year
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Campy TV Show of the Year
Jane the Virgin
Music Video of the Year
Sia, "Chandelier"
The "We're Wilde About You!" Rising Star Award
Gina Rodriguez, Jane the Virgin
Wilde Wit of the Year (honoring a performer, writer or commentator whose observations both challenge and amuse)
John Oliver
Wilde Artist of the Year (honoring a truly groundbreaking force in the fields of film, theater, and/or television)
Jill Soloway
Timeless Award
George Takei
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