Cynthia Erivo is wicked good, and GLAAD knows it.
The advocacy group said Wednesday that the Wicked star will receive its Stephen F. Kolzak Award, which is presented to a LGBTQ media professional who has made a significant difference in raising visibility and promoting acceptance of LGBTQ people and issues. The singer, actor and force for equity and inclusion will be lauded at the 36th annual GLAAD Media Awards on March 27 in Los Angeles.
Erivo’s much-honored career includes a Tony, Grammy and Daytime Emmy for 2016’s The Color Purple to go with a Primetime Emmy nomination and three Oscar noms. She is vying again in this year’s stacked Best Actress Oscar race for Wicked, and reprises her Elphaba role in the upcoming bookender Wicked: For Good, which hits theaters November 21.
Wicked also is nominated for Outstanding Film – Wide Theatrical Release at next month’s GLAAD Media Awards.
Erivo earned a pair of Oscar noms — Best Actress and Original Song (“Stand Up”) — for 2019’s Harriet, in which she played Underground Railroad engineer Harriet Tubman. Her film credits also include Pinocchio (2022), Chaos Walking, Bad Times at the El Royale and Widows, along with the upcoming Carrier and Children of Blood and Bone.
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She starred at Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin in Genius, and her dozens of TV credits include The Outsider, Broad City and voice roles in Star Wars: Visions, Carrier and others. Erivo also has recorded numerous podcasts.
“From an outspoken ally to a trailblazing member of the community, Cynthia Erivo’s one-of-a-kind voice has been an integral part of accelerating acceptance for LGBTQ people since she came on the scene over a decade ago,” GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement. “Her legacy is defined not by her numerous accolades and honors but by how with each new platform and milestone, she continues to show up for Black, queer, and other marginalized peoples amid her well-deserved success.”
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