“Wicked” star Cynthia Erivo will be honored with the Stephen F. Kolzak Award at the 36th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles next month, the organization announced Wednesday.
The award recognizes LGBTQ media professionals who have significantly contributed to visibility and acceptance. It is named after a Los Angeles casting director who fought against homophobia and HIV stigma in the entertainment industry, organizers said.
Past honorees have included Niecy Nash-Betts, Jeremy Pope, Laverne Cox, Wanda Sykes and Ellen DeGeneres.
“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.”
Erivo, 38, stars as Elphaba in the film adaptation of the Broadway smash “Wicked.” She will reprise the role in the film’s sequel, “Wicked: For Good,” set to hit theaters Nov. 21.
A Royal Academy of Dramatic Art graduate, she rose to fame with her Tony-winning performance as Celie in “The Color Purple” on Broadway. She later starred as Harriet Tubman in the 2019 film “Harriet,” earning Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations.
In 2017, she performed John Lennon’s “Imagine” at the GLAAD Awards in Los Angeles, honoring the victims of the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando.
The 36th Annual GLAAD Media Awards will take place March 27.