According to Deadline, GLAAD has announced that it will be presenting the Vanguard Award at the upcoming GLAAD Media Awards to certified vanguards Beyoncé and JAY-Z. Deadline says the award is for “allies who have made a significant difference in promoting acceptance of LGBTQ people,” with previous winners including Britney Spears, Cher, Kerry Washington, Patricia Arquette, Janet Jackson, Charlize Theron, and Jennifer Aniston. As for JAY-Z and Beyoncé, a statement from GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis notes that they’re “global icons and passionate defenders of human rights and acceptance for all people,” adding that “the world becomes inspired” when they speak and that their “voices of acceptance have been heard loud and clear” by the LGBTQ community.
Beyoncé has been a longtime advocate for LGBTQ issues, but this will actually be JAY-Z’s second year in a row getting award by the GLAAD Media Awards. Last year, he received a Special Recognition Award for the song “Smile” from his album 4:44, which was based around the revelation that his mother is a lesbian. The GLAAD Media Awards will be handed out a pair of ceremonies, starting on March 28 in Los Angeles and then May 4 in New York.