Britney Spears To Be Honored With 2018 Vanguard Award From GLAAD
By James Dinh
February 13, 2018
After receiving the MTV Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award in 2011, Britney Spears is adding another Vanguard trophy to her mantle from GLAAD, as per a Tuesday morning announcement (February 13). In a press release, the organization announced that the pop titan will attend the 29th annual GLAAD Media Awards in April in Los Angeles and receive their coveted GLAAD Vanguard Award.
Spears' allegiance to the LGBTQ community has been a long-lasting one. Just last year, the singer participated in Billboard's viral Love Letters to the LGBTQ Community project, sharing kind words to the community. "I have a secret to share with you. You see, it's actually you that lifts me up," she wrote. "The unwavering loyalty. the lack of judgment. The unapologetic truth. Acceptance! Your stories are what inspire me, bring me joy and make me and my sons strive to be better people." Add in her push for the Spirit Day initiative, her "Hands" team-up in honor of the 49 lives lost during the Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting and her 2017 signing of an open letter against two anti-LGBTQ bills, and you have just a few examples of her recent advocacy for LGBTQ rights.
"An irrefutable icon, Britney Spears has entertained the world while also embodying the spirit of GLAAD's Vanguard Award by speaking out on significant issues that face her fans – from the Dream Act to anti-transgender bills in Texas," Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD, in a press release. "She is a force in the music world who has used her global platform to share messages of love and acceptance, something that the world needs today more than ever."
Previous Vanguard Award honorees include Jennifer Lopez, Cher, Kerry Washington, Elizabeth Taylor, Whoopi Goldberg, Antonio Banderas, Drew Barrymore, Janet Jackson, Demi Lovato, Eric McCormack, Josh Hutcherson, and Patricia Arquette.
Spears will receive her honor at the 29th annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles at Beverly Hilton on April 12. Additional awards will be given out at the east coast ceremony in New York City on May 5.
Honored to be receiving the Vanguard Award at the @GLAAD Media Awards this year! The LGBTQ community means the absolute world to me and inspires me every day. I am proud to be an ally and I will continue to support equality and acceptance for all!! 💜💜💜 #GLAADAwards pic.twitter.com/iInKolgW61
— Britney Spears (@britneyspears) February 13, 2018
Photo: Getty Images