The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation will honor Drew Barrymore and Wanda Sykes at the 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards, the group announced Thursday.
Barrymore will receive GLAAD's Vanguard Award for increasing the visibility and understanding of LGBT people. The actress-producer played a lesbian in the 2009 flick, Everybody's Fine alongside Robert DeNiro. Barrymore also showed tremendous support by joining thousands of same-sex marriage advocates to protest Proposition 8.
"I was born, bred, and raised among diversity; it has defined me and made me the person I am today," Barrymore said in a statement issued on Wednesday to The Advocate. "I'm honored and humbled to be receiving this award."
Previous recipients of the Vanguard Award include Charlize Theron, Elizabeth Taylor, Whoopi Goldberg and Antonio Banderas.
Sykes, who came out in 2008, will receive the Stephen F. Kolzak Award which is presented to an openly LGBT media professional who helped promote equality.
In addition to having her own talk show, The New Adventures of Old Christine actress-comedian has done her share of campaigning for LGBT issues and was the first openly lesbian and African American woman to appear at the annual White House Correspondents' dinner in 2009.
"I greatly appreciate the work that GLAAD continues to do, promoting equality, fair representation, and tolerance for our LGBT community," Sykes said in a statement. "I just pray that I don't ruin what GLAAD has achieved with all of my shenanigans."
Among the celebrities who have received the Kolzak Award in past years are Sir Ian McKellen, Ellen DeGeneres, former Oscar telecast producer Bill Condon and Alan Ball.
The ceremony will be held on April 17 in Los Angeles and will be hosted by Candis Cayne and Wilson Cruz. The GLAAD Media Awards will also take place in New York on March 13 and in San Francisco on June 5, where the group will pay tribute to Cynthia Nixon with the Vito Russo Award.
Check out all of the nominees here.
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