"Pose" star Michaela Jaé "Mj" Rodriguez will be honored at the GLAAD Media Awards for her efforts to advance acceptance for LGBTQ people of color.
Rodriguez, the first transgender woman to receive a lead actress Emmy nomination, will receive the Stephen F. Kolzak Award given to LGBTQ media professionals who counter anti-LGBTQ bias.
"Michaela Jaé Rodriguez is an undeniable talent who is changing the way audiences understand trans people while breaking down barriers for the trans community and LGBTQ people of color within the entertainment industry," GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement.
Rodriguez, who earned a Golden Globe Award for her role of Blanca on "Pose," stars in Netflix's Lin-Manuel Miranda-directed film "tick…tick…BOOM!" and is to appear with Maya Rudolph in the announced Apple TV+ series "Loot.'' She also has an upcoming album release.
Rodriguez will be honored at the April 2 awards ceremony in Los Angeles. The late Kolzak was a prominent casting director who worked to raise awareness in the entertainment industry about discrimination against LGBTQ people and people living with HIV.
The 200-plus previously announced nominees in 30 categories include Lil Nas X, Demi Lovato, Elton John, "West Side Story," "Pose" and "Dancing with the Stars."
A May 6 ceremony in New York also will be held by GLAAD, a media advocacy organization. The awards honor media for fair, accurate, and inclusive representations of LGBTQ people and issues.
SMPTE elects board officers, regional governors
SMPTE®,the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has revealed the board officers and regional governors who will serve terms beginning in January 2025.
Three new officers--Richard Welsh as SMPTE president, Eric Gsell as SMPTE executive VP, and Polly Hickling as SMPTE Education VP--have been elected for a two-year term from Jan. 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2026. One SMPTE officer, Lisa Hobbs, will be continuing her service as SMPTE secretary and treasurer for another two-year term. Additionally, Raymond Yeung will be stepping into the role of standards VP on Jan. 1, 2025.
“SMPTE’s membership has spoken,” said SMPTE interim executive director Sally-Ann D’Amato. “These officers have been tasked with an important responsibility, one each of them is prepared to tackle head-on. These next two years are looking bright for SMPTE!”
In addition to the officers, 10 regional governors were elected by the Society to serve two-year 2025-2026 terms.
These include the following regional governors, re-elected to continue their service:
Asia-Pacific Region Governor
Tony Ngai, Society of Motion Imaging Ltd.
EMEA - Central & South America Region Governor
Fernando Bittencourt, FB Consultant
United Kingdom Region Governor
Chris Johns, Sky UK.
USA - Central Region Governor
William T. Hayes, Consultant
USA - Eastern Region Governor
Dover Jeanne Mundt, Riedel Communications
USA - Western Region Governor
Jeffrey F. Way, Open Drives
Also elected were four newcomers to the SMPTE Board:
Canada Region Governor
Jonathan Jobin, Grass Valley
USA - Hollywood Region Governor
Allan Schollnick, Voxx... Read More