# GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Music Artist

The GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Music Artist is an annual award that honors music artists who are either openly queer or allies and have used their music to increase acceptance of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community. It is one of several categories of the annual GLAAD Media Awards, which are presented by GLAAD—an American non-governmental media monitoring organization—at ceremonies held primarily in New York City and Los Angeles between March and May.
GLAAD first recognized music at the 2nd GLAAD Media Awards in 1991, with Two Nice Girls winning an award. The following year, Phranc was recognized as Outstanding Recording Artist, while John Corigliano's "Symphony No. 1" won Outstanding Music Composition; the only instance this award was given. In 1993, Garth Brooks' "We Shall Be Free" won Outstanding Music Song, while Elton John's "The Last Song" won Outstanding Music Video. The 6th GLAAD Media Awards in 1996 marked the only instance where three music-related awards were given, with Outstanding Music Album being presented for the first time to Disappear Fear's self-titled album. Starting with the 11th GLAAD Media Awards in 2000, Outstanding Music Album was the sole music-related category recognized by GLAAD, with the award going to Indigo Girls' Come On Now Social. At the 15th GLAAD Media Awards in 2004, the category was retitled to its current name, with the award going to Rufus Wainwright for his album Want One. To date there has only been one tie, with Adam Lambert and Frank Ocean winning the award at the 24th GLAAD Media Awards in 2013 for Trespassing and Channel Orange, respectively.
For a music artist to be eligible, they must have released an album or extended play during the eligibility period, and have it be sold in a major record shop or digital music store. The artist must also use their music and live performances to "accelerate LGBTQ acceptance", with interviews and public statements also being taken into consideration. At one point, the award could only be given to artists that were openly LGBT, but this criterion was revised starting with the 30th GLAAD Media Awards in 2019 so that LGBT allies can also be eligible. Moreover, while the award was at one point given to openly queer artists regardless of whether their music included LGBT themes, in 2019 this was changed so that artists had to use their music to "accelerate LGBTQ acceptance".
Since its inception, the award has been given to 29 music artists and groups. With four wins out of six nominations, Rufus Wainwright is the most-awarded artist in this category, followed by Melissa Etheridge, who has three awards out of nine nominations. Scissor Sisters is the band with the most wins, having received three wins from four nominations. With four nominations, Brandi Carlile is the music artist that has been nominated the most often without a win. At the 35th GLAAD Media Awards in 2024, the award was given to Reneé Rapp for her album Snow Angel.

## Winners and nominees

Table key :
| ‡ | Indicates the winner |

### 1990s

1990s winners and nominees :
| Award year | Artist | Work | Label | Ref(s). |
| 1991 (2nd) | Two Nice Girls ‡ | Two Nice Girls ‡ | Two Nice Girls ‡ | |
| 1992 (3rd) | | | | |
| 1992 (3rd) | John Corigliano ‡ | "Symphony No. 1" | — | |
| 1993 (4th) | | | | |
| 1993 (4th) | Garth Brooks ‡ | "We Shall Be Free" | Liberty | |
| 1993 (4th) | Elton John ‡ | "The Last Song" | MCA | |
| 1994 (5th) | | | | |
| 1995 (6th) | | | | |
| 1995 (6th) | Disappear Fear ‡ | Disappear Fear | Rounder | |
| 1995 (6th) | Indigo Girls ‡ | "This Train Revised" | Epic | |
| 1995 (6th) | Melissa Etheridge ‡ | "I'm the Only One" | Island | |
| 1996 (7th) | | | | |
| 1996 (7th) | Boy George ‡ | Cheapness and Beauty | Virgin | |
| 1996 (7th) | Jill Sobule ‡ | "I Kissed a Girl" | Atlantic | |
| 1997 (8th) |
| 1997 (8th) | Outstanding Music Album | Outstanding Music Album | Outstanding Music Album | [7] [6] |
| 1997 (8th) | Extra Fancy ‡ | Sinnerman | Diablo Musica | [7] [6] |
| [7] [6] |||
| 1997 (8th) | Meshell Ndegeocello ‡ | "Leviticus: Faggot" | Maverick | [7] [6] |
| 1998 (9th) |
| 1998 (9th) | Outstanding Music Album | Outstanding Music Album | Outstanding Music Album | [8] [9] [6] |
| 1998 (9th) | Janet Jackson ‡ | Velvet Rope | Virgin | [8] [9] [6] |
| 1998 (9th) | Ani DiFranco | Living in Clip | Righteous Babe | [8] [9] [6] |
| 1998 (9th) | Erasure | Cowboy | Mute | [8] [9] [6] |
| 1998 (9th) | Indigo Girls | Shaming of the Sun | Epic | [8] [9] [6] |
| 1998 (9th) | White Town | Women in Technology | Chrysalis | [8] [9] [6] |
| 1999 (10th) |
| 1999 (10th) | Outstanding Music Album | Outstanding Music Album | Outstanding Music Album | [10] [6] |
| 1999 (10th) | Rufus Wainwright ‡ | Rufus Wainwright | DreamWorks | [10] [6] |
| 1999 (10th) | The Murmurs | Blender | MCA | [10] [6] |
| 1999 (10th) | Phranc | Milkman | Phancy | [10] [6] |
| 1999 (10th) | Two | Voyeurs | Nothing | [10] [6] |
| [10] [6] |||
| 1999 (10th) | Queen Pen ‡ | "Girlfriend" | Interscope | [10] [6] |
| 1999 (10th) | Henry Rollins | "The Gay Thing" | DreamWorks | [10] [6] |

### 2000s

2000s winners and nominees :
| Award year | Artist | Album | Label | Ref(s). |
| 2000 (11th) | Indigo Girls ‡ | Come On Now Social | Epic | [11] [12] |
| 2000 (11th) | Melissa Etheridge | Breakdown | Island | [11] [12] |
| 2000 (11th) | Meshell Ndegeocello | Bitter | Maverick | [11] [12] |
| 2000 (11th) | Pet Shop Boys | Nightlife | Parlophone | [11] [12] |
| 2000 (11th) | Sleater-Kinney | The Hot Rock | Kill Rock Stars | [11] [12] |
| 2001 (12th) | k.d. lang ‡ | Invincible Summer | Warner | [13] [14] |
| 2001 (12th) | Stephen Gately | New Beginning | Polydor | [13] [14] |
| 2001 (12th) | Janis Ian | God and the FBI | Windham Hill | [13] [14] |
| 2001 (12th) | Patty Larkin | Regrooving the Dream | Vanguard | [13] [14] |
| 2001 (12th) | Sleater-Kinney | All Hands on the Bad One | Kill Rock Stars | [13] [14] |
| 2002 (13th) | Rufus Wainwright ‡ | Poses | DreamWorks | [15] [16] |
| 2002 (13th) | Lea DeLaria | Play It Cool | Warner | [15] [16] |
| 2002 (13th) | David Del Tredici | Secret Music: A Songbook | Composers Recordings | [15] [16] |
| 2002 (13th) | Melissa Etheridge | Skin | Island | [15] [16] |
| 2002 (13th) | Gossip | That's Not What I Heard | Kill Rock Stars | [15] [16] |
| 2003 (14th) | Tony Bennett and k.d. lang ‡ | A Wonderful World | Sony | |
| 2003 (14th) | Halford | Crucible | Sanctuary | |
| 2003 (14th) | Indigo Girls | Become You | Epic | |
| 2003 (14th) | Meshell Ndegeocello | Cookie: The Anthropological Mixtape | Maverick | |
| 2003 (14th) | Pet Shop Boys | Release | Sanctuary | |
| 2004 (15th) | Rufus Wainwright ‡ | Want One | DreamWorks | [18] [2] |
| 2004 (15th) | Bitch and Animal | Sour Juice and Rhyme | Righteous Babe | [18] [2] |
| 2004 (15th) | Junior Senior | D-D-Don't Don't Stop the Beat | Atlantic | [18] [2] |
| 2004 (15th) | Meshell Ndegeocello | Comfort Woman | Maverick | [18] [2] |
| 2004 (15th) | Peaches | Fatherfucker | XL | [18] [2] |
| 2005 (16th) | Scissor Sisters ‡ | Scissor Sisters | Polydor | [19] [20] |
| 2005 (16th) | Melissa Etheridge | Lucky | Island | [19] [20] |
| 2005 (16th) | Le Tigre | This Island | Universal | [19] [20] |
| 2005 (16th) | George Michael | Patience | Epic | [19] [20] |
| 2005 (16th) | Rufus Wainwright | Want Two | Geffen | [19] [20] |
| 2006 (17th) | Melissa Etheridge ‡ | Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled | Island | [21] [22] |
| 2006 (17th) | Antony and the Johnsons | I Am a Bird Now | Secretly Canadian | [21] [22] |
| 2006 (17th) | Girlyman | Little Star | Daemon | [21] [22] |
| 2006 (17th) | Sharon Isbin | Rodrigo, Villa-Lobos, Ponce: Guitar Concertos | Warner | [21] [22] |
| 2006 (17th) | Amy Ray | Prom | Daemon | [21] [22] |
| 2007 (18th) | Scissor Sisters ‡ | Ta-Dah | Polydor | [23] [24] |
| 2007 (18th) | The Ditty Bops | Moon Over the Freeway | Warner | [23] [24] |
| 2007 (18th) | Final Fantasy | He Poos Clouds | Blocks Recording Club | [23] [24] |
| 2007 (18th) | Peaches | Impeach My Bush | XL | [23] [24] |
| 2007 (18th) | Pet Shop Boys | Fundamental | Parlophone | [23] [24] |
| 2008 (19th) | Rufus Wainwright ‡ | Release the Stars | Geffen | [25] [26] |
| 2008 (19th) | Bloc Party | A Weekend in the City | Wichita | [25] [26] |
| 2008 (19th) | The Cliks | Snakehouse | Tommy Boy | [25] [26] |
| 2008 (19th) | Melissa Etheridge | The Awakening | Island | [25] [26] |
| 2008 (19th) | Patrick Wolf | The Magic Position | Loog | [25] [26] |
| 2009 (20th) | k.d. lang ‡ | Watershed | Nonesuch | [27] [28] |
| 2009 (20th) | Jay Brannan | Goddamned | Great Depression | [27] [28] |
| 2009 (20th) | Hercules & Love Affair | Hercules and Love Affair | DFA | [27] [28] |
| 2009 (20th) | The Magnetic Fields | Distortion | Nonesuch | [27] [28] |
| 2009 (20th) | Sam Sparro | Sam Sparro | Island | [27] [28] |

### 2010s

2010s winners and nominees :
| Award year | Artist | Album | Label | Ref(s). |
| 2010 (21st) | Lady Gaga ‡ | The Fame Monster | Interscope | [29] [30] |
| 2010 (21st) | Brandi Carlile | Give Up the Ghost | Sony | [29] [30] |
| 2010 (21st) | Gossip | Music for Men | Sony | [29] [30] |
| 2010 (21st) | Adam Lambert | For Your Entertainment | RCA / 19 | [29] [30] |
| 2010 (21st) | Otep | Smash the Control Machine | Victory | [29] [30] |
| 2011 (22nd) | Scissor Sisters ‡ | Night Work | Downtown | [31] [32] |
| 2011 (22nd) | Antony and the Johnsons | Swanlights | Secretly Canadian | [31] [32] |
| 2011 (22nd) | Big Freedia | Big Freedia Hitz Vol. 1 | Big Freedia Records | [31] [32] |
| 2011 (22nd) | Kele Okereke | The Boxer | Glassnote | [31] [32] |
| 2011 (22nd) | Chely Wright | Lifted Off the Ground | Vanguard | [31] [32] |
| 2012 (23rd) | Lady Gaga ‡ | Born This Way | Interscope | [33] [34] |
| 2012 (23rd) | Girl in a Coma | Exits & All the Rest | Blackheart | [33] [34] |
| 2012 (23rd) | Hunx and His Punx | Too Young to Be in Love | Hardly Art | [33] [34] |
| 2012 (23rd) | Beverly McClellan | Fear Nothing | Oarfin | [33] [34] |
| 2012 (23rd) | MEN | Talk About Body | Iamsound | [33] [34] |
| 2013 (24th) | Adam Lambert ‡ | Trespassing | RCA / 19 | [35] [36] |
| 2013 (24th) | Frank Ocean ‡ | Channel Orange | Def Jam | [35] [36] |
| 2013 (24th) | Gossip | A Joyful Noise | Columbia | [35] [36] |
| 2013 (24th) | Scissor Sisters | Magic Hour | Casablanca | [35] [36] |
| 2013 (24th) | Rufus Wainwright | Out of the Game | Decca / Polydor | [35] [36] |
| 2014 (25th) | Tegan and Sara ‡ | Heartthrob | Warner | [37] [38] |
| 2014 (25th) | Lady Gaga | Artpop | Interscope | [37] [38] |
| 2014 (25th) | Goldfrapp | Tales of Us | Mute | [37] [38] |
| 2014 (25th) | Elton John | The Diving Board | Capitol | [37] [38] |
| 2014 (25th) | Vampire Weekend | Modern Vampires of the City | XL | [37] [38] |
| 2015 (26th) | Against Me! ‡ | Transgender Dysphoria Blues | Xtra Mile | [39] [40] |
| 2015 (26th) | Mary Gauthier | Trouble & Love | In the Black | [39] [40] |
| 2015 (26th) | Angel Haze | Dirty Gold | Island / Republic | [39] [40] |
| 2015 (26th) | Mary Lambert | Heart on My Sleeve | Capitol | [39] [40] |
| 2015 (26th) | Sam Smith | In the Lonely Hour | Capitol | [39] [40] |
| 2016 (27th) | Troye Sivan ‡ | Blue Neighbourhood | Capitol | [41] [42] |
| 2016 (27th) | Brandi Carlile | The Firewatcher's Daughter | ATO | [41] [42] |
| 2016 (27th) | Miley Cyrus | Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz | Smiley Miley | [41] [42] |
| 2016 (27th) | Adam Lambert | The Original High | Warner | [41] [42] |
| 2016 (27th) | Le1f | Riot Boi | XL / Terrible | [41] [42] |
| 2017 (28th) | Tegan and Sara ‡ | Love You to Death | Warner | |
| 2017 (28th) | Against Me! | Shape Shift with Me | Total Treble / Xtra Mile | |
| 2017 (28th) | Blood Orange | Freetown Sound | Domino | |
| 2017 (28th) | Brandy Clark | Big Day in a Small Town | Warner | |
| 2017 (28th) | Lady Gaga | Joanne | Interscope | |
| 2017 (28th) | Tyler Glenn | Excommunication | Island | |
| 2017 (28th) | Ty Herndon | House on Fire | BFD | |
| 2017 (28th) | Elton John | Wonderful Crazy Night | Island | |
| 2017 (28th) | Frank Ocean | Blonde | Boys Don't Cry | |
| 2017 (28th) | Sia | This Is Acting | RCA | |
| 2018 (29th) | Halsey ‡ | Hopeless Fountain Kingdom | Astralwerks | [44] [45] |
| 2018 (29th) | Miley Cyrus | Younger Now | RCA | [44] [45] |
| 2018 (29th) | Honey Dijon | The Best of Both Worlds | Classic Music Company | [44] [45] |
| 2018 (29th) | Kehlani | SweetSexySavage | TSNMI / Atlantic | [44] [45] |
| 2018 (29th) | Kelela | Take Me Apart | Warp | [44] [45] |
| 2018 (29th) | Kesha | Rainbow | Kemosabe / RCA | [44] [45] |
| 2018 (29th) | Perfume Genius | No Shape | Matador | [44] [45] |
| 2018 (29th) | Sam Smith | The Thrill of It All | Capitol | [44] [45] |
| 2018 (29th) | St. Vincent | Masseduction | Loma Vista | [44] [45] |
| 2018 (29th) | Wrabel | We Could Be Beautiful | Epic / Sony | [44] [45] |
| 2019 (30th) | Janelle Monáe ‡ | Dirty Computer | Bad Boy | [46] [47] |
| 2019 (30th) | Brockhampton | Iridescence | RCA | [46] [47] |
| 2019 (30th) | Brandi Carlile | By the Way, I Forgive You | Low Country Sound / Elektra | [46] [47] |
| 2019 (30th) | Christine and the Queens | Chris | Because | [46] [47] |
| 2019 (30th) | Shea Diamond | Seen It All | Asylum Worldwide | [46] [47] |
| 2019 (30th) | Hayley Kiyoko | Expectations | Atlantic | [46] [47] |
| 2019 (30th) | Kim Petras | Turn Off the Light, Vol. 1 | BunHead | [46] [47] |
| 2019 (30th) | Troye Sivan | Bloom | Capitol | [46] [47] |
| 2019 (30th) | Sophie | Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides | Future Classic | [46] [47] |
| 2019 (30th) | Years & Years | Palo Santo | Polydor | [46] [47] |

### 2020s

2020s winners and nominees :
| Award year | Artist | Album | Label | Ref(s). |
| 2020 (31st) | Lil Nas X ‡ | 7 | Columbia | [48] [49] |
| 2020 (31st) | Adam Lambert | Velvet: Side A | More Is More / Empire | [48] [49] |
| 2020 (31st) | Brittany Howard | Jaime | ATO | [48] [49] |
| 2020 (31st) | Kevin Abstract | Arizona Baby | Question Everything / RCA | [48] [49] |
| 2020 (31st) | Kim Petras | Clarity | BunHead | [48] [49] |
| 2020 (31st) | King Princess | Cheap Queen | Zelig / Columbia | [48] [49] |
| 2020 (31st) | Melissa Etheridge | The Medicine Show | ME Records / Concord | [48] [49] |
| 2020 (31st) | Mika | My Name Is Michael Holbrook | Casablanca / Republic | [48] [49] |
| 2020 (31st) | Tegan and Sara | Hey, I'm Just Like You | Sire | [48] [49] |
| 2020 (31st) | Young M.A | Herstory in the Making | M.A Music / 3D | [48] [49] |
| 2021 (32nd) | Sam Smith ‡ | Love Goes | Capitol | [50] [51] |
| 2021 (32nd) | Adam Lambert | Velvet | More Is More / Empire | [50] [51] |
| 2021 (32nd) | Brandy Clark | Your Life Is a Record | Warner Records | [50] [51] |
| 2021 (32nd) | Halsey | Manic | Capitol | [50] [51] |
| 2021 (32nd) | Kehlani | It Was Good Until It Wasn't | Atlantic | [50] [51] |
| 2021 (32nd) | Lady Gaga | Chromatica | Streamline / Interscope | [50] [51] |
| 2021 (32nd) | Miley Cyrus | Plastic Hearts | RCA | [50] [51] |
| 2021 (32nd) | Pabllo Vittar | 111 | BMT / Sony Music Brasil | [50] [51] |
| 2021 (32nd) | Peppermint | A Girl Like Me: Letters to My Lovers | Producer Entertainment Group | [50] [51] |
| 2021 (32nd) | Ricky Martin | Pausa | Sony Latin | [50] [51] |
| 2022 (33rd) | Lil Nas X ‡ | Montero | Columbia | [52] [53] |
| 2022 (33rd) | Brandi Carlile | In These Silent Days | Low Country Sound / Elektra | [52] [53] |
| 2022 (33rd) | Brockhampton | Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine | Question Everything / RCA | [52] [53] |
| 2022 (33rd) | Demi Lovato | Dancing with the Devil... the Art of Starting Over | Island | [52] [53] |
| 2022 (33rd) | Elton John | The Lockdown Sessions | Interscope | [52] [53] |
| 2022 (33rd) | Halsey | If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power | Capitol | [52] [53] |
| 2022 (33rd) | Kaytranada | Intimidated | RCA Records | [52] [53] |
| 2022 (33rd) | Melissa Etheridge | One Way Out | BMG | [52] [53] |
| 2022 (33rd) | Mykki Blanco | Broken Hearts and Beauty Sleep | Transgressive | [52] [53] |
| 2022 (33rd) | St. Vincent | Daddy's Home | Loma Vista | [52] [53] |
| 2023 (34th) | Fletcher ‡ | Girl of My Dreams | Capitol | [54] [55] |
| 2023 (34th) | Anitta | Versions of Me | Warner | [54] [55] |
| 2023 (34th) | Betty Who | Big! | BMG | [54] [55] |
| 2023 (34th) | Demi Lovato | Holy Fvck | Island | [54] [55] |
| 2023 (34th) | Hayley Kiyoko | Panorama | Atlantic | [54] [55] |
| 2023 (34th) | Honey Dijon | Black Girl Magic | Classic Music Company | [54] [55] |
| 2023 (34th) | Kim Petras | Slut Pop | Republic | [54] [55] |
| 2023 (34th) | Muna | Muna | Saddest Factory | [54] [55] |
| 2023 (34th) | Orville Peck | Bronco | Columbia | [54] [55] |
| 2023 (34th) | Rina Sawayama | Hold the Girl | Dirty Hit | [54] [55] |
| 2024 (35th) | Reneé Rapp ‡ | Snow Angel | Interscope | |
| 2024 (35th) | Billy Porter | Black Mona Lisa | Island UK / Republic Records | |
| 2024 (35th) | boygenius | The Record | Interscope Records | |
| 2024 (35th) | Brandy Clark | Brandy Clark | Warner Records | |
| 2024 (35th) | Janelle Monáe | The Age of Pleasure | Atlantic Records | |
| 2024 (35th) | Kim Petras | Feed the Beast and Problématique | Amigo / Republic Records | |
| 2024 (35th) | Miley Cyrus | Endless Summer Vacation | Columbia Records | |
| 2024 (35th) | Sam Smith | Gloria | Capitol Records | |
| 2024 (35th) | Troye Sivan | Something to Give Each Other | EMI Australia / Capitol Records | |
| 2024 (35th) | Victoria Monét | JAGUAR II | Lovett Music / RCA Records | |

## Multiple wins and nominations

| Wins | Music Artist | Nominations |
| 4 | Rufus Wainwright | 6 |
| 3 | Melissa Etheridge | 9 |
| 3 | Scissor Sisters | 4 |
| 3 | k.d. lang | 3 |
| 2 | Lady Gaga | 5 |
| 2 | Indigo Girls | 4 |
| 2 | Tegan and Sara | 3 |
| 2 | Lil Nas X | 2 |
| Nominations | Music Artist |
| 9 | Melissa Etheridge |
| 6 | Rufus Wainwright |
| 5 | Lady Gaga |
| 5 | Adam Lambert |
| 4 | Brandi Carlile |
| 4 | Scissor Sisters |
| 4 | Meshell Ndegeocello |
| 4 | Indigo Girls |
| 4 | Elton John |