Hip-hop power couple, Queen Bay and her husband Jay-Z will again in 2019 be a recipient of special recognition of a Vanguard Award at the 30th annual GLAAD Media Awards.
The couple will be honoured at the award ceremony which will take place at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles on March 28, 2019, as they join the likes of Cher, Janet Jackson, Whoopi Goldberg, Demi Lovato, and Jennifer Lopez who were previous Vanguard Award honorees.
According to the report by Variety magazine, the GLAAD award celebrates the couple’s allyship to the LGBTQ community and their use of their global platforms as a way to promote positive change and inclusion.
“Beyoncé and Jay-Z are global icons and passionate defenders of human rights and acceptance for all people,” said GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. “When Beyoncé and Jay-Z speak, the world becomes inspired and when it comes to LGBTQ people, their voices of acceptance have been heard loud and clear.”
Variety also reported that the couple has spoken out against discriminatory legislation in states such as North Carolina and actively supported the passage of marriage equality in the U.S. On top of vocal support, the singers have also made efforts to diversify the content they produce. Beyonce included LGBTQ people in her videos for “Formation” and “All Night,” and Jay-Z featured LGBTQ leader Janet Mock in his video for “Family Feud.” Beyonce also dedicated her performance of “Halo” during “The Formation World Tour” to the victims of the Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting and showcased transgender actress Laverne Cox as one of the faces of her athleisure clothing line Ivy Park.
There will be 151 nominees across 27 different categories at this year’s event, as Jay-Z look forward to their second GLAAD awards after winning in 2018.