Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association (GALECA) Dorian Award Film and TV Nominations
HOLLYWOOD, CA — The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association (GALECA.org • Facebook • Twitter), comprised of over 130 reputable critics and entertainment journalists nationwide, today released its nominees for the best in movies and television of 2015. The selections come across 23 categories, from mainstream to LGBTQ-centered, with titles as varied as Carol, The Big Short, Mad Max: Fury Road, Ex Machina, Mad Men, Making a Murderer, Real Time with Bill Maher and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Performers earning nominations include Brie Larson, Charlotte Rampling, Lily Tomlin, Michael Fassbender, Viola Davis, Amy Schumer, Billy Eichner, Jon Hamm, Titus Burgess, Krysten Ritter and Rising Star nominee Mya Taylor.
GALECA’s mission to honor content “from mainstream to gaystream” has lead to a wide array of nominations and winners since its inception in 2009. The organization’s previous choices for Film of the Year alone include Boyhood, 12 Years a Slave, Argo, Weekend, I Am Love and A Single Man.
This year, the 1950s-set lesbian romance Carol is in the race for Film of the Year, with its stars Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara competing for Film Performance of the Year — Actress. Also up for the top film prize: Brooklyn, Mad Max: Fury Road, Spotlight and The Big Short, director Adam McKay’s tragic comedy about Wall Street’s hand in America’s 2008 economic collapse.
In news that may spice up award-season chatter, Tom Hardy was nominated for Film Performance of the Year — Actor for his dual role as England’s notorious mobsters the Kray Twins in Legend. Hardy’s fellow nominees include Leonardo DiCaprio for The Revenant, which happens to costar both actors. As for Director of the Year, nominations for Sean Baker (Tangerine) and George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road) reflect a breadth as well.
GALECA’s categories run the gamut from Wilde Wit (named for the group’s “patron saint,” Oscar Wilde) to Visually Striking Film to TV Current Affairs Show. In its trademark cheeky Campy Flick and Campy TV Show races, Fifty Shades of Grey and American Horror Story: Hotel respectively lead the charge.
Dorian winners will be announced next Tuesday, January 19. The group’s annual, Hasty Pudding-esque Winners Toast is set for Sunday, March 6, in Los Angeles, and “any nominees or victors who care to join our LA-area members for champagne and pomme frites and fun are most welcome,” said GALECA John Griffiths, GALECA president and Television Critic for Us Weekly.
Past GALECA toasts have drawn Lea DeLaria, Transparent’s Melora Hardin, famed marriage rights activists Jeff Carrillo and Paul Katami, The Comeback’s Robert Michael Morris, indie star Val Lauren, trailblazing actor Wilson Cruz, singer/author Sam Harris and ABC Studios Executive Vice President Patrick Moran.
As for its Timeless Star honor, GALECA has decided to award their humble career-achievement honor to actress Jane Fonda, the veteran star of the film classics Klute, Coming Home, 9 to 5 as well as the past year’s Youth and ongoing Netflix comedy Grace and Frankie. Past Timeless picks include Sir Ian McKellen, George Takei and Fonda’s Grace costar Lily Tomlin.
And now, presenting the . . .
COMPLETE LIST OF GALECA 2015/16 DORIAN AWARDS NOMINEES:
FILM OF THE YEAR
The Big Short / Paramount, Regency
Brooklyn / Fox Searchlight
Carol / The Weinstein Company
Mad Max: Fury Road / Warner Bros., Village Road Show
Spotlight / Open Road, Participant, First Look
DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
(Film or Television)
Sean Baker, Tangerine / Magnolia Pictures
Todd Haynes, Carol / The Weinstein Company
Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu, The Revenant / Fox
Tom McCarthy, Spotlight / Open Road, Participant, First Look
George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road / Warner Bros., Village Road Show
PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR — ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, Carol / The Weinstein Company
Brie Larson, Room / A24
Rooney Mara, Carol / The Weinstein Company
Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years / Sundance Selects
Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn / Fox Searchlight
PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR — ACTOR
Matt Damon, The Martian / Fox
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant / Fox
Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs / Universal
Tom Hardy, Legend / Universal, Cross Creek
Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl / Focus, Working Title
LGBTQ FILM OF THE YEAR
Carol / The Weinstein Company
The Danish Girl / Focus, Working Title
Freeheld / Summit
Grandma / Sony Pictures Classics
Tangerine / Magnolia Pictures
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR
The Assassin / Central Motion Pictures, Well Go USA
Mustang / Cohen Media Group
Phoenix / Sundance Selects
Son of Saul / Sony Pictures Classics
Viva / Magnolia Pictures
SCREENPLAY OF THE YEAR
Emma Donoghue, Room / A24
Phyllis Nagy, Carol / The Weinstein Company
Charles Randolph and Adam McKay, The Big Short / Paramount, Regency
Josh Singer & Tom McCarthy, Spotlight / Open Road, Participant, First Look
Aaron Sorkin, Steve Jobs / Universal
DOCUMENTARY OF THE YEAR
(theatrical release, TV airing or DVD release)
Amy / A24
Best of Enemies / Magnolia Pictures, Magnet
Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief / HBO
Making a Murderer / Netflix
What Happened, Miss Simone? / Netflix
VISUALLY STRIKING FILM OF THE YEAR
(honoring a production of stunning beauty, from art direction to cinematography)
Carol / The Weinstein Company
The Danish Girl / Focus, Working Title
Mad Max: Fury Road / Warner Bros., Village Road Show
The Martian / Fox
The Revenant / Fox
UNSUNG FILM OF THE YEAR
The Diary of a Teenage Girl / Sony Pictures Classics
Ex Machina / A24
Grandma / Sony Pictures Classics
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl / Fox Searchlight
Tangerine (Magnolia)
CAMPY FLICK OF THE YEAR
The Boy Next Door
Fifty Shades of Grey
Magic Mike XXL
Jupiter Ascending
Stonewall
TV DRAMA OF THE YEAR
Fargo / FX
The Leftovers / HBO
Mad Men / AMC
Mr. Robot / USA
Orange is the New Black / Netflix
TV COMEDY OF THE YEAR
Grace and Frankie / Netflix
Master of None / Netflix
Transparent / Amazon
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt / Netflix
Veep / HBO
TV PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR — ACTOR
Titus Burgess, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt / Netflix
Jon Hamm, Mad Men / AMC
Rami Malek, Mr. Robot / USA
Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent / Amazon
Justin Theroux, The Leftovers / HBO
TV PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR — ACTRESS
Viola Davis, How to Get Away with Murder / ABC
Jane Fonda, Grace and Frankie / Netflix
Taraji P. Henson, Empire / Fox
Krysten Ritter, Jessica Jones / Netflix
Lily Tomlin, Grace and Frankie / Netflix
TV CURRENT AFFAIRS SHOW OF THE YEAR
Anderson Cooper 360 / CNN
The Daily Show / Comedy Central
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver / HBO
The Rachel Maddow Show / MSNBC
Real Time with Bill Maher / HBO
LGBTQ TV SHOW OF THE YEAR
Grace and Frankie / Netflix
Looking / HBO
Orange is the New Black / Netflix
Sense8 / Netflix
Transparent / Amazon
UNSUNG TV SHOW OF THE YEAR
Broad City / Comedy Central
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend / CW
Getting On / HBO
Looking / HBO
UnReal / Lifetime
TV MUSICAL MOMENT OF THE YEAR
Adele: “Hello / ” Adele Live in New York City / NBC
Aretha Franklin: “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” 38th Annual Kennedy Center Honors / CBS
Lady Gaga: The Sound of Music 50th anniversary tribute, 87th Annual Academy Awards / ABC
Sydney Lucas and the Cast of Fun Home: “Ring of Keys” 69th Annual Tony Awards / CBS
John Legend and Common: “Glory” (Original song nominee, Selma): 87th Annual Academy Awards / ABC
CAMPY TV SHOW OF THE YEAR
American Horror Story: Hotel
Empire
How to Get Away with Murder
Scream Queens
Sense8
“WE’RE WILDE ABOUT YOU!” RISING STAR AWARD
Rami Malek
Kitana Kiki Rodriguez
Mya Taylor
Jacob Tremblay
Alicia Vikander
WILDE WIT OF THE YEAR
(honoring a performer, writer or commentator whose observations both challenge and amuse)
Billy Eichner
Rachel Maddow
Tig Notaro
John Oliver
Amy Schumer
WILDE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
(honoring a truly groundbreaking force in the fields of film, theater and/or television)
Andrew Haigh
Todd Haynes
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Tig Notaro
Amy Schumer
TIMELESS STAR
(to an actor or performer whose exemplary career is marked by character, wisdom and wit)
Jane Fonda
GALECA’S MISSION
GALECA, an established 501 C-6 nonprofit, aims to generate camaraderie in an unsettling media environment, champion constructive film and TV criticism and elevate entertainment journalism as a whole. Via panels, screenings, events and its occasional “Ten Best” lists, GALECA also strives to remind the world that the LGBTQ-munity has a significant history of helping improve pop culture at large. After all, how would the world fare without knowing what’s campy?
He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
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