‘Hacks,’ ‘Somebody Somewhere,’ ‘Euphoria’ lead LGBTQ Critics Dorian Awards TV nominations as HBO dominates

The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics, now comprised of 385 professional critics and journalists covering film and television, has announced its 14th Dorian TV Awards nominations for the best in all of TV, mainstream to LGBTQIA+ content. Leading GALECA members’ short list of TV’s best, with five nominations each, are HBO’s freshman comedy Somebody Somewhere and HBO Max’s Hacks.

HBO’s wildly provocative teen drama, Euphoria, follows with four nominations, including nods for star Zendaya, Most Visually Striking TV Show and the group’s playful Campiest TV Show honor (alongside Apple+’s intentionally amusing musical Schmigadoon! and Netflix’s Razzie-winning Lady Diana stage tribute Diana: The Musical). 

In network nomination counts, HBO tops with 24, Netflix is next with 15 and HBO Max has 13 (that’s 37 in all for HBO networks).

GALECA members were drawn to a variety of new shows this past seasons, with ABC’s public school comedy Abbott Elementary, the British teen dramedy Heartstopper (Netflix) and buzzy dramas Yellowjackets (Showtime) and Severance (Apple TV+) all receiving multiple nods. 

Acting nominees are non-gendered and split between lead and supporting performances across comedy, drama and limited series where Bridget Everett (Somebody Somewhere), Kit Connor (Heartstopper), Bill Hader (Barry), Melanie Lynskey (Yellowjackets) and Amanda Seyfried (The Dropout) will compete in the lead category while supporting co-stars Murray Bartlett and Jennifer Coolidge (The White Lotus) will battle each other alongside Matthew Macfadyen (Succession), Sydney Sweeney (Euphoria), Janelle James (Abbott Elementary) and more.

New this year, GALECA’s inaugural “You Deserve An Award!” going to a beloved TV icon, are nominees Gillian Anderson, Christine Baranski, Lynda Carter, Kim Cattrall and Cassandra Peterson. 

In the running for TV Wilde Wit: Abbott Elementary star and creator Quinta Brunson, actor/writer/comedian Joel Kim Booster (Fire Island), standup comic and TV wunderkind Jerrod Carmichael (Rothaniel), the iconic Jennifer Coolidge and Emmy-nominated actor and writer Bowen Yang, last year’s Dorian winner in the category. 

The GALECA LGBTQIA+ TV Trailblazer nominees are Carmichael, Margaret Cho, Russell T. Davies, Kate McKinnon and Yang are all celebrated “for creating art that inspires empathy, truth and equity.”

Full list of nominees and nomination counts below. Winners of the 14th Dorian TV Awards will be revealed Wednesday, August 17.

Televised editions of past Dorian Awards, featuring such winners or presenters as Janelle Monáe, Regina King, Antonio Banderas, Bowen Yang, Olivia Wilde, Hugh Jackman, Dan Levy, Jean Smart, Josh Thomas, Andrew Ahn, Laverne Cox, Billy Porter, Carey Mulligan, Rachel McAdams, Cynthia Nixon, Margaret Cho, Daniel Kaluuya, John Oliver, Olivia Newton-John, Michaela JaéRodriguez, Cheyenne Jackson and Charo, can be streamed on Tubi, Planet Out and Revry TV and GALECA’s YouTube channel.

GALECA’s timeline for next year’s 14th Dorian Film Awards will be announced in August. 

Here is the complete list of nominations.

BEST TV DRAMA
Better Call Saul (AMC)
Heartstopper (Netflix)
Yellowjackets (Showtime)
Severance (Apple TV+)
Succession (HBO)

BEST TV COMEDY
Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Barry (HBO)
Hacks (HBO Max)
The Other Two (HBO Max)
Our Flag Means Death (HBO Max)

BEST LGBTQ SHOW
Hacks (HBO Max)
Heartstopper (Netflix)
The Other Two (HBO Max)
Our Flag Means Death (HBO Max)
Somebody Somewhere (HBO)
RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)

BEST TV MOVIE OR MINISERIES
Dopesick (Hulu)
The Dropout (Hulu)
Midnight Mass (Netflix)
Station Eleven (HBO Max)
The White Lotus (HBO)

BEST NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGE TV SHOW
Elite (Netflix)
Lupin (Netflix)
My Brilliant Friend (HBO)
Pachinko (Apple TV+)
Squid Game (Netflix)

BEST UNSUNG SHOW
Better Things (FX)
The Other Two (HBO Max)
Our Flag Means Death (HBO Max)
Russian Doll (Netflix)
Somebody Somewhere (HBO)
We Are Lady Parts (Peacock)

BEST TV PERFORMANCE
Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Kit Connor, Heartstopper (Netflix)
Bridget Everett, Somebody Somewhere (HBO)
Bill Hader, Barry (HBO)
Lily James, Pam & Tommy (Hulu)
Natasha Lyonne, Russian Doll (Netflix)
Melanie Lynskey, Yellowjackets (Showtime)
Amanda Seyfried, Dropout (HBO)
Jean Smart, Hacks (HBO Max)
Zendaya, Euphoria (HBO)

BEST SUPPORTING TV PERFORMANCE
Murray Bartlett, The White Lotus (HBO)
Anthony Carrigan, Barry (HBO)
Jennifer Coolidge, The White Lotus (HBO)
Hannah Einbinder, Hacks (HBO Max)
Jeff Hiller, Somebody Somewhere (HBO)
Janelle James, Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Matthew Macfadyen Succession (HBO)
Christina Ricci, Yellowjackets (Showtime)
Rhea Seehorn, Better Call Saul (AMC)
Sydney Sweeney, Euphoria (HBO)

BEST TV MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
Beyonce’ “Be Alive,” 94th Academy Awards (ABC)
Kristin Chenoweth and cast, “Tribulation,” Schmigadoon! (Apple TV+)
Bridget Everett and Jeff Hiller, “Don’t Give Up,” Somebody Somewhere (HBO)
Jean Smart, “You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman,” Hacks (HBO Max)
Cecily Strong and cast, “Corn Puddin’,” Schmigadoon! (Apple TV+)
Hannah Waddingham and cast, “Never Gonna Give You Up,” Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)

BEST TV DOCUMENTARY OR DOCUMENTARY SERIES
The Andy Warhol Diaries (Netflix)
The Beatles: Get Back (Disney+)
How to with John Wilson (HBO)
Spring Awakening: Those You’ve Known (HBO)
We Need to Talk About Cosby (Showtime)

BEST CURRENT AFFAIRS PROGRAM
The Amber Ruffin Show (Peacock)
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central)
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (TBS)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS)
The Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC)
ZIWE (Showtime)

BEST ANIMATED SHOW
Arcane (Netflix)
Big Mouth (Netflix)
Bob’s Burgers (Fox)
Q Force (Netflix)
Tuca & Bertie (Adult Swim)
What If…? (Disney+)

BEST REALITY SHOW
Legendary (HBO Max)
The Real World Homecoming: New Orleans (Paramount+)
RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)
Survivor (CBS)
Top Chef: Houston (Bravo)
We’re Here (HBO)

MOST VISUALLY STRIKING SHOW
Euphoria (HBO)
The Gilded Age (HBO)
Loki (Disney+)
Severance (Apple TV+)
Squid Game (Netflix)

CAMPIEST TV SHOW
Diana: The Musical (Netflix)
Euphoria (HBO)
Girls5Eva (Peacock)
Nine Perfect Strangers (Hulu)
Schmigadoon! (Apple TV+)

WILDE WIT AWARD
To a performer, writer or commentator whose observations both challenge and amuse
Joel Kim Booster
Quinta Brunson
Jerrod Carmichael
Jennifer Coolidge
Bowen Yang

THE INAUGURAL “YOU DESERVE AN AWARD!” AWARD
To a uniquely talented TV icon we adore
Gillian Anderson
Christine Baranski
Lynda Carter
Kim Cattrall
Cassandra Peterson

GALECA LGBTQIA+ TV TRAILBLAZER
for creating art that inspires empathy, truth and equity
Jerrod Carmichael
Margaret Cho
Russell T Davies
Kate McKinnon
Bowen Yang

NOMINATION COUNT BY NETWORK
HBO – 24
Netflix – 15
HBO Max – 13
Apple TV+ – 7
Disney+ – 3
FX – 3
CBS – 2
Showtime – 5
ABC – 4
Hulu – 4
Peacock – 3
Adult Swim – 1
Bravo – 1
Comedy Central – 1
Fox – 1
MSNBC – 1
Paramount+ – 1
TBS – 1
VH1 – 1

NOMINATION COUNT BY SERIES
Hacks – 5
Somebody Somewhere – 5
Euphoria – 4
Our Flag Means Death -3
Abbott Elementary – 3
Barry – 3
The Other Two – 3
Schmigadoon! – 3
Succession – 3
Heartstopper – 3
The White Lotus – 3
Yellowjackets – 3
Better Call Saul – 2
The Drop Out – 2
Severance – 2
Squid Game – 2
Girls5Eva – 2
RuPaul’s Drag Race – 2
Russian Doll – 2
94th Academy Awards – 1
The Amber Ruffin Show – 1
The Andy Warhol Diaries – 1
Arcane – 1
The Beatles: Get Back – 1
Better Things – 1
Big Mouth – 1
Bob’s Burgers – 1
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah – 1
Diana: The Musical – 1
Dopesick – 1
Elite – 1
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee – 1
The Gilded Age – 1
How to With John Wilson – 1
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver – 1
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert – 1
Legendary – 1
Loki – 1
Lupin – 1
Midnight Mass – 1
My Brilliant Friend – 1
Nine Perfect Strangers – 1
Pachinko – 1
Pam & Tommy – 1
Q Force – 1
The Rachel Maddow Show – 1
The Real World Homecoming: New Orleans – 1
Spring Awakening: Those You’ve Known – 1
Station Eleven – 1
Survivor – 1
Ted Lasso – 1
Top Chef: Houston – 1
Tuca & Bertie – 1
We Are Lady Parts – 1
We Need to Talk About Cosby – 1
What If…? – 1
ZIWE – 1

Photo: Elizabeth Sisson/HBO