AceShowbiz - Quinta Brunson, the creator of Abbott Elementary, along with former Saturday Night Live cast member Bowen Yang and his Las Culturistas podcast co-host Matt Rogers, are set to receive special recognitions at the 2026 GLAAD Media Awards.

The GLAAD organization announced that Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers will be honored with the Stephen F. Kolzak Award, which celebrates those who have made significant contributions to increasing visibility for the LGBTQ community and advancing acceptance of queer issues. This award is named after Stephen F. Kolzak, a casting director who dedicated the final years of his life to fighting homophobia and HIV stigma within the entertainment industry. Past recipients of this award include notable figures such as Cynthia Erivo, Niecy Nash-Betts, Laverne Cox, Wanda Sykes, and Jim Parsons.

Meanwhile, Quinta Brunson will receive the GLAAD Vanguard Award, a distinction given to allies who have played a vital role in promoting greater acceptance of LGBTQ individuals and issues. The Vanguard Award has previously been bestowed on prominent figures including Oprah Winfrey, Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez, Kerry Washington, Liza Minnelli, and Kacey Musgraves.

The 2026 GLAAD Media Awards will take place in Los Angeles on Thursday, March 5. The ceremony will later be broadcast on Hulu on Saturday, March 21.

In addition to the honorees, the event will feature special appearances by U.S. Olympic figure skater Amber Glenn, comedian Zeke Smith, and actor Frankie Grande. Rising music artist Eli is scheduled to make her GLAAD Media Awards musical debut with a special performance, while Demi Lovato will also perform during the ceremony. The event will be hosted by Jonathan Bennett.

Attendees at this year’s awards will include a variety of notable figures from entertainment and media, such as the cast and creators of Heated Rivalry, Don Lemon, Abe Sylvia, Tig Notaro, Ariana Madix, Camila Mendes, Lili Reinhart, Paul Feig, Rhea Seehorn, Rob Mac, Stephanie Beatriz, Cara Delevingne, Chris Appleton, Karolina Wydra, Kristen Wiig, Laverne Cox, Melissa Fumero, and others.

Along with her upcoming personal honor, Brunson’s series Abbott Elementary has also been nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series at the 2026 GLAAD Awards. Other nominees in this category include Ghosts, Hacks, Hazbin Hotel, Loot, Palm Royale, The Righteous Gemstones, Survival of the Thickest, and The Upshaws.

Additionally, Yang and Rogers’ podcast, Las Culturistas, is competing for the Outstanding Podcast award. The category features other popular podcasts such as Bald & The Beautiful, The Daily Beans Podcast, Handsome Podcast, Outlaws with TS Madison, The Read, Shut Up Evan, So True with Caleb Hearon, Tactful Pettiness, and We Can Do Hard Things.