LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) — Pop diva Britney Spears was presented with the Vanguard Award at the 29th Annual GLAAD Media Awards when it took place in Los Angeles on April 12th.
The Vanguard Award is presented by GLAAD to a member of the entertainment community who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for LGBT people.
Spears was recognized for her support for LGBTQ youth by going Purple for Spirit Day, appearing on “Hands”, GLAAD’s song to benefit the victims of Pulse, and more. During Pride Month 2017, she penned an open letter to the community for Billboard, in which she wrote, “It’s actually you that lifts me up. The unwavering loyalty. Acceptance! Your stories are what inspire me, bring me joy, and make me and my sons strive to be better people.”
Britney Spears took to the stage during the gala to accept her Vanguard Award, and talk about acceptance:
“To be accepted unconditionally and to be able to express yourself as an individual through art is such a blessing. Events like this show the world that we are not alone. We can all join hands together and know that we are all beautiful,” Spears told the audience.
Previous Vanguard Award honorees include Patricia Arquette, Kerry Washington, Elizabeth Taylor, Jennifer Lopez, Cher, Demi Lovato, Whoopi Goldberg, Antonio Banderas, Drew Barrymore, Janet Jackson, and Sharon Stone.
Other notable award recipients from the music world announced on Thursday night included rapper and music mogul Jay-Z, who was recognized with a special honor from Glaad for his song “Smile,” off his most recent album.
The song featured a collaboration from his mother, Gloria Carter, who used the song to reveal that she was a lesbian.
The 29th annual GLAAD Media Awards will air on Logo on Wednesday, April 18, with the winners for most categories set to be announced during a ceremony set for May 5th at the the New York Hilton Midtown.
