Actress and singer Michaela Jaé “Mj” Rodriguez will be honored with the Stephen F. Kolzak Award at the 33rd annual GLAAD Media Awards.
Named after the legendary casting director, the Stephen F. Kolzak Award honors an LGBTQ media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting LGBTQ acceptance. Previous recipients include Laverne Cox, Jim Parsons, Wanda Sykes, Troye Sivan, Ruby Rose, Chaz Bono, Stephen Warren, Melissa Etheridge and Sir Ian McKellen.
“Michaela Jaé Rodriguez is an undeniable talent who is changing the way audiences understand trans people while breaking down barriers for the trans community and LGBTQ people of color within the entertainment industry,” GLAAD president & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said.
Rodriguez is known for her role as Blanca Evangelista, a young house mother living with HIV, in FX’s “Pose.” The performance has earned her a Golden Globe win and an Emmy nomination — making her the first transgender woman to win a Golden Globe and earn an Emmy nod in a lead or supporting actor category.
She also became the first openly transgender woman to win Best Actress – Television at the NAACP Image Awards for the role.
“Her performance as Blanca on ‘Pose’ was one of the most important and impactful roles in the history of LGBTQ representation on television, and she continues to spearhead the future of trans visibility and inclusion in entertainment through her talent on screen, in music, and as a passionate activist,” Ellis said in her statement Wednesday.
Prior to “Pose,” Rodriguez began her career in theater, appearing in Off-Broadway productions at the New Ohio Theatre, New World Stages and Encores! Off Center. In 2019, she returned to the stage when she appeared in “Little Shop of Horrors” at the Pasadena Playhouse.
Most recently, Rodriguez acted in Netflix’s “tick, tick…BOOM!” directed by Lin Manuel Miranda. She’ll next be seen starring alongside Maya Rudolph in the upcoming Apple TV+ series “Loot.”
The GLAAD Media Awards aim to honor media for fair, accurate and inclusive representations of LGBTQ people and issues. Last month, the organization announced 246 nominees for the upcoming ceremony, including Lil Nas X, Demi Lovato, “Pose” and “tick, tick…BOOM!”
Winners will be unveiled at ceremonies to be held in Los Angeles at the Beverly Hilton on April 2, and in New York at the Hilton Midtown on May 6. Rodriguez will accept her award in Los Angeles.
For the past two years, the awards gatherings have been virtual.