The GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film – Wide Release is an annual award that honors films that received a wide release for excellence in the depiction of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) characters and themes. It is one of several categories of the annual GLAAD Media Awards, which are presented by GLAAD—an American non-governmental media monitoring organization founded in 1985, formerly called the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation—at ceremonies in New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco between March and June.
The award was given for the first time during the 2nd GLAAD Media Awards in 1991 to Longtime Companion, distributed by The Samuel Goldwyn Company, and The Handmaid's Tale, distributed by Cinecom. There were only two more instances in which two films shared the award: Frankie and Johnny and Fried Green Tomatoes in 1992, and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Go Fish in 1995. While no film was recognized in 1993, the award has been present at every ceremony since 1994. At the 7th GLAAD Media Awards, a clear distinction was made between films that received a wide release versus a limited release, with this award being titled as Outstanding Studio Film, before being retitled to its current name the following year. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cinema, during the ceremonies in 2021 and 2022, the category also included films released by major studios on streaming services for a premium fee of $19 or more. Starting with the 2023 ceremony, due to the reorganization of the categories, this award now excludes streaming films.
For a film to be eligible, it must be released by a recognized film distribution company and play for paid admission in Los Angeles for seven consecutive days. Wide release is defined by a combination of criteria such as the numbers of screens, budget, and visibility. The award may be accepted by any of the film's producers, directors, writers, or actors. Wide-released films selected by GLAAD are evaluated based on four criteria: "Fair, Accurate, and Inclusive Representations" of the LGBT community, "Boldness and Originality" of the project, significant "Impact" on mainstream culture, and "Overall Quality" of the project. GLAAD monitors mainstream media to identify which films will be nominated, while also issuing a Call for Entries that encourages media outlets to submit films for consideration. By contrast, in order for films created by and for LGBT audiences to be considered for nomination, they must be submitted after the Call for Entries. Winners are determined by a plurality vote by GLAAD staff and its board, Shareholders Circle members, volunteers and affiliated individuals.
Since its inception, the award has been given to 38 films. At the 37th GLAAD Media Awards in 2026, the award was given to Kiss of the Spider Woman, distributed by Lionsgate.
Winners and nominees Initially, GLAAD only announced the winners during press releases, with the awards being given during the ceremonies. For the 7th GLAAD Media Awards in 1996, GLAAD made the list of nominees in this category publicly available, announcing the winner at a latter date. Since then, the nominees in all categories have been made public.
+ Table key Indicates the winner
1990s + Award year Film Distributor 1991(2nd) Cinecom Longtime Companion The Samuel Goldwyn Company 1992(3rd) Frankie and Johnny Paramount Pictures Fried Green Tomatoes Universal Pictures 1994(5th) Philadelphia TriStar Pictures 1995(6th) Gramercy Pictures Go Fish The Samuel Goldwyn Company 1996(7th) Boys on the Side Warner Bros. Carrington Gramercy Pictures Home for the Holidays Paramount Pictures To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar Universal Pictures 1997(8th) Bound Gramercy Pictures Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Flirting with Disaster Miramax Get on the Bus Columbia Pictures Set It Off New Line Cinema 1998(9th) In & Out Paramount Pictures As Good as It Gets TriStar Pictures Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil Warner Bros. My Best Friend's Wedding TriStar Pictures 1999(10th) Gods and Monsters Regent Entertainment 20th Century Fox Sony Pictures Classics Wilde
2000s + Award year Film Distributor 2000(11th) Being John Malkovich USA Films Big Daddy Columbia Pictures Election Paramount Pictures Flawless Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Happy, Texas Miramax 2001(12th) Billy Elliot Universal Focus Best in Show Warner Bros. Pictures Paramount Pictures Wonder Boys 2002(13th) DreamWorks Pictures 2003(14th) Paramount Pictures Far from Heaven Focus Features Frida Miramax Lionsgate Films Sweet Home Alabama Touchstone Pictures 2004(15th) Bend It Like Beckham Fox Searchlight Pictures Under the Tuscan Sun Touchstone Pictures 2005(16th) Kinsey Fox Searchlight Pictures Alexander Warner Bros. Pictures Warner Independent Pictures Monster Newmarket Films Saved! United Artists 2006(17th) Brokeback Mountain Focus Features Capote Sony Pictures Classics 20th Century Fox Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Warner Bros. Rent Sony Pictures 2007(18th) Little Miss Sunshine Fox Searchlight Pictures Miramax Running with Scissors TriStar Pictures Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby Columbia Pictures V for Vendetta Warner Bros. Pictures 2008(19th) Stardust Paramount Pictures Across the Universe Revolution Studios Sony Pictures Classics 2009(20th) Milk Focus Features Brideshead Revisited Miramax Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist Columbia Pictures RocknRolla Warner Bros. Vicky Cristina Barcelona
2010s + Award year Film Distributor 2010(21st) Everybody's Fine Miramax I Love You, Man DreamWorks Pictures Precious Lionsgate Films Taking Woodstock Focus Features 2011(22nd) Focus Features Burlesque Screen Gems Easy A Screen Gems Music Box Films Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Universal Pictures 2012(23rd) Beginners Focus Features Albert Nobbs Entertainment One J. Edgar Warner Bros. Pictures 2013(24th) Summit Entertainment Fox Searchlight Pictures Cloud Atlas Warner Bros. Pictures ParaNorman Focus Features Your Sister's Sister IFC Films 2014(25th) Philomena Blue Is the Warmest Colour Sundance Selects Dallas Buyers Club Focus Features Kill Your Darlings Sony Pictures Classics Sony Pictures Releasing 2015(26th) Love Is Strange Sony Pictures Classics Pride CBS Films Roadside Attractions Tammy Warner Bros. Pictures 2016(27th) Carol Focus Features Dope Open Road Films Freeheld Lionsgate Grandma Sony Pictures Classics 2017(28th) Moonlight A24 Star Trek Beyond Paramount Pictures 2018(29th) Call Me by Your Name Sony Pictures Classics Battle of the Sexes Fox Searchlight Lady Bird A24 Professor Marston and the Wonder Women Annapurna Pictures Fox Searchlight 2019(30th) Love, Simon 20th Century Fox Blockers Universal Pictures Crazy Rich Asians Warner Bros. Deadpool 2 20th Century Fox Sony Pictures
2020s + Award year Film Distributor 2020(31st) Booksmart United Artists Releasing Bombshell Lionsgate Downton Abbey Focus Features Judy Roadside Attractions Rocketman Paramount Pictures 2021(32nd) Happiest Season Hulu/TriStar Pictures Sony Pictures Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Netflix 2022(33rd) Eternals Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Everybody's Talking About Jamie Amazon Studios Netflix tick, tick... BOOM! West Side Story Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures 2023(34th) Bros Universal Pictures A Man Called Otto Sony Pictures Bodies Bodies Bodies A24 Everything Everywhere All at Once Lightyear Pixar Nope Universal Pictures Scream Paramount Pictures Spoiler Alert Focus Features Strange World Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Tár Focus Features 2024(35th) Bottoms Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Chris Gardner, "GLAAD Media Awards: ‘Fellow Travelers,’ ‘All of Us Strangers,’ ‘Bottoms’ and Ice Spice Among Nominees" . The Hollywood Reporter, January 17, 2024. All of Us Strangers Searchlight Pictures American Fiction Amazon MGM Studios Anyone but You Columbia Pictures The Blackening Lionsgate Films The Color Purple Warner Bros. It's a Wonderful Knife RLJE Films Knock at the Cabin Universal Pictures Moving On Roadside Attractions Shortcomings Sony Pictures Classics 2025(36th) My Old Ass Amazon MGM Studios Cuckoo Neon Drive-Away Dolls Focus Features Love Lies Bleeding A24 Mean Girls Paramount Pictures Problemista A24 Queer Wicked Universal Pictures2026(37th) Kiss of the Spider Woman Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions/LD EntertainmentBlue MoonSony Pictures ClassicsChristyBlack Bear PicturesClown in a CornfieldRLJE Films/ShudderDownton Abbey: The Grand FinaleFocus FeaturesThe History of SoundMubi (streaming service)I Know What You Did Last SummerSony Pictures Motion Picture GroupOn Swift HorsesSony Pictures ClassicsTwinlessRoadside AttractionsThe Wedding BanquetBleecker Street
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