Demi Lovato to Perform at 37th GLAAD Awards

Demi Lovato joins Jonathan Bennett for a historic night at the 37th GLAAD Awards.

Demi Lovato to Perform

Can a single performance on a Los Angeles stage actually shift the needle for global representation? When Demi Lovato steps onto the stage at the 37th GLAAD Media Awards on March 16, she won’t just be singing for a room of celebrities; she’ll be anchoring a movement that has spent decades moving from the fringes to the center of Hollywood’s power structure.

Hosted by Jonathan Bennett, this year’s ceremony is being framed as a prelude to a new era of queer visibility in media.

The Return of the Vanguard

Demi Lovato isn’t a stranger to this stage. As a previous Vanguard Award recipient, her return to perform—presented by Hyundai—serves as a bridge to her upcoming “It’s Not That Deep” arena tour.

It is a calculated, powerful move. Performers of her caliber rarely do award shows just for the trophy; they do them to reinforce a message.

• The Hosting Factor: Jonathan Bennett, a winner himself for The Groomsmen: Second Chances, brings a level of insider charm that keeps the show grounded in the community it serves.
• The Streaming Reach: For the first time, the massive scale of this event will be fully accessible on Hulu, moving the conversation from a private ballroom to a global audience.

The “Heated Rivalry” Shift

While the headlines focus on Gaga and Elton John, the real story of the 37th GLAAD Awards is the rise of niche storytelling like Heated Rivalry.

This Jacob Tierney-directed series, starring Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, represents a shift in what audiences crave. It isn’t just about “coming out” stories anymore; it is about high-stakes, complex human drama that just happens to be queer.

Nominated for Outstanding New TV Series, Heated Rivalry proves that pop culture phenomena are no longer limited to the big networks.

The creatives and cast will be out in force, signaling that the industry is finally rewarding projects that prioritize authentic internal conflict over external stereotypes.

Past the Spotlight

It is easy to get swept up in the glamour of Kristen Wiig, Laverne Cox, and Tom Daley walking the carpet. However, a “Counter-Intuitive” look at these ceremonies reveals a few things people usually miss:

1. Reputation over Representation: A nomination for a “Wide Theatrical Release” like The History of Sound (starring Paul Mescal) is vital, but fans often mistake star power for structural change. A movie with two A-listers doesn’t always mean the set was inclusive behind the camera.
2. The Music Artist Trap: The Outstanding Music Artist category is packed with legends like Elton John. While their presence is historic, true growth happens when smaller, independent artists in the same category get the same level of marketing oxygen.
3. The “Vanguard” Responsibility: When a previous winner like Lovato returns, the expectation is higher. It is no longer enough to be “proud”; the industry now looks for artists who are actively funding or producing queer-led content.

Key Takeaway:

The 37th GLAAD Media Awards are a barometer for how much the industry is willing to invest in stories that don’t just “feature” diversity, but are built on it.

The Final Word

As the nominations for Kiss of the Spider Woman and The Wedding Banquet show, the cinematic reach of the LGBTQ+ community is expanding into every genre.

With Lovato’s voice leading the night, March 16 will likely be remembered not just for who won, but for the sheer volume of voices finally being heard at the same time.