Horror is again taking the spotlight during awards season. The GLAAD Media Awards released its nominations for its 35th Annual awards ceremony in 2024 after the organization accepted the Governor’s Award from the Television Academy at the 75th annual Primetime Emmy Awards. The GLAAD Media Awards “recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community and the issues that affect their lives.”
Why are awards important to horror? Because nominations and awards bring prestige to the genre, not that it needs it, and raise its profile as a genre of filmmaking that is worthy of respect. For too long, scary movies weren’t considered prestige projects, and the work that actors and the crew weren’t seen as being good enough to be nominated—no more. If anything, horror has become a hot genre that attracts top talent and big audiences. Horror never had a problem with drawing a big audience, but still, it’s bringing more respect to the films that we love. Read more: New Chucky Clip Finds Our Favorite Killer Doll Taunting Teens From The White House.
Outstanding Film – Wide Theatrical Release
The Blackening (Lionsgate Films)
It’s a Wonderful Knife (RLJE Films)
Knock at the Cabin (Universal Pictures)
Out of ten nominees in the category of Outstanding Film – Wide Theatrical Release, GLAAD picked three of the horror releases in 2023 as being worthy of the honor. This includes the hilarious horror comedy The Blackening, the sublime slasher It’s a Wonderful Knife (our Fango #22 subscriber cover), and M. Night Shyamalan’s Knock at the Cabin. All three are strong choices for this honor, and they all offer inclusive casts and terrific scares. Read more: The Blackening Is Getting A Sequel.
Outstanding Film – Limited Theatrical Release
Summoning Sylvia (The Horror Collective)
The Outstanding Film – Limited Theatrical Release only has one terror-ific nominee, but that still counts. Summoning Sylvia was released by The Horror Collective. It is a delightful LGBTQ+ horror comedy about a gay bachelor party where the attendees make the mistake of summoning the murderous ghost of the former occupant of the house and get more than they bargained for when they can’t send the spirit back.
Outstanding New Series
The Last of Us (HBO)
Get used to seeing the title The Last of Us in connection with awards ceremonies. Not only is the show getting great ratings, it was nominated for 24 Creative and Primetime Emmys. Showrunner Craig Mazin (Chernobyl) has done a wonderful job of bringing a different kind of zombie apocalypse to the screen with a lot of heart and terror. It’s not just the fans of the video game adaptation that make the show as popular as it is. It is universal among fans of great shows and it is definitely an Outstanding New Series.
Outstanding Drama Series
Chucky (SyFy/USA Network)
Yellowjackets (Showtime)
In the category of Outstanding Drama Series, GLAAD has nominated two series that fall into the horror genre. Chucky, which is creator Don Mancini’s brainchild. What would Chucky do if he ended up being bought by a young LGBTQ high school student? As usual, there will be plenty of mayhem and wisecracks. The show takes a new setting and goes wild. Yellowjackets is another series that is different from most television shows. The show has two tracks that tell the story of a girl’s soccer team trapped in the Canadian wilderness and how they survived. The series shows what happened to the girls and others after the crash in the snow and then follows their lives as adults.
Outstanding Comedy Series
What We Do In The Shadows (FX)
This is going to be the sixth and last season of this wonderfully daffy horror comedy; this beloved comedy is being recognized by GLAAD with a nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series. This is the television adaptation of the film of the same name which showed a documentary crew trying to make a movie about a group of vampire friends. It shows the life of the vampires and their familiar, Guillermo de la Cruz. As you can imagine, vampiric and other supernatural hijinks ensue. The show was created by one of the co-creators and stars of the film, Jemaine Clement. Read more: FX’s What We Do In The Shadows Is Ending With Season 6.
Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series
The Fall of the House of Usher (Netflix)
Mike Flanagan, the esteemed director and showrunner for an immensely popular “Flanaverse” or the five limited miniseries that he has created for Netflix, has been nominated for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series for his last Netflix miniseries, The Fall of the House of Usher.
Outstanding Reality Program
Living for the Dead (Hulu)
If you love ghost hunting shows, and you would like to watch one with LGBTQ ghosthunters, this GLAAD nominee, Living for the Dead is for you. Produced by Kristen Stewart, it concerns “five fabulous, queer ghost hunters Alex Le May, Juju Bae, Ken Boggle, Logan Taylor, and Roz Hernandez, who all have special talents relating to paranormal investigation.” The show premiered this year and is already getting nominated for a GLAAD award, which is great.
Outstanding Reality Competition Program
The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula (Shudder/AMC+)
The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula has also been nominated in the category of Outstanding Reality Competition Program, and this wild and creative show definitely deserves it. The show’s competition centers on horror-based challenges searching for the “World’s next Dragula Supermonster.” If you didn’t think that horror can be this glamorous, it sure can.
Outstanding Children’s Programming
Monster High (Nickelodeon)
GLAAD has not forgotten about gateway horror with the nomination for Monster High. It is an animated TV show about the children of the classic horror monsters who attend New Salem High School, Frankie Stein, Draculaura, and Clawdeen Wolf. The frights are obviously more gentle, but kids love horror too.
Outstanding Kids & Family Programming or Film – Animated
The Ghost and Molly McGee (Disney Channel)
The second nominee that is also gateway horror is the story of a very grumpy ghost and his new bestie Molly McGee, a tween who always looks on the bright side. Their two attitudes clash as the opposites are fated to be together forever and Molly gets to know more about the spirit world.
