Sam Smith honoured with GLAAD award

SAM Smith was honoured with their first GLAAD award on Thursday night at the virtual GLAAD Media Awards.

The Love Goes hitmaker accepted the Outstanding Music Artist award virtually from pop sensation Katy Perry at the annual GLAAD Media Awards, which celebrates LGBTQ+ representation across the world.

Thanking them for the accolade, Smith appeared via video link and said: “I watch these award shows every year, and it really means a lot to me to be getting this, so thank you very much.

“Music has remained this constant force of unity throughout the world... And looking at this category tonight, of all of these albums, these are the albums that got me and got all of us through... ”

Introducing the Too Good at Goodbyes hitmaker, Perry spoke of the importance of music during the pandemic. She said: “Music helped us get through this very difficult time, when not much else did.

“I mean, our fabulous clothes just stayed on the hangers while we lived in sweats every single day. I also had a baby. [These nominees] bought hope, happiness, resilience, and even just plain old escapism.”

Elsewhere at the awards, Naya Rivera and her iconic Glee character, Santana Lopez, was remembered by her fellow castmates including Demi Lovato, who played Naya’s girlfriend on the show.

Speaking about her late friend, Lovato said: “I will always cherish the chance I got to play Naya’s girlfriend Dani on Glee. The character Naya played, Santana Lopez, was groundbreaking for closeted queer girls like I was at the time and her ambition and accomplishments inspired Latina women all over the world."