Last night's 29th Annual GLAAD Media Awards ceremony in Hollywood, Calif., was all but taken over by GRAMMY-winning pop star Britney Spears. Spears, a longtime LGBTQ advocate, was on hand to accept the Vanguard Award, which is presented to media professionals who have made a significant difference in promoting equality and acceptance of LGBTQ people.
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While she did not perform, Spears gave a short, uplifting speech. Her mere presence at the event was the talk of Tinseltown.
“We can all join hands together here and know that we are all beautiful," said Spears in her speech. "And we can lift each other up and we can show our gifts without hesitation. Being a mother has shown me what it means to love unconditionally and you in this room [have] showed me throughout my career what it means to be loved unconditionally. It’s such an honor to be here.”
"Britney has broken the show," said Wanda Sykes, the evening's host. Apparently, the teleprompter stopped working after Spears's speech, preventing Sykes from continuing with the show. "Everyone has left their posts," Sykes said before someone brought her a tablet with the script.
The ceremony also recognized and honored media professionals from the world of music, film, television, print, and digital for fair, accurate, and inclusive representation of the LGBTQ community.
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GLAAD also honored Jay-Z’s song and video “Smile,” which features his mother, Gloria Carter, who used the song as a platform to come out as a lesbian.
Starting in June, Spears will embark on a tour this summer of the U.S. and U.K. A full list of dates and ticket info can be found at Spears' website.
