The LGBTQ+ media advocacy organization GLAAD announced that it will honor award-winning actress, singer and activist Michaela Jae (Mj) Rodriguez with the Stephen F. Kolzak Award at the 33rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles at the Beverly Hilton on Saturday, April 2.
The GLAAD Media Awards honor media for fair, accurate, and inclusive representations of LGBTQ people and issues.
“Michaela Jae Rodriguez is an undeniable talent who is changing the way audiences understand trans people while breaking down barriers for the trans community and LGBTQ people of color within the entertainment industry,” said GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis in a statement. “Her performance as Blanca on Pose was one of the most important and impactful roles in the history of LGBTQ representation on television, and she continues to spearhead the future of trans visibility and inclusion in entertainment through her talent on screen, in music, and as a passionate activist.”
Rodriguez rose to fame with her critically acclaimed performance as Blanca Evangelista in FX’s Pose. Her portrayal as the young house mother living with HIV earned her a Golden Globe win and an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Lead Role, making her the first trans woman to earn a win in the entire history of the Golden Globes and the first trans woman to earn an Emmy nomination in a lead or supporting acting category. Rodriguez is also the first openly transgender woman to win Best Actress – Television at the NAACP Imagen Awards.
Before appearing on Pose, Rodriguez worked primarily in theater, appearing in Off-Broadway productions at the New Ohio Theatre, New World Stages, and Encores! Off Center.