Liza Minnelli shocks with surprise appearance at 2026 GLAAD Awards

Anthony Robledo, USA TODAYFri, March 6, 2026 at 12:04 PM UTC

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BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. − Liza Minnelli blessed the queer community with her presence as she made a rare public and surprise appearance at the 2026 GLAAD Media Awards.

Host Jonathan Bennett had hyped up a special guest appearance that would not disappoint, causing conversations inside the Beverly Hilton hotel ballroom about which icon was worthy of such a dramatic entrance. By the end of the night, synchronized chorus dancers surrounded the music legend on stage with a classic Broadway‑style performance before unveiling Minneli.

Pianist and friend Michael Feinstein gave a touching tribute about her impact and allyship before she accepted GLAAD's first-ever storyteller award. "Our stories give us strength. The queer community could not wish for a bigger and more wonderful advocate, friend and ally. The greatest storyteller of all time."

"You make me so proud because you're strong and you stand up for what you believe in. You really do and it's so nice to be here with you," Minnelli said after receiving a standing ovation. "I feel like a five-year-old. I didn't make a speech, so now I'm just rattling away."

Liza Minnelli, Michael Feinstein and host Jonathan Bennett perform onstage during the 37th Annual GLAAD Media Awards at The Beverly Hilton on March 5, 2026, in Beverly Hills, California.

Her honor comes ahead of her memoir, which will be published on March 10.

The awards ceremony honoring achievements in the representation of LGBTQ people across pop culture and media welcomed stars, including reality TV personality Frankie Grande, "Pluribus" star Rhea Seehorn, "Abbott Elementary" creator Quinta Brunson, "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" creator Rob McElhenney, and "Stranger Things" star Noah Schnapp.

1 / 0Demi Lovato, Liza Minnelli make surprise appearances at the 2026 GLAAD Awards

It’s time to strut a pose on the 2026 GLAAD Media Awards red carpet.

This year’s ceremony on Thursday, March 5, will spotlight 291 nominees across 32 categories reaffirming the organization’s mission of acceptance and visibility for LGBTQ+ people in media.

The 37th edition of the GLAAD Media Awards will honor Emmy and Golden Globe winner Quinta Brunson, who will receive the Vanguard Award for her impact on inclusive storytelling in entertainment with “Abbott Elementary,” and also Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers. U.S. Olympic gold medalist figure skater Amber Glenn will also make a special appearance and Demi Lovato is set to perform. Scroll through for some of the best looks and appearances from the red carpet and the night, including Lovato taking the stage.

Demi Lovato stuns with an electrifying performance

Demi Lovato kicked off the show with an upbeat performance of "Kiss," off her latest dance-pop album "It's Not That Deep." The rendition was both mesmerizing and sensual, as backup dancers got intimate, Lovato's vocals and electric choreography transformed the elegant banquet atmosphere into a nightclub.

Demi Lovato performs onstage during the 37th annual GLAAD Media Awards at The Beverly Hilton on March 5, 2026, in Beverly Hills, California.

The "Heartattack" singer later returned to present the Stephen F. Kolzak Award to Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers, for their work hosting the "Las Culturistas" podcast. "They came together as closeted comedy nerds when they were students at NYU. Since then, these two besties have grown into creative powerhouses as the cornerstones of pop culture," she said.

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Yang and Rogers celebrated 10 years of their podcast while speaking out on trans rights. The pair announced a $10,000 donation through Equality Kansas to help transgender people impacted by Senate Bill 244, which invalidated the driver's licenses of transgender candidates immediately and required them to go to restrooms of their sex assigned at birth.

Laverne Cox condemns attacks on transgender rights

Actress and LGBTQ advocate Laverne Cox captivated the audience during her award acceptance speech, where she called the United States a "fascist state."

The "Orange Is The New Black" alum spoke as the subject of MS NOW's "The Weekend" segment, in which Cox discussed the importance of WorldPride during the Trump administration. The segment titled "community during fascism" won the award show's outstanding TV journalism segment category, presented by former CNN anchor Don Lemon.

From left: Laverne Cox, Eugene Daniels, Elaijah Gibbs-Jones and Jonathan Capehart accept an award onstage during the 37th Annual GLAAD Media Awards at The Beverly Hilton on March 5, 2026 in Beverly Hills, California.

"Nothing that is going on should be normalized," she said. "What we have over the past seven years, I would say is a strategic, well-funded, calculated effort to systematically dehumanize transgender people. To make us subhuman."

She encouraged the community to stay mobilized by choosing love over hate. "We can not meet their incivility with civility. We have to meet it with force and fight."

'Heated Rivalry' wins best new TV series

The success of the Hollywood blockbuster "Wicked" was at the center of the 2025 GLAAD Awards, where Cynthia Erivo was honored with the Stephen F. Kolzak Award for her lasting impact in raising visibility and empowering the queer community.

From left: Brendan Brady, Nadine Bhabha, Jacob Tierney, Connor Storrie, François Arnaud, Christina Chang and Robbie G.K. accept an award onstage during the 37th Annual GLAAD Media Awards at The Beverly Hilton on March 5, 2026 in Beverly Hills, California.

This year, the beloved queer hockey romance series "Heated Rivalry" and its iconic "cottage" episode were on full blast this year. Stars Connor Storrie, François Arnaud and Robbie Graham-Kuntz could not find a moment alone during the award show, with cameras and admirers gazing at their every motion. Bennett also got in on the "Heated Rivalry" fixation. Among the host's multiple costume changes – including a look inspired by the show "Boots" and a full drag look with the help of "RuPaul's Drag Race" winner Symone – was a hockey player's uniform in a skit, in which he fell to his knees and had to present an award from the floor.

In his acceptance speech, creator Jacob Tierney spoke to the challenges of getting queer art made and seen. He thanked shows like "The L Word," "Queer as Folk," "Dante's Cove" and "Transparent" for paving a path for shows like "Heated Rivalry" to exist. "As problematic as they can be, those shows laid the groundwork," he said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: GLAAD Awards 2026: Liza Minnelli shocks, 'Heated Rivalry' wins big

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