Posted in: CBS, Star Trek, streaming, TV | Tagged: Outfest, paramount, star trek, star trek: discovery

Star Trek: 2022 Outfest Honoring Franchise with Visionary Award

The Outfest Legacy Awards will honor the Star Trek franchise with its Visionary Award at Paramount Studios on October 22nd. The Visionary Award recognizes creative or artistic contributions to LGBTQIA+ visibility within media. Its 2021 recipient was Marvel Studios' President of Physical and Post Production, Visual Effects, and Animation Production, Victoria Alonso. Star Trek joins a list of honorees set for this year's Outfest Legacy Awards, which also includes actress and musician Janelle Monáe, Amazon's Glamazon Employee Resource Group, and Outfest's Deputy Director Kerri Stoughton-Jackson, as previously announced. Monáe will receive Outfest's Trailblazer Award, with Glamazon taking the Guardian Award and Stoughton-Jackson claiming the Jonathan Howard Legacy Award.

IMDb's Chief Operating Officer Nikki Santoro will present the 2022 Visionary Award to Star Trek, with Discovery star Wilson Cruz to accept on behalf of the franchise. "As a self-proclaimed proud 'Trekkie,' I have always been enamored with the Star Trek universe, originating with Gene Roddenberry's original canon, that has been created and expanded by so many visionaries, artists and talent, both above and below line," said Outfest's Executive Director, Damien S. Navarro. "We are excited to celebrate the dozens of 'ahead-of-their time' films, series, animation, games, art, and graphic novels that continue to feature some of the most well-rounded, diverse, and queer characters and their storylines."

Since its premiere in 1966 on NBC, Star Trek became a rare phenomenon, with its multi-ethnic cast becoming a sci-fi institution. While the series was canceled after three seasons, the franchise would have a resurgence thanks to the cinematic success of 1977's Star Wars, allowing The Original Series cast to have a second life on film generating six films. It would also achieve sustained viability on syndication starting with 1987's Star Trek: The Next Generation, which continued to legacy challenging the social status quo along with several spinoffs.

With the franchise's re-emergence in the streaming era on Paramount+, Star Trek embraced a broader representation embracing the LGBTQIA+ community within its cast from Discovery onward, including Cruz, Anthony Rapp, Blu del Barrio, Emily Coutts, and Mary Wiseman. Outfest is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit — this year, celebrating its 40th anniversary — which looks to bolster the entertainment careers of LGBTQIA+ artists, as well as the exhibition and preservation of underrepresented stories. The organization's upcoming edition of the Legacy Awards will feature special appearances by Fran Drescher, Javicia Leslie, Ronen Rubinstein, Rafael Silva, and Brian Michael Smith, along with special performances by Tolliver and DJ Cquestt. For more information on the event or to purchase tickets, you can check it out here.

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