It has not been a normal year for television. For one, the Emmys are happening in January. With dual SAG/WGA strikes lasting from May to October, release dates, production schedules, and awards seasons were shifted as creatives fought for just a small portion of what they deserve.

The strikes might be over but the reckoning in Hollywood continues. Studios and tech companies that own studios continue to chase profits to appease boards with little attention to the television itself. The streaming bubble is bursting and the boom of queer television we’ve witnessed over the last decade has started to subside. But while these trends occur, the artists themselves continue to make incredible work. When the Autostraddle TV Awards were first started as the “Gay Emmys,” the intention was to honor the queer media that the mainstream often ignores. That’s more important than ever as we fight not to lose the progress we’ve gained.

Even though many of these shows have been canceled and not given the proper recognition from the people who financed them, they deserve recognition from us. Queer TV will never be about the shareholders — it will always be about the artists and the audiences who connect with their work.

How it Works: For the past few weeks, the knowledgeable and passionate queer critics who make up our TV Team have collaborated on a lengthy process to determine the year’s nominees in each of our Autostraddle TV Awards categories. We have 21 whole categories, and while there is some overlap with the Emmys, we also feature our own original categories that celebrate LGBTQ+ achievements — including awards specifically for out performers — as well as awards for other parts of the television landscape that don’t often get love from mainstream awards systems, like genre television. We took a massive list of potential nominees and voted to narrow that down to just six nominees per category — except in cases where there were ties and there are seven nominees… and, in one case, eight.

Now, it’s your turn to help us pick the winners. Individual Autostraddle readers can vote once in each category. Your votes will be combined with the TV Team’s final votes to choose the winners.

There are also three fan-favorite categories that YOU get to decide completely yourselves! Those categories are Fan Favorite Couples, Fan Favorite Character, and Fan Favorite Out Queer Actor.

We follow the same rules as the Emmys as far as timeline, which means the shows must have aired between June 1, 2022 and May 31, 2023 in order to be eligible. While the show’s full season does not need to have aired during that range, most of its episodes must have aired. We also follow Emmy submissions in determining what counts as a drama vs. a comedy.

Here is your official ballot!

Voting is now open and will close on Monday, January 8 at 5p.m. EST. The winners will be announced on January 12.

AND THE NOMINEES FOR THE 6TH ANNUAL AUTOSTRADDLE TV AWARDS ARE…

Outstanding Drama Series

A League of Their Own (Prime Video)
High School (Freevee)
P-Valley, Season 2 (Starz)
Yellowjackets, Season 2 (Showtime)
Dead Ringers (Prime Video)
Bad Sisters (Apple TV+)

Outstanding Comedy Series

Sort Of, Season 2 (HBO Max)
Poker Face (Peacock)
XO Kitty (Netflix)
A Black Lady Sketch Show, Season 4 (HBO Max)
Reservation Dogs, Season 2 (FX)
Heartbreak High (Netflix)
Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies (Paramount+)

Outstanding Sci-Fi/Fantasy Series

The Last of Us (HBO Max)
Paper Girls (Prime Video)
Willow (Disney+)
Motherland: Fort Salem, Season 3 (Freeform)
First Kill (Netflix)
Warrior Nun (Netflix)

Outstanding Animated Series

The Owl House, Season 3 (Disney Channel)
Pinecone & Pony, Season 2 (Apple TV)
Harley Quinn, Season 3 (Max)
Star Trek: Lower Decks, Season 3 (Paramount+)
Big Mouth, Season 6 (Netflix)
The Legend of Vox Machina, Season 2 (Prime Video)

Outstanding Lead Actor Playing an LGBTQ+ Character in a Drama Series

Jasmin Savoy Brown as Taissa Turner, Yellowjackets
Rachel Weisz as Beverly, Dead Ringers
Abbi Jacobson as Carson Shaw, A League of Their Own
Chante Adams as Max Chapman, A League of Their Own
D’Arcy Carden as Greta Gill, A League of Their Own
Rosanny Zayas as Sophie Suarez, The L Word: Generation Q
Jesse James Keitel as Ruthie, Queer as Folk
Dominique Fishback as Dre, Swarm

Outstanding Supporting or Guest Actor Playing an LGBTQ+ Character in a Drama Series

Lea Robinson as Bertie, A League of Their Own
E.R. Fightmaster as Kai, Grey’s Anatomy
Nabiyah Be as Simone Jackson, Daisy Jones and the Six
Roberta Colindrez as Lupe, A League of Their Own
Sabrina Impacciatore as Valentina, The White Lotus
Rosie O’Donnell as Carrie, The L Word: Generation Q

Outstanding Lead Actor Playing an LGBTQ+ Character in a Comedy Series

Anna Cathcart as Kitty Song Covey, XO Kitty
Renee Rapp as Leighton, The Sex Lives of College Girls
Ari Notartomaso as Cynthia, Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies
Bilal Baig as Sabi, Sort Of
Juno Temple as Keeley Jones, Ted Lasso
Jerrie Johnson as Tye, Harlem

Outstanding Supporting or Guest Actor Playing an LGBTQ+ Character in a Comedy Series

Amanda Cordner as 7even, Sort Of
Ashley Park as Naomi, Beef
Jodi Balfour as Jack, Ted Lasso
Gia Kim as Yuri Han, XO Kitty
Maria Bello as Jordan, Beef
Sherry-Lee Watson as Missy, Heartbreak High

Outstanding Lead Actor Playing an LGBTQ+ Character in a Sci-Fi Series

Bella Ramsey as Ellie, The Last of Us
Imani Lewis as Calliope, First Kill
Sarah Catherine Hook as Juliette, First Kill
Erin Kellyman as Jade Claymore, Willow
Ruby Cruz as Princess Kit Tanthalos, Willow
Elliot Page as Viktor Hargreeves, The Umbrella Academy

Outstanding Supporting or Guest Actor Playing an LGBTQ+ Character in a Sci-Fi Series

Storm Reid as Riley, The Last of Us
Amalia Holm as Scylla Ramshorn, Motherland: Fort Salem
Mia McKenna-Bruce as Mia Karp, Vampire Academy
Rhian Blundell as Meredith Beckham, Vampire Academy
Daisy Head as Judy Talbot, The Sandman
Madeline Zima as Casey, Doom Patrol
Celina Martin as Hannah Moore, The Imperfects

Outstanding Performance by a Straight Actress in a Straight Role

Sarah Snook as Shiv Roy, Succession
Melanie Lynskey as Shauna, Yellowjackets
Natasha Lyonne as Charlie, Poker Face
Quinta Brunson as Janine Teagues, Abbott Elementary
Sharon Horgan as Eva Garvey, Bad Sisters
Sheryl Lee Ralph as Barbara Howard, Abbott Elementary

Outstanding Cis Male Character

Pedro Pascal as Joel, The Last of Us
Jeremy Allen White as Carmy, The Bear
Tyler James Williams as Gregory, Abbott Elementary
Lionel Boyce as Marcus, The Bear
Nick Offerman as Bill, The Last of Us
James Marsden as James Marsden, Jury Duty

Santana Lopez Legacy Award For Outstanding Queer Teen Character

Jordan Hull as Angelica Porter-Kennard, The L Word: Generation Q
Anna Cathcart as Kitty Song Covey, XO Kitty
Bella Ramsey as Ellie, The Last of Us
Ari Notartomaso as Cynthia, Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies
Gia Kim as Turi Han, XO Kitty
Akira Akbar as Ashley Banks, Bel-Air

Best Episode with LGBTQ+ Themes

The Last of Us, episode 107: ”Left Behind”
Queer as Folk, episode 106: ”Bleep”
A League of Their Own, episode 106: “Stealing Home”
A League of Their Own, episode 105: ”Back Footed”
High School, episode 105: “Freedom”
Daisy Jones & The Six, episode 107: ”Track 7: She’s Gone”

Outstanding Performance by an Out LGBTQ+ Actor in a Comedy

Ayo Edebiri as Sydney, The Bear
Jonica Blu Booth as Duke, Rap Sh!t
Renee Rapp as Leighton, The Sex Lives of College Girls
Bilal Baig as Sabi, Sort Of
Wanda Sykes as Lucretia Turner, The Upshaws
Caitlin Stasey as Saskia, Class of ’07

Outstanding Performance by an LGBTQ+ Actor in a Drama

Devery Jacobs as Elora Danan, Reservation Dogs
Jasmin Savoy Brown as Taissa Turner, Yellowjackets
Tawny Cypress as Taissa Turner, Yellowjackets
Aubrey Plaza as Harper, The White Lotus
Roberta Colindrez as Lupe, A League of Their Own
Liv Hewson as Van, Yellowjackets

Outstanding LGBTQ+ Actor in a Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show

Bella Ramsey as Ellie, The Last of Us
Elliot Page as Viktor Hargreeves, The Umbrella Academy
Diane Guerrero as Kay/Jane, Doom Patrol
Rutina Wesley as Maria, The Last of Us
Erin Kellyman as Jade Claymore, Willow
Ruby Cruz as Princess Kit Tanthalos, Willow

Outstanding LGBTQ+ Director / Writer / Showrunner

Photos by Daniel Boczarski, JC Olivera, Gregg DeGuire, Jesse Grant, Mike Coppola, Mandoga Media/picture alliance all via Getty Images

Abbi Jacobson and Will Graham, A League of Their Own
Devery Jacobs, Reservation Dogs
Brittani Nichols, Abbott Elementary
Annabel Oakes, Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies
Clea DuVall and Laura Kittrell, High School
Bilal Baig, Sort Of

Most Groundbreaking Representation

XO, Kitty (Netflix)
Sort Of (Max)
Queer as Folk (Peacock)
P-Valley (Starz)
Reservation Dogs (FX)
A League of Their Own (Prime Video)

Outstanding Hairstyling for an LGBTQ+ Character

E.R. Fightmaster as Dr. Kai Bartley, Grey’s Anatomy (hair department head: Desiree Dizard)
Chanté Adams as Max Chapman, A League of Their Own (hair department head: Mary Ann Valdes)
D’Arcy Carden as Greta Gill, A League of Their Own (hair department head: Mary Ann Valdes)
Diane Guerrero as Kay/Jane, Doom Patrol (hair department head: Melizah Anguiano Wheat)
Carmen LoBue as Dre, The L Word: Generation Q (hair department head: Christine Tagatac)
Roberta Colindrez as Lupe, A League of Their Own (hair department head: Mary Ann Valdes)

Outstanding Costume Design for a Show With LGBTQ+ Characters

The Last of Us (HBO Max) (costume design: Cynthia Ann Summers)
The White Lotus (HBO Max) (costume design: Alex Bovaird)
Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies (Paramount+) (costume design: Samantha Hawkins, Angelina Kekich)
Acapulco (Apple TV+) (costume design: Leticia Palacios)
A League of Their Own(Prime Video) (costume design: Nancy Steiner, Trayce Gigi Fields)
A Black Lady Sketch Show (HBO Max) (costume design: Michelle Page Collins)

To vote in the above categories as well as the THREE SPECIAL FAN FAVORITE CATEGORIES*, go forth and:

VOTE IN THE AUTOSTRADDLE TV AWARDS!!!

*When voting in the fan favorite categories, please keep the eligibility guidelines in mind and only nominate couples/characters/actors who appeared in shows that aired between June 1, 2022 and May 31, 2023. Otherwise your vote will be wasted!

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