Robert De Niro to Be Honored at GLAAD Media Awards in New York

Robert De Niro will be honored at the 27th annual GLAAD Media Awards on May 14, 2016 in New York with the Excellence in Media Award, presented to media professionals who have made a significant difference in promoting equality and acceptance.

Previous Excellence in Media Award honorees include Kelly Ripa, Russell Simmons, Tyra Banks, Judy Shepard, Julianne Moore, Glenn Close, Barbara Walters, Bob and Harvey Weinstein, Diane Sawyer, and Vanessa Redgrave.

A longtime ally of the LGBT community, the two time Academy Award-winner explored the life of his closeted father in the 2014 HBO documentary Remembering the Artist: Robert De Niro, Sr.

Related | Robert De Niro: Me & My Gay Dad

De Niro also memorably starred in and produced the 1999 film Flawless about a man who develops an unlikely friendship with a trans woman played by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman. In 2002, he co-founded the Tribeca Film Festival, which has made LGBT inclusion a hallmark of its annual film line-up. And in 2007, De Niro played the openly gay Captain Shakespeare in Stardust.

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"Through his work honoring the memory of his openly gay father, Robert De Niro has not only sent a message of acceptance to LGBT people, but also educated audiences of the harms of anti-LGBT prejudice and discrimination," GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a press release. "He is a tireless advocate who has helped bring to the world LGBT storylines that spark dialogue, build support, and encourage understanding."

GLAAD recently held the L.A. edition of its Media Awards, honoring Demi Lovato, Ruby Rose, and Caitlyn Jenner among others. The New York awards ceremony will be held at the Waldorf Astoria on May 14, 2016.