"Heartstopper" and "Yellowjackets" take the Dorian Awards

by Nathaniel R

The 14th annual Dorian Award TV winners have been announced. Mike White's anthology series The White Lotus and Showtime's unnerving but supremely watchable Yellowjackets picked up the most prizes (2 each) while Netflix's high school romance Heartstopper was named the best LGBTQ show. GALECA, the organization behind the Dorian Awards, is comprised of 360 LGBTQ+ entertainment journalists across the US, Canada, Australia, and the UK. (As you know a few members of Team Experience are in this organization.)

After the jump the winners for the TV season (the film nominations run on the calendar year like the Oscars and will be announced in January)...

BEST TV DRAMA

• Better Call Saul (AMC)
• Heartstopper (Netflix)
• ★ Yellowjackets (Showtime)
• Severance (Apple TV+)
• Succession (HBO)

Yay!

BEST TV COMEDY

• ★ Abbott Elementary (ABC)
• Barry (HBO)
• Hacks (HBO Max)
• The Other Two (HBO Max)
• Our Flag Means Death (HBO Max)

The Emmy race for Comedy Series feels like it's going to be a nailbiter, doesn't it? Ted Lasso could repeat. Hacks could overthrow it. But then there's Abbott Elementary as a debut sensation that people truly love. 

BEST LGBTQ SHOW

• Hacks (HBO Max)
• ★ Heartstopper (Netflix)
• The Other Two (HBO Max)
• Our Flag Means Death (HBO Max)
• Somebody Somewhere (HBO)
• RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)

I knew Heartstopper would win this one. The gays genuinely adore it. I do, too, but I think the deep love is slightly more of a case of a retroactive soothing fantasy balm for everyone's much more traumatic than this show gay youth than a vote on quality. It is quality, don't misunderstand! It's just I think it's one of those "heart" votes that awards shows sometimes go with, for better (in this case because it's lovely) or worse (like CODA taking best picture this past Oscar season).  

BEST TV MOVIE OR MINISERIES

• Dopesick (Hulu)
• The Dropout (Hulu)
• Midnight Mass (Netflix)
• Station Eleven (HBO Max)
• ★ The White Lotus (HBO)

This was a given and deserving, too.

BEST NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGE TV SHOW

• Elite (Netflix)
• Lupin (Netflix)
• My Brilliant Friend (HBO)
• Pachinko (Apple TV+)
• ★ Squid Game (Netflix)

Another easy call.

BEST UNSUNG SHOW

• Better Things (FX)
• ★ The Other Two (HBO Max)
• Our Flag Means Death (HBO Max)
• Russian Doll (Netflix)
• Somebody Somewhere (HBO)
• We Are Lady Parts (Peacock)

Great choice for a winner here... though "unsung" also most definitely applies to Somebody Somewhere which is just delicate and real and surprising, too.

BEST TV PERFORMANCE

The rest of the world has finally caught up to us in loving Melanie Lynskey ("Yellowjackets")

• Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary (ABC)
• Kit Connor, Heartstopper (Netflix)
• Bridget Everett, Somebody Somewhere (HBO)
• Bill Hader, Barry (HBO)
• Lily James, Pam & Tommy (Hulu)
• Natasha Lyonne, Russian Doll (Netflix)
• ★ Melanie Lynskey, Yellowjackets (Showtime)
• Amanda Seyfried, Dropout (HBO)
• Jean Smart, Hacks (HBO Max)
• Zendaya, Euphoria (HBO)

The extremely rare case where my personal choice also threatens to sweep the season. Well done, Melanie.

BEST SUPPORTING TV PERFORMANCE

• Murray Bartlett, The White Lotus (HBO)
• Anthony Carrigan, Barry (HBO)
• ★ Jennifer Coolidge, The White Lotus (HBO)
• Hannah Einbinder, Hacks (HBO Max)
• Jeff Hiller, Somebody Somewhere (HBO)
• Janelle James, Abbott Elementary (ABC)
• Matthew Macfadyen Succession (HBO)
• Christina Ricci, Yellowjackets (Showtime)
• Rhea Seehorn, Better Call Saul (FX)
• Sydney Sweeney, Euphoria (HBO)

One sad thing about a genderless category is that we don't get to give His & Hers prizes to Murray Bartlett and Jennifer Coolidge and he's just as deserving. 

BEST TV MUSICAL PERFORMANCE

• ★ Beyonce’ “Be Alive,” 94th Academy Awards (ABC)
• Kristin Chenoweth and cast, “Tribulation,” Schmigadoon! (Apple TV+)
• Bridget Everett and Jeff Hiller, “Don’t Give Up,” Somebody Somewhere (HBO)
• Jean Smart, “You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman,” Hacks (HBO Max)
• Cecily Strong and cast, “Corn Puddin’,” Schmigadoon! (Apple TV+)
• Hannah Waddingham and cast, “Never Gonna Give You Up,” Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)

BEST TV DOCUMENTARY OR DOCUMENTARY SERIES

• ★ The Andy Warhol Diaries (Netflix)
• The Beatles: Get Back (Disney+)
• How to with John Wilson (HBO)
• Spring Awakening: Those You’ve Known (HBO)
• We Need to Talk About Cosby (Showtime) 

BEST CURRENT AFFAIRS PROGRAM

• The Amber Ruffin Show (Peacock) 
• The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central) 
• Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (TBS)
• Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
• The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS)
• The Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC)
• ★ ZIWE (Showtime)

BEST ANIMATED SHOW

• Arcane (Netflix) 
• Big Mouth (Netflix)
• ★ Bob’s Burgers (Fox)
• Q Force (Netflix)
• Tuca & Bertie (Adult Swim)
• What If…? (Disney+)

BEST REALITY SHOW

• Legendary (HBO Max) 
• The Real World Homecoming: New Orleans (Paramount+)
• ★ RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)
• Survivor (CBS)
• Top Chef: Houston (Bravo)
• We’re Here (HBO)

MOST VISUALLY STRIKING SHOW

• ★ Euphoria (HBO)
• The Gilded Age (HBO)
• Loki (Disney+)
• Severance (Apple TV+)
• Squid Game (Netflix)

I voted for Severance here because it's visually striking in spite of or perhaps because of brilliantly harnessing the antiseptic corporate minimalism. But obviously Euphoria remains a beauty so that's fine as a winner.

CAMPIEST TV SHOW

• Diana: The Musical (Netflix) 
• Euphoria (HBO)
• ★ Girls5Eva (Peacock)
• Nine Perfect Strangers (Hulu)
• Schmigadoon! (Apple TV+)

WILDE WIT AWARD
To a performer, writer or commentator whose observations both challenge and amuse

• Joel Kim Booster
• Quinta Brunson
• Jerrod Carmichael
• ★ Jennifer Coolidge
• Bowen Yang

THE INAUGURAL “YOU DESERVE AN AWARD!” AWARD [TIE]
To a uniquely talented TV icon we adore

• Gillian Anderson
• ★ Christine Baranski 
• Lynda Carter
• Kim Cattrall
• ★ Cassandra Peterson

GALECA LGBTQIA+ TV TRAILBLAZER
for creating art that inspires empathy, truth and equity

Jerrod Carmichael's confessional "Rothaniel"

• ★ Jerrod Carmichael
• Margaret Cho
• Russell T Davies
• Kate McKinnon
• Bowen Yang

Once again recommending you all watch Rothaniel, Jerrod Carmichael's confessional comedy special.

Comments

[Ryan T.]

I'm fine with genderless categories, but can we like... pick two winners per category? With SO MANY great shows and great performances in them, we should be expanding chances for winners, not shrinking them.

[CALonBway92]

@ Ryan T: Or they could take a cue from one of their own members ;) and have like a Gold, Silver and Bronze medalist?

[Peggy Sue]

I absolutely hate genderless categories.

[Greg F]

"I think the deep love is slightly more of a case of a retroactive soothing fantasy balm for everyone's much more traumatic than this show gay youth than a vote on quality."
Thissss! (and I also love Heartstopper).

Over the moon for what seems to be award/Emmy sweep for Melanie Lynskey and Jennifer Coolidge (two very very long overdue actors for mainstream award attention). Plus Quinta and Janelle can win for Comedy at the Emmys :)

Despite the potential for (predictable) bad choices, I think the Emmys are gonna be good this year.

[Greg F]

"I think the deep love is slightly more of a case of a retroactive soothing fantasy balm for everyone's much more traumatic than this show gay youth than a vote on quality."
Thissss! (and I also love Heartstopper).

Over the moon for what seems to be award/Emmy sweep for Melanie Lynskey and Jennifer Coolidge (two very very long overdue actors for mainstream award attention). Plus Quinta and Janelle can win for Comedy at the Emmys :)

Despite the potential for (predictable) bad choices, I think the Emmys are gonna be good this year.