Top Story: ‘The Wild Robot’ And ‘Arcane’ Lead 52nd Annie Award Nominations

Last night, Cartoon Network’s Steven Universe made history at the GLAAD Media Awards, which celebrate fair, accurate, and inclusive LGBTQ representation in media, becoming the first-ever animated series to win the Outstanding Kids & Family Programming Award.

The category, first introduced in 2018, has featured multiple animated nominees in both years. The first winner was Disney Channel’s live-action series Andi Mack, which makes Steven Universe only the second winner in the category, and the first ever to claim it for animation. The series is also the first program from Cartoon Network’s lineup to win a GLAAD Media Award in any category.

The other nominees in the category were Adventure Time (Cartoon Network), Andi Mack (The Disney Channel), Anne with an E (Netflix), and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (Netflix).

Produced by Cartoon Network Studios, Steven Universe capped its fifth season in January. Among the show’s GLAAD-worthy accomplishments is a story arc that aired last summer titled “Heart of the Crystal Gems,” in which Steven officiated a wedding between non-binary characters, Ruby and Sapphire.

Steven Universe creator Rebecca Sugar posted a photo of the trophy on her Instagram account and expressed her gratitude for the honor.

Carlos Aguilar

Carlos Aguilar is a contributing writer to Cartoon Brew.