Velma Awards


The Velma Awards are entertainment industry accolades created to recognize excellence in LGBTQ+ representation in Children's Media. The Awards were created in 2024 by children's television executives Chris Nee and Kristi Reed, along with entertainment industry executive Jeremy Blacklow, under the umbrella of their organization, The Rainbow Project.
The Velmas were first announced on December 3, 2024, with the inaugural winners announced on December 10, 2024.
The creators of The Rainbow Project founded The Velma Awards "in part to respond to the challenges within the larger awards system for kids and family content, as well as issues unique to the recognition of children’s and LGBTQ+ creators."

History

The Velmas came about as a result of Nee's, Reed's, and Blacklow's desire for a "sense of joy and celebration" for outstanding queer representation in children's media. The trio met while Nee and Reed were members of GLAAD’s Children and Families Advisory Council and Blacklow was serving as the nonprofit’s Director of Entertainment Media.

Award categories and winners

14 inaugural categories and winners were announced in December 2024.
The inaugural Velma Award winners included:
  • Best Exploration of Gender Expression
  • Best Queer Relationship That's Just a Plain Ol' Relationship '
  • Best Queer Show You Wish Existed When You Were Growing Up '
  • Best Episode That Also Never Saw the Light of Day '
  • Best Old World Show With New World Thinking
  • Best Celebration of The Complex Queer Family Tree '
  • Best Wedding Before You and Your New Wife Go Fight Insurgents '
  • Most Impressive Indie Innovator '
  • Best Helping My Dad Propose to My Other Dad '
  • Best Guest Star Extravaganza '
  • Best Requited Queer Crush '
  • Best New NonBinary Cast Member '
  • Best Episode for Storytime with Drag Queens
  • Legacy Award ''''