RM‘s “Come Back to Me” has topped this week’s new music poll that features artists in various genres of music.

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Music fans voted in a poll published Friday (May 10) on Billboard, choosing the BTS singer’s new solo song as their favorite new music release of the past week.

RM’s latest track brought in 91% of the vote on the poll, securing a notable edge ahead of new releases from Gunna (One of Wun), Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen (“I Had Some Help”), Camila Cabello fearuing Lil Nas X (“He Knows”), Megan Thee Stallion (“Boa”), and more.

“Come Back to Me” is the first single from RM’s upcoming 11-track second solo album, Right Place, Wrong Person. The new set is due May 24.

“Come back to me/ Like you used to/ Now, I could see/ What a life is about/ I told you I’m fine tonight/ Staying good/ Spring always been here/ I will sleep in her eyes,” the 29-year-old K-pop star sleepily croons over acoustic guitar and whistling.

The song was first performed last August during a surprise appearance at BTS bandmate Suga’s Seoul concert on his SUGA | Agust D Tour ‘D-DAY’ The Final outing.

RM’s first solo LP, Indigo, was released in Dec. 2022, and peaked at No. 3 on the all-genre Billboard 200 and featured guests including Anderson .Paak, Erykah Badu and others.

Trailing behind “Come Back to Me” on this week’s poll is Gunna’s fifth studio album, One of Wun, with nearly 3% of the vote. The 20-track project includes collaborations with Offset (“Prada Dem”), Normani (“$$$”), Leon Bridges (“Clear My Rain”) and Roddy Ricch (“Let It Breathe”).

See the final results of this week’s poll below. Check out Billboard‘s Friday Music Guide to catch up with more must-hear releases from this week.

Two months after its Los Angeles counterpart, the 2024 GLAAD Media Awards hit New York City on Saturday (May 11) to reveal the rest of the winners and honor Orville Peck with the Vito Russo Award (presented by Jennifer Lawrence, no less). Additionally, Red, White, and Royal Blue received the GLAAD Media Award for queer fan favorite, presented by Cody Rigsby and Beanie Feldstein.

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Billboard was among the winners, earning the award for outstanding print article for Pride Editor Stephen Daw’s June 2023 cover story, which found Maren Morris don Willie Nelson drag and go deep with drag artists Eureka O’Hara, Landon Cider, Sasha Colby and Symone about the proliferation of drag bans around the country. The honor comes six years after Billboard won its first GLAAD Media Award for outstanding magazine overall coverage in 2018.

Here’s a list of the categories that were presented at the Midtown Hilton Hotel on Saturday night, with winners marked. You can see the winners announced at the 2024 GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles here.

Outstanding Variety or Talk Show Episode

“Certainty” Turning the Tables with Robin Roberts (Disney+)

“Chaos, Law, and Order” The Problem With Jon Stewart (Apple TV+)

“Cynthia Nixon and Kim Petras” Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen (Bravo)

“Dulcé Sloan & Sasha Colby Talk What It Means to Be A Happy Trans Person” The Daily Show (Comedy Central)

“Elliot Page Opens Up In New Memoir: ‘It Felt Like The Right Time’” The View (ABC)

“The Hardest Fight Is the Fight Against Status Quo” The Conversations Project (Hulu)

“I’m Not Just Gay, I’m Your Son” Karamo (syndicated)

WINNER: “Jennifer Hudson Surprises HIV Activist with $10,000” The Jennifer Hudson Show (syndicated)

“Trace Lysette & Patricia Clarkson, Laverne Cox” The Kelly Clarkson Show (syndicated)

“Unapologetically Me” Tamron Hall (syndicated)

Outstanding TV Journalism Segment

“11th Hour: Transgender Athletes and What People Don’t Understand” The 11th Hour (MSNBC)

“19-Year-Old Designer CJ King Gets Second Chance to Walk the Runway” GMA3 (ABC)

The All in Y’all” (KEYE-TV CBS Austin)

“Anti-LGBTQ+ Law in Uganda that Threatens the Death Penalty Sparks International Outcry” PBS Newshour (PBS)

“Bringing Queer Joy into the World of Hip-Hop” ABC News Live Prime (ABC News Live)

“Des Moines LGBTQ Community Hosts First-Ever ‘People’s Pride’” (WOI-TV Local 5 Des Moines)

“Geena Rocero Talks About Her New Memoir ‘Horse Barbie’ and the Power of Living Unapologetically” CBS Mornings (CBS)

“How Eco-Drag Queen Pattie Gonia Defines What It Means to Fight for the Environment” Nightline (ABC)

WINNER: “New York City Gay Bar Deaths Classified as Homicides” (NBC News Now)

“One-on-One with the President of the American Medical Association (AMA)” The CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell (CBS)

Outstanding TV Journalism – Long-Form

“Beyond Limits: Who I Am” CBS Sports (CBS)

“CBS Reports: A Nation in Transition” CBS News (CBS)

“Club Q One Year Later” (KKTV CBS 11 Colorado)

“Freedom to Exist” Soul of a Nation (ABC)

“It’s Ok To Ask Questions – Pidgeon Pagonis” (WMAQ-TV NBC 5 Chicago)

“Marty’s Place: Where Hope Lives” (+Life Media with KGO-TV & ABC Localish)

WINNER: “Our America: Who I’m Meant to Be” (ABC Owned Television Stations)

“Proud Voices: A NY1 Special” (Spectrum News NY1)

“Serving in Secret: Love, Country and ‘Dont Ask Don’t Tell’” (MSNBC)

“VICE Special Report – Out Loud // Big Freedia Presents: Young Queer Artists To Look Out For” (Vice News)

Outstanding Live TV Journalism – Segment or Special

“Capehart on SCOTUS rulings: ‘My Possibilities are Up to Them, Not Up to Me’”  The Last Word (MSNBC)

“CNN’s Anderson Cooper Speaks With Lauri Carleton’s Daughter, Ari Carleton, About Her Mother’s Legacy” Anderson Cooper 360 (CNN)

“Flipping the Script: Live Interviews on LGBTQ+ Community” Morning News NOW (NBC News Now)

“Gio Benitez Interviews Sasha Velour on Her Book and the Climate of Drag in America” Good Morning America (ABC)

WINNER: “Indiana Students Put on LGBTQ-Themed Play Themselves After it’s Canceled By the School” Yasmin Vossoughian Reports (MSNBC)

“José Díaz-Balart Reports: A Texas Mother’s Fight: the Case for Gender-Affirming Care” José Díaz-Balart Reports (MSNBC)

“One-on-One with Eureka O’Hara” The Reid Out (MSNBC)

“Pride Across America” (ABC News Live)

“TikTok Sensations ‘The Old Gays’ Talk About How They Became Friends and Their New Docuseries” TODAY with Hoda & Jenna (NBC)

“Two Anti-LGBTQ Bills Advance to Louisiana House” Breakdown (WWL-TV CBS New Orleans)

Outstanding Print Article

WINNER: “As Drag Bans Proliferate, Maren Morris Goes Deep With Drag’s Biggest Stars on Why the Show Must Go On” by Stephen Daw (Billboard)

“Black Queer History is American History” by Myeshia Price (TIME)

“‘But Most of All I’m Human’: These 3 Transgender Teens Prove Identity Stretches Beyond One Label” by Susan Miller (USA TODAY)

“The Dancer” by Matt Kemper (The Atlanta-Journal Constitution)

“Heroism Overpowers Hate” by John Sotomayor (Embrace Magazine)

“Kim Petras Is Breaking the Mold” by Jeff Nelson (People)

“Pop Icons Are ‘Mothers’ Now. The LGBTQ Ballroom Scene Wants Credit.” by Samantha Cherry (The Washington Post)

“Stop Bad Hair and Uglier Legislation (The New Classics)” by Karen Giberson (AC Magazine)

“Transgender Youth: ‘Forced Outing’ Bills Make Schools Unsafe” by Hannah Schoenbaum and Sean Murphy (AP)

“We Have the Tools to Stop HIV. So Why Is It Still Spreading?” by LZ Granderson (Los Angeles Times)

Outstanding Online Journalism Article

WINNER: “The AP Interview: Pope Francis Says Homosexuality Not a Crime” by Nicole Winifield (AP.com)

“Book Banners Came for This Colorado Town. They Didn’t Anticipate Resistance.” By Jeff Fuentes Gleghorn (LGBTQNation.com)

“Evidence Undermines ‘Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria’ Claims” by Timmy Broderick (ScientificAmerican.com)

“From Drag Bans to Sports Restrictions, 75 Anti-LGBTQ Bills Have Become Law in 2023” by Jo Yurcaba (NBCNews.com)

“How the Latinx Drag Queens of Brooklyn Are Finding Freedom through Their Cultures” by Juan De Dios Sanchez Jurado (TeenVogue.com)

“Pedro Zamora, ‘Real World’ Star Who Died of AIDS, ‘Humanized the Disease for a Generation,’ Say Activists” by David Artavia (Yahoo.com)

“Pride Month Feels Different As Threats, Fear of Violence Grows” by Brooke Migdon (TheHill.com)

“Some Trans Kids Are Being Forced to Flee America for Their Safety” by Nico Lang (HuffPost.com)

“Stochastic Terrorism: Links between the GOP, Right-Wing Influencers & Neo-Nazi Violence” by Christopher Wiggins (Advocate.com)

“What Does Queer Gen Z Want on TV? Everything under the Rainbow” by Jude Cramer (INTOMore.com)

Outstanding Online Journalism – Video or Multimedia

WINNER: “7 Remarkable Trans Elders Share Lessons for the Next Generation” (them.us)

“Brave Spaces” (PBS.org)

“CANS Can’t Stand” (NewYorker.com)

“Club Q: Stronger Together” (NFL.com)

“‘I’ve Always Known I Was Different’: Four Trans People Share Their Stories” (WashingtonPost.com)

“Michaela Jaé Rodriguez Calls Out the New York Times’ Anti-Trans Coverage & Advice for Trans Youth” (Variety.com)

“Moving Isa” (Insider.com)

“People Come Out to Their Parents | Truth or Drink” (Cut.com)

“Protecting Pride: Resilience after Tragedy – Club Q Survivors Fight to Project Their Community” (GoodMorningAmerica.com)

“Transnational” (Vice.com)

Outstanding Blog

Charlotte’s Web Thoughts

WINNER: Erin in the Morning

Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters

LawDork

Mombian

Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents

The Queer Review

The Randy Report

The Reckoning

Outstanding Reality Program

Bargain Block (HGTV)

WINNER: Family Karma (Bravo)

I Am Jazz (TLC)  

Living for the Dead (Hulu)

Queer Eye (Netflix)

Real Housewives of New York City (Bravo)

Selling Sunset (Netflix)

Swiping America (Max)

TRANSworld Atlanta (Tubi)

The Ultimatum: Queer Love (Netflix)

Outstanding Broadway Production

Fat Ham, by James Ijames

How to Dance in Ohio, by Jacob Yandura and Rebekah Greer Melocik

WINNER: Melissa Etheridge: My Window, by Melissa Etheridge

Once Upon a One More Time, by Jon Hartmere

The Sign in Sydney Brustein’s Window, by Lorraine Hansberry

Outstanding Podcast

Finding Fire Island (Broadway Podcast Network)

Gay and Afraid with Eric Sedeño (Past Your Bedtime)

WINNNER: Las Culturistas (iHeart)

NPR’s Embedded (NPR)

Queen of Hearts (Wondery)

Rooted Recovery Stories (Promises Behavioral Health)

Sibling Rivalry (Studio 71)

That Conversation With Tarek Ali (Buzz Sprout)

This Queer Book Saved My Life (This Queer Book Productions, LLC)

TransLash (TransLash Media)

Outstanding Film – Streaming Or TV

Cassandro (Amazon Prime Video)

Christmas on Cherry Lane (Hallmark Channel)

Friends & Family Christmas (Hallmark Channel)

Frybread Face and Me (Array Releasing)

Nuovo Olimpo (Netflix)

Nyad (Netflix)

Red, White, and Royal Blue (Amazon Prime Video)

Runs in the Family (Indigenous Film Distribution)

WINNER: Rustin (Netflix)

You’re Not Supposed To Be Here (Lifetime Television)

Outstanding Documentary (Multiple winners)

WINNER: Beyond the Aggressives: 25 Years Later (MTV Documentary Films)

Eldorado: Everything the Nazis Hate (Netflix)

Every Body (Focus Features)

WINNER: Kokomo City (Magnolia Pictures)

Little Richard: I Am Everything (Magnolia Pictures)

Orlando, My Political Biography (Janus Films)

Rainbow Rishta (Amazon Prime Video)

Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed (HBO Documentary Films)

WINNER: The Stroll (HBO)

UYRA – The Rising Forest POV (PBS)

Outstanding New Series

The Buccaneers (Apple TV+)

Class (Netflix)

Culprits (Hulu)

Deadloch (Amazon Prime Video)

Everything Now (Netflix)

Found (NBC)

Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies (Paramount+)

WINNER: The Last of Us (HBO)

The Other Black Girl (Hulu)

Tore (Netflix)

Outstanding Kids & Family Programming or Film – Live Action

WINNER: Heartstopper (Netflix)

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (Disney+)

Jane (AppleTV+)

Power Rangers Cosmic Fury (Netflix)

XO, Kitty (Netflix)

Outstanding Online Journalism Article (Spanish Language)

“Abogan por una política pública contra la violencia hacia la comunidad trans en Puerto Rico” por Carolina Gracia (ElVocero.com)

“La activista trans que sepulta a sus amigas olvidadas: ‘Los primeros cuerpos los velaba yo sola, solita’” por Daniel Alonso Viña (ElPais.com)

“Carlos Adyan nos invita a su boda civil con Carlos Quintanilla: ‘Todo ha pasado como yo soñaba’” por Lena Hansen (PeopleEnEspanol.com)

“El eterno desafío de ser un hombre o mujer trans en El Salvador” por María Teresa Hernández (APnews.com)

“Familias latinas con menores trans temen a nuevas leyes que limitan el acceso a tratamientos médicos: ‘Es lo que ha mantenido a mi hija viva’” por Anagilmara Vílchez y Lourdes Hurtado (Telemundo.com)

“‘Hemos huido de algo muy cruel’: las familias que buscan una vida mejor para sus hijos transgénero en otros estados de EE.UU.” por Leire Ventas (BBC.com)

WINNER: “Personas mayores LGBTQIA+ ‘tienen que regresar a un clóset para poder buscar vivienda’” por David Cordero Mercado y Joaquín A. Rosado Lebrón (PeriodismoInvestigativo.com & ElNuevoDia.com)

“Quiero que todo el mundo pueda decir libremente ‘así soy yo’” por Maria Mercedes Acosta (Sentiido.com)

“Reconocimiento a medias también es estigmatizante: RAE agrega ‘no binario/a’ a su diccionario” por Alex Orue (Homosensual.com)

“Wendy Guevara, la ‘perdida’ que lo ganó todo” por Jonathan Saldaña y Mari Tere Lelo de Larrea (Quien.com)

Outstanding Online Journalism – Video or Multimedia (Spanish Language)

WINNER: “Conoce a la primera diputada negra y trans de Brasil” por Natalia Barrera Francis, Joyce García, David von Blohn, Paula Daibert y Claudia Escobar (Descoloniza – AJ+ Español)

“La increíble historia de cómo ‘Mami Ruddys’ refugió a decenas de jóvenes LGBTIQ en Puerto Rico” por Marcos Billy Guzmán y Pablo Martínez Rodríguez (El Nuevo Día)

“Mi novio vive con VIH y yo no: ser una pareja serodiscordante” por Mariana Escobar Bernoske y Daniela Rojas (La Disidencia – El Espectador)

“This gay cowboy convention celebrates sexual freedom — and Mexican identity” por Jackeline Luma, Kate Linthicum y Maggie Beidelman (Los Angeles Times)

“Villano Antillano cuenta todo de la realidad Queer de su música” por Yollotl Alvarado, René Barreto, Alfredo Castellanos, Sofía Reyes, Rai Irizarry, Arjun Demeyere, Luis Ramírez, Florencia Botinelli, Iván Juárez y Sebastian Fernández (GQ México y Latinoamérica)

Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department spends a third straight week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart (dated May 18), marking her first title to spend its first three weeks atop the chart since 2020’s Folklore spent its first six weeks at No. 1. (Between Folklore and the new album, Swift earned six No. 1 albums.) The Tortured Poets Department is the first album to spend its first three weeks in the pole position since Travis Scott’s Utopia led in its first four weeks last summer (Aug. 12-Sept. 2, 2023).

The Tortured Poets Department earned 282,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending May 9 (down 36%), according to Luminate. That marks the largest third-week for any album since Swift’s own Midnights clocked 299,000 units in its third frame (Nov. 19, 2022-dated chart).

Also in the top 10 of the new Billboard 200, Dua Lipa achieves her highest-charting album yet, as Radical Optimism debuts at No 2. Plus, SEVENTEEN logs its fifth top 10-charting effort with the No. 5 arrival of SEVENTEEN Best Album ’17 Is Right Here.’

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new May 18, 2024-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on May 14. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

Of The Tortured Poets Department’s third-week unit sum of 282,000, SEA units comprise 229,500 (down 30%, equaling 298.33 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs), traditional album sales comprise 51,000 (down 53%) and TEA units comprise 1,500 (down 43%).

Swift adds her 72nd career week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, extending her record among soloists (Elvis Presley has the second-most among soloists, with 67). The total encompasses her 14 leaders. (She’s tied with Jay-Z for the most No. 1s among soloists.)

Dua Lipa scores her highest-charting album yet on the Billboard 200 as her third studio effort, Radical Optimism, bows at No. 2. It enters with 83,000 equivalent album units earned — a personal best for the singer-songwriter. Of its starting sum, album sales comprise 51,500 (it’s the top-selling album of the week, and it’s Lipa’s best sales week ever), SEA units comprise 30,500 (equaling 39.7 million on-demand official streams of the album’s songs) and TEA units comprise 1,000.

The album’s sales were bolstered by its availability across 20 physical variants, all with the same 11 songs. There were 11 vinyl editions in assorted colors (one of which was signed, and most variants were exclusive to specific retailers) and two cassette tapes. In terms of CDs, there was a widely available standard CD with a lenticular cover, and then multiple CD iterations sold exclusively in Lipa’s webstore (a signed standard CD, a zine CD package, and four deluxe CD boxed sets — each containing a branded T-shirt and a CD, and two of the boxes also included a signed art card).

In addition, the album was issued as a widely available standard 11-song digital download and a deluxe digital album with two live bonus tracks sold exclusively in Lipa’s webstore.

Radical Optimism is Lipa’s second top 10-charting effort, following her sophomore set, 2020’s Future Nostalgia, which peaked at No. 3.

The new 11-song album was announced on March 13 following two previously-released singles “Houdini” and “Training Season.” The former dropped last November and peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 that month, while the latter topped out at No. 27 in March. A third single, “Illusion,” bowed at No. 43 on the chart dated April 27.

On the promotional front, Lipa opened both the Brit Awards (March 2) and the Grammy Awards (Feb. 4). On the former, she performed “Training Season,” while on the latter she presented a medley of “Training Season,” the Grammy-nominated Barbie soundtrack hit “Dance the Night” and “Houdini.” On May 4, a day after the album’s release, Lipa hosted and performed on NBC’s Saturday Night Live, performing “Illusion” and the album’s “Happy for You.” Further, the entertainer was named to Time 100 list of the most influential people of 2024 (and appeared on the magazine’s April 29 cover), graced the covers of both Rolling Stone (for its February issue) and Elle (May issue), sat down with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe for an hour-long interview (May 1) and even went day drinking with Seth Meyers (Dec. 11, 2023).

Two former No. 1s are up next on the Billboard 200, as Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time is pushed down 2-3 despite a 3% gain (to 71,000 equivalent album units) and Future and Metro Boomin’s We Don’t Trust You falls 3-4 (down 1% to 61,000 units).

SEVENTEEN collects its fifth top 10 on the Billboard 200, all consecutive, as SEVENTEEN Best Album ‘17 Is Right Here’ debuts at No. 5. The retrospective compilation earned 53,000 equivalent album units in its first week. Of that sum, album sales comprise 49,000, SEA units comprise 4,000 (equaling 5.5 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum. The set’s sales were supported by its availability across a dozen CD variants, all containing branded paper merchandise like posters and photocards (some randomized). Exclusive iterations were sold by Barnes & Noble and Target, while signed editions were also available.

Ye (formerly Kanye West) and Ty Dolla $ign’s chart-topping Vultures 1 flies back into the top 10, as it wings 52-6 following the set’s arrival on vinyl. The effort earned 45,000 equivalent album units in the tracking week (up 173%), while album sales comprising 31,000 of that sum (up 37,841%). Essentially all of its sales were from vinyl — nearly 31,000, which marks the biggest sales week on vinyl for both Ye and Ty Dolla $ign. The vinyl edition of the album was exclusively sold via Ye’s official webstore, and was initially sold as a pre-order when the album was first released on Feb. 10 (as a paid download and via streaming services). At that time, when customers pre-ordered the vinyl, the webstore stated the vinyl would ship in “2024.”

Wallen’s former No. 1 Dangerous: The Double Album is squeezed 6-7 on the new Billboard 200, though with a 4% gain (to 42,000 equivalent album units). Beyoncé’s chart-topping Cowboy Carter falls 4-8 with 41,000 units (down 21%), Noah Kahan’s Stick Season slips 5-9 with 40,000 units (down 2%) and SZA’s former leader SOS falls 9-10 with 39,000 (down 1%).

Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.

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On Saturday (May 11), there was only one show on planet Earth that could boast more queer energy than the Eurovision Song Contest, and that was the 2024 GLAAD Media Awards in New York City at the Midtown Hilton Hotel.

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And not unlike this year’s Eurovision in Malmö, Sweden, the event was not without protestors. A small group of protestors accusing Israel of genocide against the Palestinian people picketed outside the hotel’s entrance during the 35th annual GLAAD Media Awards; more notably, at the top of the show itself, one attendee interrupted the opening monologue by host Ross Matthews to repeatedly declare “GLAAD is complicit in genocide” before being escorted out.

“That was uncomfy for everybody,” Matthews said after a pause. “But you know what? We have to fight for everyone’s rights – and that’s one of them.”

While the Israel-Hamas War didn’t come up again that night, politics were still central to the GLAAD Media Awards, as always. New York Attorney General Letitia James made an appearance to celebrate LGBTQ New Yorkers and speak out for trans rights; GLAAD President Sarah Kate Ellis urged attendees to use their “platform and privilege” to ensure that the next U.S. president will be a human who values LGBTQ rights — and warned that the Supreme Court “will roll back our legal marriages like they rolled back Roe v. Wade” in a powerful, fiery speech; and one very famous Oscar winner took a couple of hilarious pot shots at a former U.S. vice president during the show.

Jennifer Lawrence (rocking a Veronica Lake haircut) appeared to celebrate “my favorite musician and good friend Orville Peck,” who was receiving the Vito Russo Award (named after the late activist and author of The Celluloid Closet) at the 2024 GLAAD Media Awards.

“I love seeing so many humans who can top their field while still being power bottoms,” Lawrence cracked. Talking about her love for the gay community, Lawrence said she once fell in love with a gay man, but soon realized her advances were for naught. “Conversion therapy doesn’t work,” she said. “Did you hear me, Mike Pence? I said conversion therapy is not real – even though you think it worked on you.”

Accepting the award, Peck talked about being a singer-songwriter in a genre that’s not always been the most open to the LGBTQ community. “I’m one of many of us here who have felt excluded or held back because of who we are,” Peck said, adding that queer people nevertheless manage to “turn tragedy into art, humor and culture.”

Peck also spoke on the “responsibility for visibility” when it comes to all minority communities and what it means to the next generation “to allow some kid in a small town who loves country music to see themselves in me or Mickey Guyton or T.J. Osborne.”

Earlier in the night, Jennifer Hudson – who already has an EGOT – added another award to her trophy room when she hit the stage to accept the GLAAD for outstanding variety or talk show episode, for an episode of The Jennifer Hudson Show in which she surprised HIV activist Ian Haddock (of the Normal Anomaly Initiative) with $10,000.

After a fundraising portion that raised more than $350,000, Loren Allred took the stage to perform an emotional version of “Never Enough” from The Greatest Showman, as well as the upbeat “Come Alive.” The latter was a duet, with Scott Hoying (of Pentatonix and Superfruit) joining her on the lightly funky vocal showcase.

Toward the end of the night, Billboard (and Billboard‘s Pride Editor Stephen Daw) were honored when GLAAD named Billboard‘s 2023 Pride Issue cover story the outstanding print article of the year. The (now award-winning) article, written by Daw, is a wide-ranging, in-depth interview with Maren Morris and four drag artists about the proliferation of drag bans in the United States. You can read it here.

Defying the odds, Switzerland won the 68th Eurovision Song Contest with “The Code” by Nemo on Saturday (May 11) at the Malmö Arena in Sweden. It’s the perfect bookend as Switzerland won the very first competition in 1956 with “Refrain” by Lys Assia. This is the European nation’s third win and the first since Celine Dion claimed victory with “Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi” in 1988.

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Croatia was tipped to take the 2024 crown, and in the end, it did come down to the two countries vying for first place. Switzerland took a commanding lead with the jury vote, which is always announced first. Adding in the audience votes at the end usually provides for a dramatic ending, and it could have gone either way, but Switzerland collected enough points from the public to maintain its lead. It would have been Croatia’s first win out of 29 tries; it is the country’s best result to date, after three top five finishes — in 1996, 1998 and 1999.

Nemo, who identifies as non-binary, received the microphone-shaped glass trophy from the hands of Loreen, who won Eurovision in 2023 for Sweden with “Tattoo.” Nemo has been releasing music in Switzerland since 2015. They competed on Switzerland’s version of The Masked Singer in 2021-22 and was unveiled as the Panda in fifth place.

It was a Eurovision Song Contest with more drama than in recent memory. Joost Klein from the Netherlands was disqualified after the semi-finals because of an alleged backstage incident. Alanna Mele, designated to be the spokesperson to give Norway’s jury points on air, withdrew the day of the final with a statement that ended with “Free Palestine.” Slimane from France unexpectedly stopped his performance during Saturday afternoon’s (May 11) dress rehearsal for a message of love and peace. Bambie Thug from Ireland protested to the European Broadcasting Union about remarks from the Israeli commentator and missed one of her rehearsals.

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One of the biggest questions of the night was whether would ABBA appear, 50 years after giving Sweden its first Eurovision victory with “Waterloo.” While the four members did not appear in person in Malmö, they were represented by their avatars in London, where the virtual show Voyage has been playing for two years. While most of their dialog about their Eurovision win was directly from the show, they did add comments wishing everyone well in Malmö.

Nemo’s win means that Switzerland will host Eurovision in 2025. Cities in that nation can vie to host. Switzerland previously hosted Eurovision in Lugano and Lausanne.

The top 10 countries for Eurovision 2024 and their combined points from the jury and public votes are:

  • Switzerland, 591
  • Croatia, 547
  • Ukraine, 453
  • France, 445
  • Israel, 375
  • Ireland, 278
  • Italy, 268
  • Armenia, 183
  • Sweden, 174
  • Portugal, 152

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Norway finished last with 16 points. The U.K. entry “Dizzy” by Ollie Alexander, did not fare well with the juries, receiving 46 points, but completely failed with the public, being the only nation to receive zero points from viewers voting by telephone, website, SMS and the Eurovision app.

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