Cartoon Network’s Emmy-nominated Steven Universe took home the award for Outstanding Kids & Family Programming at the 30th annual GLAAD Media Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif. on Thursday. The category honors kids and family programming that actively seeks to increase fair, accurate, and inclusive representations of the LGBTQ community. In July 2018, Steven Universe aired its critically acclaimed “Heart of the Crystal Gems” arc, in which title character Steven officiated a wedding between beloved non-binary characters Ruby and Sapphire.
The award ceremony marks the first GLAAD Media Award win for Steven Universe. 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 this 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). Andi Mack won the inaugural Kids & Family Programming GLAAD award last year.
Steven Universe is created by Emmy and Annie Award-nominated writer and New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Sugar, and produced by Cartoon Network Studios. As part of the series’ two-year global partnership with the Dove Self-Esteem Project, Steven Universe continues to educate young people on body confidence through the series’ themes of inclusion and empowerment.
Steven and the Crystal Gems will return with the highly anticipated Steven Universe The Movie, coming to Cartoon Network this fall. Additionally, two digital albums, Steven Universe: Volume 2 Soundtrack and Steven Universe: Karaoke, will be available on Friday, April 12 for digital download and streaming, with Steven Universe: Season 2 arriving on DVD Tuesday, April 16. Episodes of Steven Universe are available on Cartoon Network, the Cartoon Network app and VOD.
