Tue 1 Mar 2016 In: Entertainment View at Wayback View at NDHA
Sam Smith, embarrassingly declared himself the first openly gay man to win an Oscar at the awards last night, we take a look at those who have come before him. A phenomenon dominated by men, there has been at least ten openly gay people walk the stage at the Oscars and recognised for their outstanding contribution to film. 1. Elton John received an Oscar for his song Can You Feel the Love Tonight which was produced for the 1994 classic The Lion King. 2. Before Elton John, openly gay Howard Ashman was awarded two Oscars for his work on The Little Mermaid track Under the Sea in 1989 and the title song for Beauty and the Beast. 3. Dustin Lance Black was recognised for his screenplay of the 2009 film Milk. 4. In 1981 Sir John Gielgud picked up an Oscar for his role in Arthur. 5. American Beauty screenplay writer Alan Ball was handed an Oscar in 2000. 6. Best Director went to George Cukor in 1964 for My Fair Lady. 7. Stephen Sondheim pick up an award for Best Original Song in 1990 for Sooner or Later I Always Get My Man. 8. Melissa Etheridge was recognised in 2006 for her song I Need to Wake Up, which featured in the documentary An Inconvenient Truth. 9. Best Adapted Screenplay went to Bill Condon in 1998 for the film Gods and Monsters. 10. John Schlesinger won Best Director in 1989 for Midnight Cowboy and was nominated for Sunday Bloody Sunday in 1971. 11. Jodie Foster wasn’t out when she picked up an Oscar in1998 for The Accused and in 1991 for Silence of the Lambs. GayNZ.com Daily News staff - 1st March 2016
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Tuesday, 1st March 2016 - 11:59am