JoJo Siwa to Receive ‘Future of Hollywood Award’ at The Hollywood Museum’s 2023 ‘LGBTQ+ REAL to REEL’ Exhibit
JoJo Siwa, Lorna Luft and daytime drama star Kevin Spirtas will be honored June 8 at The Hollywood Museum’s 10th annual “REAL to REEL: Portrayals and Perceptions of LGBTQ+s in Hollywood” exhibit.
Siwa, 20, is set to receive the Future of Hollywood Award from presenter Raven-Symoné. Siwa appeared for two seasons (2015-16) on Dance Moms along with her mother, Jessalynn Siwa. She has placed three albums or EPs on Billboard’s Kids Albums chart. She posts daily videos of her day-to-day life on her popular YouTube channel, “Its JoJo Siwa.” She received four awards at the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards from 2017-20 and was included on Time’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2000.
Luft, 70, daughter of Judy Garland and her third husband, producer Sid Luft, will receive the Judy Garland Legacy Award. The award will be presented by Michael Feinstein, noted Great American Songbook ambassador and five-time Grammy nominee. Rufus Wainwright, whose 2007 homage to Garland, Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall, received a Grammy nod for best traditional pop vocal album, is also scheduled to attend.
Spirtas, 60, will receive The Trailblazer Award from presenter Dee Wallace, who is best known for her role in the 1982 blockbuster ET The Extra-Terrestrial.
Reverend Steve Pieters, a longtime AIDS survivor who was portrayed in the 2021 film The Eyes of Tammy Faye, will be a special guest.
The Hollywood Museum’s REAL to REEL exhibition tells the story of the milestones and influence that LBGTQ characters and plot lines have had in Hollywood from early stereotypes to modern-day representations.
“The museum welcomes the opportunity to create and showcase this important exhibition, sharing with the public the artistic expression and extraordinary significance of the LGBTQ+ culture and its effect and impact on the world through the medium of entertainment,” Donelle Dadigan, founder and president of The Hollywood Museum, said in a statement.
The Hollywood Museum in the historic Max Factor Building is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. The museum is located in the heart of Hollywood, at the corner of Hollywood Blvd and Highland Ave, just steps from the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Red-carpet arrivals on June 8 are at 6:30 p.m. The presentation starts at 7:30 p.m. The exhibit opens to the public the following day. The museum’s regular hours are Wednesday-Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Paul Grein
Billboard