Last night in Los Angeles, special guests and presenters included Jennifer Aniston, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dana Delany, Fran Drescher, Gregory Hines, Larry King, Howie Mandel, Garry Marshall, Joni Mitchell and Jeffrey Tambor. Dionne Warwick and the Captain & Tennille performed for the sold out crowd.

Cher accepted GLAAD's Vanguard Award at the Los Angeles ceremony. The honor is presented to a member of the entertainment or media community who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for lesbians and gay men.

In Washington, DC presenters and special guests included Margarethe Cammermeyer, Dorothy Hajdys Holman, David Kopay, Mary Louise Parker and Bob Smith. Attendance at the event doubled from the previous year.

Judith Light was honored in DC with the Vision Award, presented to an individual that has had a long-term vision and commitment to making a significant difference in society by promoting equal rights for lesbians and gay men.

In New York presenters and special guests included Kate Clinton, Phil Donahue, Michael Douglas, Christopher Durang, Cherry Jones, Ricki Lake, Cristina Saralegui, Marlo Thomas, Sigourney Weaver and the women of The View. The sold out event included performances by Lea Delaria and Tony Bennett.

Co-Chairmen of Miramax Films Bob and Harvey Weinstein were honored with the Excellence in Media Award. This award is given to individuals in the entertainment and media industries who have included lesbians and gay men in their work, furthering the visibility and greater understanding of the community. Also at the event, k.d. lang accepted the Vito Russo Entertainer Award, presented to an openly lesbian or gay individual who has achieved excellence in a specific area of media and has furthered the visibility and understanding of the community through his/her work.

GLAAD is the nation's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender media advocacy organization, with offices in Atlanta, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Washington, DC. GLAAD is dedicated to promoting fair, accurate and inclusive representations of individuals and events in the media as a means of challenging discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity.

THE 1998 GLAAD MEDIA AWARD WINNERS

EXCELLENCE IN MEDIA AWARD: Bob and Harvey Weinstein

STEPHEN F. KOLZAK AWARD: Ellen DeGeneres

VANGUARD AWARD: Cher

VISION AWARD: Judith Light

VITO RUSSO ENTERTAINER AWARD: k.d. lang

OUTSTANDING FILM (Wide Release): In & Out

OUTSTANDING FILM (Limited Release): Ma Vie En Rose (My Life in Pink)

OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY: Paul Monette: A Brink of Summer's End

OUTSTANDING TV COMEDY SERIES: Ellen (ABC)

OUTSTANDING TV MOVIE: Any Mother's Son (Lifetime)

OUTSTANDING TV DRAMA SERIES: NYPD Blue (ABC)

OUTSTANDING TV INDIVIDUAL EPISODE: The Simpsons "Homer's Phobia" (Fox)

OUTSTANDING TV TALK: Oprah Winfrey Show "Ellen's Coming Out" Episode

OUTSTANDING DAYTIME DRAMA: All My Children (ABC)

OUTSTANDING TV JOURNALISM: Entertainment Tonight (syndicated) - Body of Work

OUTSTANDING MUSIC: Janet Jackson The Velvet Rope

OUTSTANDING MAGAZINE ARTICLE: "Yep, I'm Gay" Time Magazine

OUTSTANDING MAGAZINE OVERALL COVERAGE: Advertising Age

OUTSTANDING NEWSPAPER ARTICLE: "What A Difference A Modem Makes" by Matthew McAllester (Newsday)

OUTSTANDING NEWSPAPER COLUMN/ COLUMNIST: "Outlooks" (Miami Herald)

OUTSTANDING GAY, LESBIAN, BISEXUAL & TRANSGENDER PRINT MEDIA: Gay People's Chronicle (Cleveland, Ohio)

OUTSTANDING COMIC: For Better or For Worse

OUTSTANDING INTERACTIVE MEDIA: GLORadio

OUTSTANDING LA THEATER PRODUCTION: Mountains

OUTSTANDING NY THEATER PRODUCTION: Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde