Critics Choice LGBTQ Awards 2026 Honor 'Heated Rivalry' and 'Stranger Things' The Critics Choice Association has unveiled the winners of its annual Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema & Television, with several high-profile shows and performers recognized for their contributions to the genre. The third edition of the event, set to take place on May 29 in Los Angeles, celebrates achievements across the LGBTQ+ entertainment community, highlighting the work of creators, actors, and writers behind some of the year’s most acclaimed projects. Among the standout honorees are HBO Max’s gay hockey drama Heated Rivalry and Netflix’s sci-fi series Stranger Things, both of which have been acknowledged for their cultural impact and storytelling. The ceremony will honor Jacob Tierney, the writer and director of Heated Rivalry, with the Showrunner Award. Tierney’s work on the show, which explores themes of identity and rivalry within a queer hockey team, has been praised for its nuanced portrayal of LGBTQ+ experiences. Meanwhile, Stranger Things star Noah Schnapp, known for his role as Will Byers, will receive the Breakthrough Performance Award. Schnapp’s portrayal of coming out in the 1980s as a young adult in the final season of the series has been highlighted as a pivotal moment in the show’s narrative, offering a compelling exploration of adolescence and self-discovery. Other notable winners include Hannah Einbinder, who stars in the HBO Max comedy Hacks. Einbinder will be recognized with the Performance Award for a Comedy Series for her role as Ava, a queer comedy writer navigating the challenges of the industry. The Critics Choice Association noted that her performance brings an “authentic queer perspective” to the screen, blending humor with emotional depth.#stranger_things #heated_rivalry #jacob_tierney #critics_choice_association #noah_schnapp
Jacob Tierney Teases 'Heated Rivalry' Season 2 The highly anticipated second season of Heated Rivalry, starring Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander and Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov, is set to premiere in April 2027. Show creator Jacob Tierney hinted at the season’s direction during a recent interview, revealing that it will not cover the entire plot of The Long Game, the sixth and longest installment in Rachel Reid’s Game Changers book series. This novel serves as a direct sequel to the relationship between Shane and Ilya, following the events of the first season. Tierney emphasized that the season will focus on the characters’ emotional struggles, including codependency, depression, and self-perception, while navigating their love for one another. Tierney described the season as a continuation of the complex dynamics between Shane and Ilya, drawing parallels to the themes of Sex, Lies, and Videotape and the challenges of maintaining a relationship in a world that often complicates such bonds. “The Long Game is like Sex, Lies, and Videotape,” Tierney said. “You think that’s when it gets easy? It’s not. That’s when it gets hard. That’s when you have to make real decisions.” The season will explore the difficulties of being a queer couple in a society that does not always accept their relationship, balancing the joy of love with the realities of prejudice and personal sacrifice. To craft the season’s narrative, Tierney enlisted Michael Goldbach, a writer known for his work on North of North, as his co-writer. Goldbach’s collaboration aims to infuse the season with both heart and humor, while staying true to the source material. Tierney praised Goldbach’s ability to “zig where you’re supposed to zag,” ensuring the season remains unpredictable yet grounded in the characters’ emotional journeys.#hudson_williams #connor_storrie #jacob_tierney #rachel_reid #the_long_game
