The Tony Awards Administration Committee has announced that Billy Porter will receive the 2024 Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award in recognition of his outstanding dedication and contributions as an activist and spokesperson for the LGBTQ+ communities, including his work with The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (ETAF) and the Entertainment Community Fund, among other organizations.
The Isabelle Stevenson Award is presented annually to a member of the theatre community who has made a substantial contribution of volunteered time and effort on behalf of one or more humanitarian, social service or charitable organizations.
“Billy Porter has made extraordinary contributions as an activist for the LGBTQ+ community and we are truly honored to present him with this year’s Isabelle Stevenson Award,” said Jason Laks, interim president of The Broadway League and Heather Hitchens, president and CEO of the American Theatre Wing. “He has lent tremendous time, effort and support to a variety of organizations including The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, the Entertainment Community Fund, and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, all while becoming an unstoppable force on stage, screen and beyond.”
Porter serves as an ambassador for The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (ETAF), sharing a commitment to continue Taylor’s legacy of humanitarian service. He received The Elizabeth Taylor Commitment to End AIDS Award in 2021 for his role in fighting and advocating to end the disease. The award is given in memory of Taylor’s legacy of compassion and courage while at the forefront of the movement to help people affected by HIV.
Porter is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Entertainment Community Fund (formerly The Actors Fund) and has worked closely with the organization for several decades, embodying the passionate commitment of the organization to help everyone involved in performing arts and entertainment, including performers and those behind the scenes. He is an outspoken activist for the LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities through his work with several organizations including Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, HRC (Human Rights Campaign), GLAAD and Planned Parenthood. Recognitions for his advocacy and efforts to promote equality for the LGBTQ+ community have included the Michael Kors Award for Outstanding Community Service at the 2021 Golden Heart Awards and the GLAAD Vito Russo Award in 2017.
Billy Porter is an award-winning actor, singer, director, producer, composer, and playwright. He won an Emmy Award for Lead Actor for his role in FX’s Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated drama “Pose.” He earned three Emmy nominations total for his role in the series. A Hollywood Walk of Fame inductee, Porter has numerous theatre credits, including the role of ‘Lola’ in the Broadway musical “Kinky Boots,” which he originated in 2013 and for which he won the Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Awards, as well as the GRAMMY for best musical-theatre album. He won his second Tony Award in 2022 for “Best Musical” as a producer on “A Strange Loop.”
Recently, he starred in the film “Our Son” alongside Luke Evans, the Paramount comedy “80 For Brady” alongside Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno, Lily Tomlin and Sally Field, and Prime Video’s “Cinderella” re-make. His feature directorial debut “Anything’s Possible,” a coming-of-age film written by Ximena García Lecuona, was released in July 2022 on Prime Video. In 2023, he directed an episode of Fox’s anthology series “Accused.” Upcoming, he will co-write and star in a James Baldwin biopic. Porter released his first literary project, “Unprotected,” in October 2021, which was published by Abrams Press. As a recording artist, Porter most recently released his album “Black Mona Lisa,” under his record deal with Island Records (UK) and Republic Records (US). He is also an alumnus of Carnegie Mellon University.
