Lighting up the screen: These are the 12 incredible TV Performances nominated in the 2023 Queerties

The past year really was a groundbreaking one for LGBTQ+ characters on television.

Need proof? How about the fact that we had to expand the Queerties category for TV Performance from the standard 10 nominees to 12—and even still, we’re barely scratching the surface!

Below, we celebrate a dozen incredible actors from television shows of all genres, from all networks, who helped queer the media landscape by creating some of TV’s most iconic characters.

Voting for the 2023 Queerties is officially open.

Scroll on to learn more about this year’s 12 nominees, and—once you’ve had a chance to check them out for yourself—click on the corresponding icon to vote for your favorite.

Voting runs now through February 21. You can vote once per day per device in each category. Winners will be announced live at a special reception in Los Angeles on February 28 and on Queerty the following morning. Use hashtag #Queerties to share your votes and help promote your favorites.

Nicco Annan as Uncle Clifford, P-Valley

As the fashionable proprietor of strip club The Pynk, Annan embodies one of P-Valley‘s most indelible personalities while staking out space for bold and beautiful nonbinary representation.

P-Valley streams via the Starz plug-in on Amazon Prime Video and The Roku Channel.

Bilal Baig as Sabi, Sort Of

Sort Of might be “sort of” based on series co-creator Baig’s own life, but their vulnerable and well-observed performance makes Sabi stand out all on their own in this winning dramedy.

Sort Of streams exclusively on HBO Max.

Murray Bartlett as Nick De Noia, Welcome To Chippendales

After his breakout season of The White Lotus, Bartlett’s been on quite a run of roles, including the ill-fated choreographer Nick De Noia, who helped put the Chippendales on the map.

Welcome To Chippendales streams exclusively on Hulu.

Emma D’arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen, House Of The Dragon

Firstborn of royal blood, Rhaenyra is a force to be reckoned with, as is D’arcy in their breakthrough role, introducing us to our new favorite mixologist (cue: “Negroni Sbagliato… with a little Prosecco in it.”)

House Of The Dragon streams exclusively on HBO Max.

Harvey Guillén as Guillermo, What We Do In The Shadows

Guillén’s vampire familiar Guillermo has been the heart ofWhat We Do In The Shadows since the beginning, and this fourth season gave him his best showcase yet, with a genuinely moving coming-out arc.

What We Do In The Shadows streams exclusively on Hulu.

Jeff Hiller as Joel, Somebody, Somewhere

Somebody, Somewhere is a small-town comedy with big-time charm, with Hiller’s sweet and surprising performance acting as our gateway into an oft-overlooked queer community.

Somebody, Somewhere streams exclusively on HBO Max.

Devery Jacobs as Elora, Reservation Dogs

All four young actors bring their A-game to this comedy’s central quartet, but we have a soft spot for queer Indigenous star Jacobs who plays the ambitious Elora, the de facto leader of the “Rez Dogs.”

Reservation Dogs streams exclusively on Hulu.

Abbi Jacobson as Carson Shaw, A League Of Their Own

A major fan of the original ’92 comedy movie, series co-creator Jacobson brings so much compassion and care to A League Of Their Own, knocking Carson’s journey of self-discovery out of the park.

A League Of Their Own streams exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.

Joe Locke as Charlie, Heartstopper

This time a year ago, Locke had no screen credits to his name, but his sensitive and big-hearted turn as Charlie in the mega-hit Heartstopper has made him a household name with a bright career ahead.

Heartstopper streams exclusively on Netflix.

Vico Ortiz as Jim, Our Flag Means Death

Initially one of the most mysterious and fearsome crew members aboard the Revenge, Jim is revealed to be an empathetic swashbuckler with an incredible story to tell thanks to Ortiz’s thrilling performance.

Our Flag Means Death streams exclusively on HBO Max.

Michaela Jaé Rodriguez as Sofia, Loot

Rodriguez stole our hearts as Pose‘s house mother Blanca, and then proved she could make us laugh, too, as Loot‘s no-nonsense non-profit director, Sofia, going toe-to-toe with Maya Rudolph.

Loot streams exclusively on AppleTV+.

Johnny Sibilly as Noah, Queer As Folk

We’ve always adored Sibilly, but we were blown about by his best work to date in the gone-too-soon reboot of Queer As Folk, playing Noah, a man haunted by the sudden loss of his partner.

Queer As Folk streams exclusively on Peacock.