Degrassi gets GLAAD nomination

Canada's groundbreaking high school series Degrassi has been nominated for a best-drama prize from the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.

The long-running series is up for a GLAAD Media Award for various storylines that involve gay, transgender and lesbian characters.

Beginners, the film that starts Canadian Christopher Plummer as an older man coming out after the death of his wife, is in the running for best film, in nominations released Thursday. The other nominees are Albert Knobbs, about a woman living as a man, and J. Edgar, in which J. Edgar Hoover is shown in a same-sex relationship.

Glee, with its high-profile storylines about bullying and Modern Family, which features gay parents, are nominated in the best comedy category.

Lady Gaga is among the nominees for best music artist for album Born This Way.  

Awards ceremonies will be held in New York on March 24, in Los Angeles on April 21 and in San Francisco on June 2.

Degrassi, which airs on MuchMusic in Canada and TeenNick in the U.S., is up against Grey's Anatomy, Pretty Little Liars, Shameless and Torchwood: Miracle Day.

This is its fourth nomination for a GLAAD Media Award, which celebrates inspiring media images of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

Degrassi introduced its first gay storyline back in 1988. It broke new ground in 2010 when it introduced its first transgender character.

"What a great honour this is for the entire Degrassi team," executive producer Linda Schuyler said Thursday in a release.

"This nomination reinforces our continuing dedication to telling relevant stories about the LGBT community."