Writer, actor and comedian Benito Skinner, creator of the hit comedy Overcompensating, will receive the Media Award at the 45th Annual Black Tie Dinner — Renaissance, Black Tie Dinner officials announced today.
This year’s event is set for Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Sheraton Dallas.
The Black Tie Dinner Media Award recognizes individuals whose work has advanced LGBTQ+ visibility and understanding through media and storytelling. Dinner officials announced earlier this month that DeeJay Johannessen, CEO of HELP Center for LGBTQ+ Health, will receive the 2026 Kuchling Award at the event.
Benito Skinner is “a dynamic, boundary-pushing voice in comedy whose razor-sharp wit and cultural fluency have redefined modern comedic storytelling,” according to a press release announcing him as Media Award recipient. He created, wrote, executive produced and starred in the hit Amazon Prime & A24 original comedy series Overcompensating, which premiered to global critical acclaim in May 2025.
Skinner is also “a visible champion for the LGBTQ+ community and uses his platform and creative projects to normalize queer experiences, uplift LGBTQ+ voices and foster authentic visibility across screen, stage and digital media,” the press release said. “By centering queer narratives with heart humor, and unflinching honesty, he continues to advocate for self-acceptance, build inclusive spaces for fans worldwide and challenge conventional norms in mainstream entertainment.”
“What Benito is doing with Overcompensating goes beyond great comedy. He’s giving queer audiences a mirror and giving everyone else a window,” said Black Tie Dinner Senior Co-Chair Deirdre Coleman. “That kind of storytelling is exactly what Renaissance is about — a rebirth of queer voices being seen, celebrated and given center stage.
“We’re honored to celebrate him with the Media Award at this year’s 45th Annual Black Tie Dinner,” Coleman added.
Skinner’s work on the series earned him multiple Gotham TV Award nominations, including “Outstanding Lead Performance in a Comedy Series” and “Breakthrough Comedy Series,” as well as the “Rising Star Award” at the Critics Choice Association’s Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema & TV and the Just for Laughs Festival “Breakout Comedy Star of the Year” award.
Black Tie Dinner Junior Co-Chair Joshua Williams said, “Through his advocacy, visibility and authentic storytelling, Benito Skinner has helped create a stronger sense of belonging for LGBTQ+ people everywhere. By speaking out against injustice and creating space for healing, he has become a powerful voice for our community and an inspiration to the next generation.:
Tickets and tables for Black Tie Dinner — Renaissance are available for purchase at BlackTie.org.
Over the last four and a half decades, Black Tie Dinner has distributed more than $33 million to LGBTQ+ supportive organizations through premier events in partnership with the community. From its origins as a small fundraising dinner among friends in 1982, Black Tie Dinner has grown into the largest fundraising dinner in the nation for the LGBTQ+ community. Each year, Black Tie Dinner selects up to 20 non-profit organizations from North Texas as local beneficiaries of its fundraising, as well as the Human Rights Campaign Foundation as its national beneficiary.
Local beneficiaries for 2026 are: Abounding Prosperity Inc., ASD — A Home for Life, Camp Haven, Cathedral of Hope UCC, Celebration Community Church, Dallas Hope Charities, Equality Texas, Legacy Cares, Northaven United Methodist Church, Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas, Resource Center, Synergy Wesley Foundation, Texas Latino Pride, Truth Pregnancy Resource Center, Turtle Creek Chorale, Uptown Players, The Women’s Chorus of Dallas and Yule Sober Living.
— Tammye Nash