Ellen DeGeneres Tops OUT’s 8th Annual Power 50 List

(GayWebSource.com – Gay News & Press Network) – Posted by Michael Lamb – Echelon Magazine

Tim Cook, Rachel Maddow, and Tammy Baldwin are in the top 5; newcomers Michael Sam and Robin Roberts crack the top ten; Jennifer Pritzker becomes the first transgender person on the list.

OUT, the world’s leading gay fashion and lifestyle brand, today announced the 8th Annual Power 50 list, the brand’s annual ranking of the most influential LGBT voices in American culture. The list examines those who have power, how they wield it, and how it influences our culture. Again this year, OUT’s Power 50 contains a diverse mix of businesspeople, entertainers, politicians, and activists. Read on to find out which LGBT Americans have the clout in 2014!

Ellen DeGeneres, who was number 2 last year, returned to the top spot on the list. After her eponymous talk show shattered its own 10-year ratings record in March, DeGeneres went on to host the highest-rated Academy Awards telecast in a decade and almost shut down Twitter with her star-studded Oscar selfie. Other first-timers in the top 10 include football player Michael Sam and TV host Robin Roberts, who becomes the first woman of color in the top 10.

Billionaire Jennifer Pritzker (No. 23), the granddaughter to the founder of the Hyatt hotel chain, becomes the first transgender woman to make the Power 50. Other notable Power 50 rookies include news anchor Don Lemon (No. 27), actress Ellen Page (No. 29), basketball player Brittney Griner (No. 31) People and Entertainment Weekly editorial director Jess Cagle (No. 33), and lawyer Roberta Kaplan (No. 47).

Other noteworthy figures on this year’s Power 50 include:

·         Tim Cook (No. 2) — Last year Cook topped the list, and Cook remains the most powerful gay man in corporate America. His influence hasn’t’ faltered, but as he strategizes to keep the company on top in a fiercely competitive environment, he still hasn’t increased his public persona.
·         Rachel Maddow (No. 3) – Maddow’s climb up the cable news food chain has been in overdrive, and now the reigning queen of MSNBC – The Rachel Maddow Show is the network’s most viewed – has been rising in the ratings with the all-important 25-40 demo.
·         Glenn Greenwald (No. 5) – Greenwald immediately became a household name, and the bane of the U.S. government, for interviewing whistleblower Edward Snowden and reporting on Snowden’s leaks regarding the National Security Agency.
·         Andy Cohen (No. 8) – In recent years, Cohen has become a bigger star than the housewives on his cable network, Bravo. After relinquishing his executive duties with the network to focus on his talk show, Watch What Happens Live, Bravo recently renewed the show for two more years through a multiyear deal with his production company, Most Talkative.
·         Annise Parker (No. 21) — As the popular mayor of a major U.S. city, Parker continues to push for progressive politics in her second term. Parker also has big professional dreams: Rumor has it she plans to run for higher office in 2018.
·         Frank Ocean (No. 42) – The singer/songwriter was named one of Time’s Most Influential People of the Year last year, but he’s since taken a step back from performing after a vocal cord injury. Luckily, his collaborations with Jay Z and Beyoncé have kept him firmly grounded in the musical landscape.

View the entire Power 50 list here:
http://www.out.com/out-exclusives/power-50/2014/04/15/8th-annual-power-50

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