Black Tie Dinner has announced its latest honoree for this year’s 45th annual dinner, and if you’ve watched Overcompensating, you’re probably already paying attention.
Writer, actor, comedian and objectively very attractive human Benito Skinner will receive the Black Tie Dinner Media Award at Renaissance, the organization’s 45th annual dinner, on Saturday, November 14 at the Sheraton Dallas.
Yes, he’s talented. Yes, he’s funny. Yes, his work has helped bring queer stories to a huge mainstream audience. And yes, since we’re all thinking it, Benito Skinner is extremely hot. We believe in thorough journalism around here.
Skinner created, wrote, executive produced and stars in the Amazon Prime and A24 comedy Overcompensating, which premiered in May 2025. The series follows closeted former high school football player Benny as he arrives at college and attempts to figure out exactly who he’s supposed to be, with all the bad decisions, awkwardness and sexual confusion that entails.
In other words, college.
The Black Tie Dinner Media Award recognizes people whose work has helped advance LGBTQ+ visibility and understanding through media and storytelling, making Skinner a particularly fitting choice.
“What Benito is doing with Overcompensating goes beyond great comedy. He’s giving queer audiences a mirror and giving everyone else a window,” Black Tie Dinner Senior Co-Chair Deirdre Coleman said in announcing the honor. “That kind of storytelling is exactly what Renaissance is about, a rebirth of queer voices being seen, celebrated, and given center stage.”
Skinner’s work on Overcompensating has already earned him Gotham TV Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Performance in a Comedy Series and Breakthrough Comedy Series. He has also received the Rising Star Award at the Critics Choice Association’s Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema & TV and was named Breakout Comedy Star of the Year at the Just for Laughs Festival.
Beyond being funny, talented and, again, distractingly handsome, Skinner has become a prominent LGBTQ+ voice through comedy, digital media and advocacy. His work puts queer experiences at the center of stories that can feel deeply familiar to LGBTQ+ audiences while reaching plenty of people outside the community.
“Through his advocacy, visibility, and authentic storytelling, Benito Skinner has helped create a stronger sense of belonging for LGBTQ+ people everywhere,” Black Tie Dinner Junior Co-Chair Joshua Williams said. “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.”
For Dallas, the award is part of a much bigger annual tradition. Since its beginnings as a small dinner among friends in 1982, Black Tie Dinner has grown into the nation’s largest fundraising dinner for the LGBTQ+ community and has distributed more than $33 million to LGBTQ+-supportive organizations. Each year, the organization supports North Texas nonprofit beneficiaries along with its national beneficiary, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.
He Said Dallas is proud to be a longtime sponsor of Black Tie Dinner and to support the organization’s work on behalf of the North Texas LGBTQ+ community. We’re also perfectly happy when supporting a good cause involves putting on something fabulous, drinking cocktails and spending an evening in a ballroom full of gays. Community service comes in many forms.
Skinner will accept the Media Award at the 45th Annual Black Tie Dinner: Renaissance on November 14 at the Sheraton Dallas. Tickets and tables are available now at blacktie.org.
