NEW YORK (Reuters) - Singer Lady Gaga and fashion designer-turned-director Tom Ford's debut film were among the nominees for the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation's annual media awards on Wednesday 13 January.

The organisation named 116 nominees for outstanding coverage of gay issues in categories in film, television, documentary, music, theatre, comic books and journalism. The 21st GLAAD awards will be handed out at three ceremonies beginning on March 13 in New York.

Tom Ford's film "A Single Man" that follows the life of a gay professor and director Lee Daniel's film "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" about a struggling Harlem teen who befriends a lesbian teacher were among nominees in the outstanding film category.

Nominees in the outstanding music artist category included New York singer Lady Gaga, U.S. indie band Gossip, U.S. singer Brandi Carlile as well as former American Idol runner up Adam Lambert, who last year told Rolling Stone magazine he was gay following months of speculation.

Television shows that earned nominations included "True Blood," "Grey's Anatomy", "Mad Men," "Skins," "Glee" and "The United States of Tara."

Actress Cynthia Nixon of the TV series "Sex and the City" who has been a vocal advocate on gay issues and gay marriage will receive a special award given to an openly gay media professional.

The organization's President Jarrett Barrios said the awards were designed to reward news coverage and entertainment programming that go beyond gay stereotypes.

"Words and images matter," he said in a statement before adding there was still progress to be made.

(Reporting by Christine Kearney, editing by Mike Collett-White)