Academy Award-winning actor Robert De Niro will be honoured at the 27^th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York next month.

De Niro will receive GLAAD’s Excellence in Media Award, which is presented to media professionals who have made a significant difference in promoting equality and acceptance of LGBT people.

The two-time Academy Award-winning actor is a longtime ally to the LGBT community. Most recently, he shared with audiences the story of his gay father in the 2014 HBO documentary Remembering the Artist: Robert De Niro, Sr. In it, De Niro movingly recounted his father’s struggle with self-acceptance, not living openly until the latter part of his life.

In addition to his outspoken support of marriage equality, De Niro has brought LGBT storylines to broader audiences. In 2002, he co-founded the Tribeca Film Festival, which has made LGBT inclusion a hallmark of its annual film line-up. He produced and starred in the 1999 film Flawless, which told the story of a man and his friendship with a transgender woman. In 2007, De Niro portrayed an openly gay character in Stardust.

“Through his work honoring the memory of his openly gay father, Robert De Niro has not only sent a message of acceptance to LGBT people, but also educated audiences of the harms of anti-LGBT prejudice and discrimination,” said GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. “He is a tireless advocate who has helped bring to the world LGBT storylines that spark dialogue, build support, and encourage understanding.”

The GLAAD Media Awards recognise and honour media for their fair, accurate, and inclusive representations of the LGBT community and the issues that affect their lives.

Previous Excellence in Media Award honourees include Tyra Banks, Julianne Moore, Glenn Close, Bob and Harvey Weinstein, and Vanessa Redgrave.

We think it’s well time the legendary De Niro was added to the list. And to celebrate, we’re dancing to our favourite song about him, ever. (Well, it’s the only song about him, ever.)