In 1987 German filmmakers Wieland Speck[1] and Manfred Salzgeber formed a jury called the International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival Association (IGLFFA) to create an award for LGBT films.
The first Teddy Award was given to Pedro Almodóvar for his film La ley del deseo, which featured Antonio Banderas.
The awards were originally founded in a gay bookshop in West Berlin, they were named after the cuddly toys which were sent as prizes to the winners.
The evening was organized from BeV StroganoV and workers of the bookstore Eisenherz in Berlin.
A Special Award is commonly, but not always, given to one or more individuals for a distinguished achievement in LGBT cinema, such as a lifetime career achievement as a director or performer or for a person's role in a project of significance to the history of LGBT cinema.