It’s that time of year again. Out magazine has released its 4th Annual Power 50 – a list of America’s most influential gay men and women.

Director Lee Daniels made his debut on the list at number 25.

Daniels’s star continues to rise: Precious may not have netted the coveted best picture or best director Oscars, but it collected a couple of awards and, more importantly, elevated the director to the stage he’s long felt was his. Always a battler, never short of opinions, Daniels has charmed Hollywood. What he does next, though, will matter even more. Hugh Jackman recently let slip that he and Daniels are collaborating on the civil rights story Selma, due to begin shooting this spring.

Wanda Sykes dropped down one spot from last year making the list at number 36.

Aside from scoring her second HBO stand-up special, I’ma Be Me, in October, last year was a year of firsts for Sykes. Along with the debut of her own late-night talk show, The Wanda Sykes Show, the newly out Sykes, along with her wife, Alex, welcomed twins in April, just weeks before she became the first African-American woman and openly LGBT person with the coveted roasting duties at the annual White House Correspondents’ dinner.

Past list makers include: Vogue’s editor at large, Andre Leon Talley and talent agent/producer Benny Medina.

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