Since the first Academy Awards in 1929, the Best Actor and Supporting Actor categories have been separated by gender. Every year, men compete for the Best Actor award, while women win the Best Actress award. Although this system has worked for nearly a century, more and more people in the entertainment industry are questioning whether it still works. Celebrities and fans alike are beginning to shed light on the fact that dividing awards into “male” and “female” categories excludes non-binary or gender-expansive artists.
“I feel like the categories were probably created initially to make sure that everyone on stage wasn't the same gender,” BHS freshman Pixel Franklin said. “Right now, I feel like if it's just actors and actresses, you can't shed any light on anything new.”
In February, non-binary actor Justin David Sullivan withdrew from the Tony Award nominations for his work on the Broadway show “And Juliet” after being told he needed to choose which categories to consider. I will deny any part of my identity that conforms to systems and structures that have no room for people like me,” Sullivan wrote in an Instagram post. They later called on the Tonys to remove gender from the nomination system.
Many other popular actors have expressed support for the gender-neutral category, including Janelle Monáe, Elliot Page, and Hugh Jackman. These categories are divisive, with some saying that all artists, regardless of gender, should be valued against each other. BHS freshman Juniper Hill said, “It kind of defeats the purpose of the award to give him two awards because he doesn't want to distinguish between genders when there's only one great actor. It kind of defeats the purpose of awards. It's a contradiction.''
Despite growing support, the majority of the industry still appears wary of removing gender categories. Female actresses have also expressed concerns about how male-dominated nominations and awards will become if the category is abolished.
It is an undeniable fact that men have dominated the entertainment industry for decades. Although women have their own award categories, they have suffered tremendous abuse in the workplace, from pay disparities to harassment.
“We live in a male-dominated world, and men make up almost all of the movies and TV shows,” said Leah Hogan, a freshman at BHS. “It would be very difficult for women to win in a category, especially just because they are outnumbered.”As of 2022, only 38.6% of lead actors in movies were women; There is certainly truth to this sentiment. And although efforts have been made over the years to increase representation and close the achievement gap between men and women, significant disparities still exist.
A notable example is the Best Director category at the Oscars. The Best Director award is generally an individual award and is gender neutral. A total of seven women have been nominated for Best Director in the 96 years of the Academy Awards, but only three have won. This year alone, there were four male candidates and only one female candidate. Additionally, many believed that female director Greta Gerwig was removed from the nominations for her work on Barbie. As expected, the award went to Oppenheimer's male director, Christopher Nolan.
Some actresses believe that if they are judged against male actors, they have no chance of winning awards due to systemic injustice.
Actress Rhea Seehorn said in a red carpet interview with The New York Times: “Until women and non-binary performers are given the same amount of screen time as men, it's not really fair to compare performances.” he said.
Many other actresses expressed similar concerns in the same interview, saying that while they are not opposed to gender-neutral categories, the current gender-based inequalities in Hollywood make degendering awards categories unrealistic. He explained that it could be. “The last thing any of us want to see is a general acting category that ends up with all male nominees,” said writer and director Sarah Polley.
However, despite the concerns that have been raised, continuing to have gendered categories is no longer representative of arts organizations in Hollywood. All artists should be recognized and valued for their contributions. The entertainment industry and awards shows need to continue to improve equality, rather than acting as if current progress is enough.
“I think ultimately it's going to push for more equality,” Hill said. We can't just stay stagnant. ”