The Academy Awards, also known as theOscars, have been running since 1929. In this first iteration of the ceremony, there were only 12 nomination categories, with three nominees in each. Interestingly, the categories that we know now as Best Picture and Best Director were both split in two for this ceremony. Best Picture was divided into Outstanding Picture and Best Unique and Artistic Picture; Best Director was divided into Best Directing (Comedy Picture) and Best Directing (Dramatic Picture). However, even as far back as this, the acting categories were divided by gender: Best Actor and Best Actress.
Over the years, changes were made until we were left with the arrangement that we currently have. But that doesn’t mean there’s no room for improvement. Other awards ceremonies have begun to use gender-neutral acting categories. For example, the Independent Spirit Awards decided to merge the gendered acting categories to create Best Lead Performance andBest Supporting Performance. Each category now has ten nominees rather than the previous five. However, this does not come without its issues. There will now be fewer acting awards given out, and we are forced to wonder: will this lead to men receiving the majority of acting awards?
What Are the Drawbacks of Gender-Neutral Acting Categories?
If Best Actor and Actress were to become Best Lead Performance, how would that affect the distribution of awards? Merging the categories means that only one Oscar would be awarded rather than two. Even if, like the Independent Spirit Awards, there are double the amount of nominees, that doesn’t change the fact that only one person can be the best. Therefore, fewer people will be awarded and, in turn, fewer films will be recognized on such a scale. Oscar nods have always been incredibly important in allowing films with smaller budgets to gain attention. A great example of this isMoonlight, the story of a gay Black man. Afterwinning Best Picture, its release was broadened, and it took in $2.52 million. This shows the power of an Oscar win in attracting audiences. It can be the best way to get people to open their minds to a movie they may not have chosen to watch otherwise.
Another question is: what will the ratio of awards given to men look like? If voters have the option to exclude other genders from their voting and nominations, it’s highly possible that men will rack up the majority of acting awards over the years. In categories that are already gender-neutral, like Best Director, there has been a pitiful lack of gender diversity among winners in the century of the Oscars so far. Only seven women have been nominated, and three have actually won the award. Additionally, perhaps it sadly goes without saying that no openly nonbinary directors have ever been nominated. Speaking toThe New York Times, Vanity Fair’s awards season reporter Mark Harris argues, “merging gender categories would create a cosmetic definition of equality in an industry where we know that equality does not exist.” So, merging the categories would be an empty gesture in an industry that is famously rife with misogyny.
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What Are the Benefits of Gender-Neutral Categories?
What the above arguments ignore is the voices of nonbinary actors. It’s unfair and even degrading to ask nonbinary actors to choose either to be excluded from awards ceremonies altogether or misgender themselves when submitting for consideration under either actor or actress. Furthermore, as actor Asia Kate Dillon noted when interviewed byNPR, if nonbinary performers are able to submit under whichever gender category they choose, then the categories are arbitrary and redundant anyway. The idea that a nonbinary person could be nominated under a gender that does not apply to them shows the gendered aspect of the category has no material significance.
Something else to consider is that the equivalence that is often drawn between the Best Director category and the potential gender-neutral acting categories doesn’t make complete sense. The dominance of male directors in awards ceremonies is a symptom of the industry as a whole. There are far more women and nonbinary actors working in the mainstream than there are women and nonbinary directors in similar positions of prominence. Moreover, members of the Academy are in the practice of nominating more than just male performers, so it’s unlikely that this would simply stop. This can be seen in organizations that have already merged their acting categories, they haven’t suddenly only nominated men. For actresses who are concerned that a move like this would reduce their chances of being awarded, this is a great chance to exercise some solidarity with nonbinary performers. They may have to accept that risk to make the industry a healthier place for gender-nonconforming individuals.
Related:Oscars: Every Movie That Was Nominated in All Four Acting Categories in the Same Year
With regard to the concern about fewer awards being received, it’s always possible to divide acting awards differently. It makes more sense to divide performances by genre than by gender. For example, the Golden Globes have different categories for dramatic performances and comedic performances. These are still divided into actor and actress, but the precedent for genre-based divisions is there. Looking back to the first Academy Awards, the Best Director award that we know was divided by comedy and drama, another piece of evidence that a move from gender to genre categories is possible. The Academy has made no indication that they plan to make any changes to their gendered acting categories, but progress always takes time.
