Academy Awards reportedly moving away from 'Best Actor' and 'Best Actress' categories and towards gender neutral awards
The potential move has sparked debate on social media, with many voicing their concerns that it may dilute the importance of the awards or be seen as pandering to woke activists.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is reportedly considering doing away with the categories of Best Actor and Actress at the Oscars and replacing them with a gender-neutral category.
According to a report in the Daily Mail, the move is intended to appease woke activists, who claim that the categories are outdated and no longer serve a purpose.
The editorial board of the Los Angeles Times has been vocal about the need to eliminate gendered categories for actors, calling them "outdated categorization."
The publication also noted that many non-binary performers, such as Emma Corrin, have argued for non-gendered categories that would recognize those who do not solely identify as male or female.
The 96th Academy Awards, set to take place in 2024, have been targeted by woke activists for years.
In September 2020, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that films would have to meet "representation" standards among the crew or in opportunities for training and advancement related to the film's development and release.
A film could not be nominated unless it met at least two of the four standards, which include onscreen representation, leadership and department heads, and industry access and opportunities.
The Daily Mail reported:
Sources at the Academy say they don't want to be on the wrong side of 'important discussions around representation and inclusivity' in the industry — particularly not after the damaging 'Oscars so white' scandal.
They haven't yet got around to canvassing the rank and file, who are largely old, white and male, but they can expect some rebellion from that quarter.
The Oscars for Best Actor and Actress have been awarded since the inception of the awards in 1929. Both Best Actor Emil Jannings and Best Actress Janet Gaynor won for more than one role that year, and that was the first and only year that actors were given Oscars for more than one performance.
Several other awards shows, including the Grammys, the MTV Movie & TV Awards, and the Independent Spirit Awards, have already replaced their gendered awards categories with Best Performer-type awards. The potential move has sparked debate on social media, with many voicing their concerns that it may dilute the importance of the awards or be seen as pandering to woke activists.
Don't Get Censored
Big Tech is censoring us. Sign up so we can always stay in touch.
Don't Get Censored
Big Tech is censoring us. Sign up so we can always stay in touch.