Gender has been a hot topic of conversation in recent years. It appears to be affecting the BAFTA awards now that it has spread to social media and the Olympics.
Non-binary artists who have had to choose between the best actor and best actress categories in the past few years include Emma Corrin, Bella Ramsey, and Emma D’Arcy. Since 2022, this has been the standard, but they have been thinking about it.
When the matter of gender-neutral categories came up again in 2023, the organization’s chief executive stated that it was “constantly under review.”
However, according to Daily Mail reports, the Academy has determined that maintaining the gendered classifications is the wisest course of action. According to that article, the BAFTAs’ standards make it very plain that producers need to “confirm the gender/gender identity of each candidate for nomination” before the event the following year.
The 2025 acting award presentation will once again feature separate categories for men and women, as can be seen on the BAFTA website. The gender-neutral option is not available.
Non-gendered awards were introduced by the BRITS in 2023. The award is for Artist of the Year and International Artist of the Year, not British Female Solo Artist or British Male Solo Artist. According to the organizers, it lets artists be recognized more for their creative output and music than for who they are.
There was a commotion in 2022 when Sam Smith was excluded from the gendered categories due to their non-identification as male or female. Gender-neutral categories are being discussed as potential Oscar additions even within the Academy Awards.
CEO Bill Kramer from Academy said: “We are exploring this topic with our awards, membership, equity, and inclusion committees and soon with our Board of Governors.”
“It’s in the early exploration stage and one of many conversations about the future of awards and the Oscars. We are still investigating how it could look.”
It will be fascinating to see how this goes.
