“The Crown” star Emma Corrin
Movie awards like the Oscars should be gender neutral
Emma Corrin self-identifies as non-binary, but is nominated for film and TV awards as an actress.
© imago/Matrix
“The Crown” star Emma Corrin wants film awards to have gender-neutral actor categories so that “everyone feels represented”.
“The Crown” star Emma Corrin (26) identifies herself as non-binary, i.e. not clearly male or female, and did so last summer by changing personal pronouns, among other things on Instagram to expression.
Corrin will soon be appearing on stage in a London theater production of Virginia Woolf’s (1882-1941) novel Orlando: A Biography. In Woolf’s novel, the title character begins life as a young man to later become a woman. In conversation with the British “BBC” Corrin now suggestedto consolidate the male and female categories into a single gender-neutral category at major film awards such as the Oscars. “I’m hoping for a future where that happens,” Corrin said.
Emma Corrin: “Everyone should feel valued and represented”
Corrin himself was awarded a Golden Globe in 2021 for his acclaimed portrayal of Princess Diana (1961-1997) in the fourth season of The Crown. The star received the award for Best Actress in a TV Drama. According to Corrin, changing or merging the relevant categories for major film and television awards would mean that “everyone is able to feel valued and represented”.
In fact, Corrin received the Golden Globe for “The Crown” before announcing his own non-binary gender identity. Meanwhile, the star says it’s “difficult for me to justify in my mind being non-binary and being nominated in female categories.” Corrin ponders aloud in an interview with the “BBC”: “In terms of categories, do we have to specify whether a person is nominated for a female or male role?”.
According to the “BBC”, both the organizers of the Academy Awards and those of the British BAFTA Awards are currently discussing appropriate changes internally.
The Grammy Awards have been gender neutral for ten years
Compared to film and TV awards, the situation in the music industry is different. The Grammy Awards abolished gender-specific awards for male and female artists ten years ago. Since 2012, instead of two prizes for the “best female and male pop vocal performance”, only one Grammy has been awarded for the (gender-neutral) “best pop solo performance”.
The Brit Awards took that step this year. Here, superstar Adele (34) became the first to win the new gender-neutral British Artist of the Year category, and explained in her acceptance speech: “I understand why the name of this award has changed, but I really love being a woman and to be an artist”.
Potential obstacles to changing acting categories at the Oscars
It remains to be seen whether the more traditional Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which organizes the Oscars, will opt for a merging of the male and female categories. Hollywood stars might also object, for the simple reason that instead of four Oscars for male and female leading and supporting actors, there would only be two acting awards. In this case, the chances of taking home one of the coveted trophies would drop by 50 percent for the stars.