It has been announced by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) that gender-neutral categories would not be added to its ceremony of awards.
BAFTA has chosen to stick with its conventional male/female classification despite mounting pressure to acknowledge non-binary talent even though this appears to be a directive to non-binary celebrities that if they want to be acknowledged for awards, they must pick a side.
To promote inclusion, in this regard, the Brit Awards have abandoned gendered categories, in contrast to BAFTA.
Some musicians, including Adele, the 2022 winner of Best British Artiste, have voiced their reservations about the contentious decision to eliminate the male/female categories.
The Hello hitmaker said on stage, “I understand why the name of this award has changed, but I really love being a woman and being a female artiste”.
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According to The Daily Mail, BAFTA disregarded non-binary actors when it decided not to establish a “non-gendered” acting category for prize recognition.
It was mentioned that candidates would now have to decide if they want to compete as “actors” or “actresses.”
A week ago, the organization updated its standards, stating that movie producers need to “confirm the gender/gender identity of each candidate for nomination.”
The news outlet was informed by a source that “it is up to the entrant which category they enter into.”
Since its music-related counterpart, the Brit Awards, decided to make its categories gender-neutral in 2022, BAFTA has been engaged in a heated debate about the subject.
They had a conversation with “sector peers, industry stakeholders, and experts” at the time, claiming to be involved in “proactive and thoughtful consultation” on the topic of gendered acting categories.
As of late, though, nothing has changed; award winners are apparently free to request that the word “performer” be added to the certificate and mask if they so like.
Fans are divided on the matter, with some criticizing the association for rejecting calls for an industry shift toward diversity.
With some expressing a wide range of opinions about BAFTA’s decision on social media.
