The Emmy Awards announces stars nominated in the Actor or Actress categories can now request to be recognized as ‘Performer’
- The Television Academy’s Board of Governors announced it will now be allowing stars nominated for an Actress or Actor award the ability of being recognized as ‘Performer’
- The change begins this year and will see the ‘Performer’ title reflected in both the nomination certificate and trophy
- The announcement follows other entertainment awards shows scraping separate prizes for men and women in favor of gender neutral awards
- The Grammy Awards went gender-neutral in 2012 and in 2017 the MTV Movie and TV Awards implemented gender-neutral categories
The Emmy Awards have announced stars nominated for a trophy in the Actor or Actress categories can now request to be recognized as ‘Performer’ at future ceremonies.
The new change, which begins with the 2021 Emmy Awards Season, will see the ‘Performer’ title reflected in both the nomination certificate and trophy.
The announcement follows other entertainment awards shows scraping separate prizes for men and women in favor of gender neutral awards.
New changes: The Emmy Awards have announced stars nominated for a trophy in the Actor or Actress categories can now request to be recognized as ‘Performer’ at future ceremonies
‘No performer category titled “Actor” or “Actress” has ever had a gender requirement for submissions,’ The Television Academy’s Board of Governors announced on their website.
‘Now, nominees and (or) winners in any performer category titled “Actor” or “Actress” may request that their nomination certificate and Emmy statuette carry the term “Performer” in place of Actor or Actress.’
Gender-neutral categories have already been implemented at the MTV Movie and TV Awards, which scrapped Best Male and Female categories for a Best Actor prize in 2017 while the Grammy Awards went gender-neutral in 2012.
Last year the Berlin International Film Festival announced it would be eliminating separate prizes for women and men for gender neutral awards.
Updates: ‘No performer category titled “Actor” or “Actress” has ever had a gender requirement for submissions,’ The Television Academy’s Board of Governors announced on their website
Going on the gold: The new change, which begins with the 2021 Emmy Awards Season, will see the ‘Performer’ title reflected in both the nomination certificate and trophy
The ceremony’s Best Actor and Best Actress award will now be replaced with a Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance and a Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance.
In a statement, the co-heads of the festival, Mariette Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian, said ‘not separating the awards in the acting field according to gender comprises a signal for a more gender-sensitive awareness in the film industry.’
In other changes to The Emmys, The Television Academy also announced any documentary placed on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences viewing platform will not be allowed to compete in the show.
‘Any film placed on the AMPAS viewing platform will be deemed a theatrical motion picture and thus ineligible for the Emmy competition,’ reads the new rule, which will begin in 2022.
Documentary changes: In other changes to The Emmys, The Television Academy also announced any documentary placed on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences viewing platform will not be allowed to compete in the show
Previously: The Grammy Awards went gender-neutral in 2012
Gender-neutral categories have already been implemented at the MTV Movie and TV Awards