Bella Ramsey defends gendered award categories: “It’s really important recognition for women in the industry is preserved”

The Last Of Us star Bella Ramsey has said they would like to see gendered acting awards categories preserved, despite being non-binary themselves.

• READ MORE: Are gender-neutral acting awards the right move?

There has been a debate surrounding gendered acting awards in recent years, with some arguing they should be changed to gender neutral given that technical awards (such as director or cinematographer) are not defined in the same way.

The discussion also reflects the growing number of non-binary actors in the industry, and has been adopted by awards ceremonies such as The Independent Spirit Awards, and the MTV Movie & TV Awards. In music, both the Grammys and BRIT Awards have removed gendered artist categories.

Ramsey came out as non-binary in 2023, accepting all pronouns but saying they prefer they/them. Despite this, during a recent appearance on The Louis Theroux Podcast, they said they felt gendered awards should remain so that “recognition for women in the industry is preserved”.

“I don’t have the answer and I wish that there was something that was an easy way around it,” they explained, “but I think that it is really important that we have a female category and a male category.”

When talking about how they wish to be seen by the industry, Bella Ramsey said they would not object to being nominated in actress categories during awards season, but feels uncomfortable being labelled as an “actress” in general. “I have a guttural, ‘That’s not quite right,’ instinct to it,” they said. “But I just don’t take it too seriously … it doesn’t feel like an attack on my identity.”

Later in the interview, the former Game Of Thrones actor reflected on their identity, said they “grew up more as a little boy than I did a little girl”. They explained: “It’s been very obvious since I was young. I always called myself a tomboy, but it wasn’t that I was a boyish girl, I was always like a bit of an in-between. Leaning most of the boy’s side.”

“To be honest, I grew up more as a little boy than I did a little girl,” they continued. “I always felt more masculine or more on that side of the spectrum. I guess at the moment I don’t feel like I have access to femininity.”

In 2022, The Crown star Emma Corrin, who is also non-binary, said they wanted acting categories should be non-gendered. “It’s difficult for me at the moment trying to justify in my head being non-binary and being nominated in female categories,” they said at the time.

Former James Bond director Sam Mendes also said he believed there would be a change, saying: “I think it might well be inevitable in the end. I think that’s the way it’s moving and I think that it’s perfectly reasonable.”

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