Are Gender-Neutral Acting Categories Biased Against Women?

An examination of five groups that have implemented the categories in the last three years reveals an unusual tilt

Colman Domingo 2024 Indie Spirit Awards
Colman Domingo presents the gender-neutral lead acting award at the 2024 Independent Spirit Awards (Getty Images)

On the afternoon of Dec. 8, while the Los Angeles Film Critics Association was voting for its 2024 winners and announcing the results category-by-category on social media, TheWrap received an email from a movie producer saying that we should write a story about how nongendered acting categories are hurting actresses.

It gave me pause, and the writer’s point seemed to make sense a few minutes later when LAFCA revealed that its honorees for the best supporting performance were four men: Yura Borisov for “Anora” and Kieran Culkin for “A Real Pain” were the two winners, while the runners-up spots went to Clarence Maclin for “Sing Sing” and Adam Pearson for “A Different Man.”

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