Bella Ramsey Explains Why Emmy Categories Make Them 'Uncomfortable'

Bella Ramsey isn’t happy with the options when it comes to Emmy nominations.

That most awards shows still utilize gendered categories for actors has become a point of discussion in recent years, partly because it feels archaic in general, and partly because as more actors come out as non-binary, it either leaves them out of the conversation entirely or forces them to claim a gender they don’t feel comfortable with for the sake of a nomination.

Many actors have spoken out about this, and Ramsey is the latest to lend their voice to the conversation.

The Last of Us star ultimately submitted under “actress” for this year’s Emmys, but recently told Vanity Fair they felt “uncomfortable” being put in that position to begin with. “I don’t want the limitations in terms of the language in the categories to be a reason that nonbinary actors like me can’t be celebrated,” Ramsey said. “And it can open up a conversation about how it feels – as long as I’m aware of the fact that it’s not ideal, but also that finding alternatives is really complex.”

Actors are the only creatives in film, TV, and theater who have to contend with their award categories being broken down by gender. One could make the argument that it has allowed for more awards to be given out, and greater recognition paid to actresses in particular in times when male characters were generally the ones spotlighted in any given film or TV show. But we’ve reached a point where it may be doing more harm than good.

As the Vanity Fair article points out, some non-binary actors in high-profile roles, such as Yellowjackets’ Liv Hewson, have declined to submit for awards at all due to the options being gendered male or female. And while we may only think of the major awards shows — the Emmys, Oscars, and Tonys — there are so, so many others that may not be as well-known to the public that provoke similar anxiety among performers.

“The categories at the moment feel extremely gendered with the language around them,” Ramsey put it bluntly. And it doesn’t hurt for us to collectively ask, do they have to?