Amid overhaul, it would be a good time for the Golden Globes to do away with gendered acting categories | CNN

CNN
 — 

If anyone is looking for a fresh start in the new year, it’s the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA).

The organization responsible for putting on the Golden Globes is back in full force this year, after an unwelcome hiatus that saw the 2022 edition of the awards miss a telecast.

While one would think the move was solely due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the truth was far more complicated, as the HFPA was accused in 2021 of being a largely and homogeneously White organization sorely lacking in diversity.

Efforts have been made to make progress in the time since, as the Globes try to rebrand as an award show that’s finally of this century. And this week, the show will resume on NBC with an event attended by a hefty slate of stars.

But in terms of diversity, if the Globes (and by extension, the HFPA) are really trying to show they’ve changed, what about becoming the first major film awards ceremony to do away with gendered acting categories?

The conversation about getting rid of gendered categories in performance awards is far from new, but actors such as Emma Corrin, who won a Golden Globe in 2021 for their role as Princess Diana in “The Crown,” have contributed to it.

“I don’t think the categories are inclusive enough at the moment,” Corrin, who prefers they/them pronouns, told the BBC last year. “It’s about everyone being able to feel acknowledged and represented.”

The Grammys got rid of gender-based categories in 2011, as part of a large-scale overhaul of the legacy music awards event, and the MTV Movie and TV Awards did away with them in 2017.

Aside from being forward-thinking, following suit would be a smart move for the Golden Globes as it is one of the few events to cover both the film and TV mediums, thereby creating an overwhelming multitude of acting categories in limited series, regular series, as well as films, along with the same in supporting acting categories. Practically speaking, removing gendered categories would be a time saver – something audiences always appreciate when it comes to bloated-feeling award shows.

But, more importantly, it would be a step away from an increasingly archaic way of looking at art and artists and an invitation to performers from all mediums to freely be themselves and still have an opportunity to get recognized.

The Golden Globes air Tuesday, January 10 at 8pm ET/5pm PT.