January and February are the busiest months for film awards, with a number of critics and guilds coming out with their choices for best performances. The two biggest events of the season are undoubtedly the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars. The Golden Globes are often looked at as good indicators for who will take the Oscar for a number of categories, so let’s take a quick look at those wins!
Best Motion Picture: The Revenant - [Nominees: Room, Mad Max: Fury Road, Spotlight, Carol]
Best Actress - Drama: Brie Larson (Room) - [Nominees: Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn), Cate Blanchett (Carol), Rooney Mara (Carol), Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl)]
Best Actor - Drama: Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant) - [Nominees: Will Smith (Concussion), Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs), Eddie Redmayne (The Danish Girl), Bryan Cranston (Trumbo)]
Best Supporting Actress: Kate Winslet (Steve Jobs) - [Nominees: Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight), Helen Mirren (Trumbo), Jane Fonda (Youth), Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina)]
Best Supporting Actor: Sylvester Stallone (Creed) - [Nominees: Michael Shannon (99 Homes), Idris Elba (Beasts of No Nation), Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies), Paul Dano (Love & Mercy)]
Looking for more?! Check out the full list of Golden Globe winners and nominees!
Here are the nominees for Academy Awards in the same categories:
Best Picture: The Big Short, Bridge of Spies, Brooklyn, Room, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Martian, The Revenant, Spotlight
Best Actor: Bryan Cranston (Trumbo), Matt Damon (The Martian), Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant), Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs), Eddie Redmayne (The Danish Girl)
Best Actress: Cate Blanchett (Carol), Brie Larson (Room), Jennifer Lawrence (Joy), Charlotte Rampling (45 Years), Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn)
Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale (The Big Short), Tom Hardy (The Revenant), Mark Ruffalo (Spotlight), Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies), Sylvester Stallone (Creed)
Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight), Rooney Mara (Carol), Rachel McAdams (Spotlight), Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl), Kate Winslet (Steve Jobs)
Check out the full list of Oscar nominees!
Despite the excitement of these awards shows, there is an important issue that they bring up: for the second year in a row, all twenty of the Oscar nominations for acting have gone to white actors. Last year, this was met with the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite and this year, many actors of color have announced their decision to boycott the event -- refusing to attend or even watch the show. The fact that there weren’t enough actors of color qualified to receive nominations isn’t the issue -- Michael B. Jordan’s performance in Creed has been widely praised by critics, but only Sylvester Stallone received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor even though his role in the movie was more of a cameo, and the only nomination for Straight Outta Compton was for its white screenwriters. The Academy’s track record with diversity has been less than stellar, so it isn’t much of a surprise that something like this has happened yet again. But, it still needs to be talked about and it still needs to be critically analyzed. The problem of diversity in the Academy goes deeper than lack of people of color in acting nominations, the problem is diversity within the Academy itself. It is another instance of the constant inequality of opportunities faced by people of color on a daily basis. One entertainment/media writer explains how the #OscarsSoWhite is a symptom of a much deeper issue:
However, it’s important to note that there are two ways to become an Academy member:
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You must be sponsored by at least two members from your branch
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Or, if you are nominated for an Academy Award, you are automatically considered for membership (no need to go through sponsorship process)
It’s also no surprise that people lend their support to those who remind them of themselves. So if a branch is primarily made up of one demographic, it’s more likely that its members will sponsor professionals similar to them.
Ultimately, the problem with the Academy and with other awards shows is not going to be solved by treating diversity like a list of boxes that need to be checked off. It cannot and does not need to be forced. The diversity is there, it exists already. However, we need to address the underlying disease, not just treat the symptoms. As a result of the Oscars boycott, the president of the Academy stated an intention to review the recruitment and membership process in an effort to be more inclusive. It is important to keep having these discussions and to take determined action to bring awareness so that real and meaningful change can finally start to take place.
If you want to watch the show, the Oscars will premiere Sunday, February 28th at 8:30pm, with red carpet coverage beginning at 7:00pm. You can watch the Oscars live online at abc.com/watch-live or on ABC on your television.
Contributed By: Gaby Vasquez