Canadian Screen Awards introduces gender-neutral acting categories

Canadian Screen Awards will drop male and female performer categories in favour of categories that aren’t divided by gender.

Originally, there were four film categories that honour best lead actor or actress, and best supporting actor or actress. Now, there will be two categories recognizing best “performance in a leading role”  and “performance in a supporting role.”

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television says the move was made to, “better represent the country’s diverse community of talent.”

Other genre-based TV categories have also been renamed. The categories for best lead comedy actor and actress will now be “best lead performer” in a comedy.

Previously, each category allowed for five nominees. Going forward, the Academy says they will be considering eight nominees.

The Toronto International Film Festival’s Tribute Awards and the Independent Spirit Awards have also recently announced gender-neutral acting categories for its 2023 edition.

The Junos, the Grammys, the British Independent Film Awards, and the MTV Movie & TV Awards also feature non-gendered categories.

The Canadian Screen Awards’ digital media performance categories have been gender-neutral since 2019.