Awards shows have been criticized for their lack of diversity for years. Why are they so slow to change?
CTV
Many have criticized this year's Academy Awards -- which takes place Sunday -- for failing to recognize to recognize Black female talent. As for why these mainstream awards are slow to reward and recognize diverse talent, the answer is often in the awards bodies themselves.
Year after year, the conversation surrounding mainstream awards shows is the same: Where's the diversity?
Even in a record-setting year like 2023 -- which has so far seen Beyoncé become the most awarded artist in Grammy history and features the most Asian nominees in a single year at the Oscars -- questions about these shows' commitment to equity persist.
Many have criticized this year's Academy Awards -- which takes place Sunday -- for failing to recognize to recognize Black female talent. The Grammys snubbed Beyoncé for its heralded album of the year award, instead awarding Harry Styles, in a move that stunned fans and critics alike. And at the BAFTAS, essentially the UK's Oscars, every winner this year was White.
These mainstream awards are often coveted both for economic gain and industry clout. But even as the public puts pressure on the entertainment industry to increase diversity, some have argued only incremental changes have been made.
"We see more (changes) because they don't want to be criticized anymore," said Nancy Wang Yuen, sociologist and author of "Reel Inequality: Hollywood Actors and Racism," speaking specifically of the Oscars. "But the kinds of changes they've been making have all been more in name only."
One of the issues facing mainstream awards is simply how much harder it is for people of colour to receive recognition.
The last time a woman of colour won best actress at the Academy Awards was in 2002, when Halle Berry nabbed the prize for her role in "Monster's Ball" and became the first Black woman to ever take home the honour. In her acceptance speech, Berry dedicated her win to past and present Black actresses, as well as "every nameless, faceless woman of colour that now has a chance because this door tonight has been opened."
