“It’s broken for Black women”: Oscar nominations 2023 not diverse enough, say critics
American film critics have begun calling out the Oscar nominations 2023 for not being diverse enough, saying there are systemic reasons why Black people are not being recognised.
Of this year’s Oscar nominations 2023, All Best Actor nominations are White men, while Michelle Yeoh makes up the only non-White nomination for Best Actress.
In terms of Black and Brown people nominated this year, Rihanna has received her first Oscar nomination for the song Lift Me Up from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and director Daniel Kwan is up for Best Director for Everything Everywhere All At Once. Stephanie Hsu and Ke Huy Quan are nominated for Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor respectively for Everything Everywhere All At Once.
The film critic Robert Daniels, who writes for the New York Times and Vulture among others, has called out the Academy on social media, saying Black women have a “systematic disadvantage” when it comes to being recognised for their work.
He said: “I guess what I keep coming back to, what I think many (white) people are missing, is that even if you have a great performance and you play the money game, as a Black woman you’re still at a systematic disadvantage to a white person who didnt have those advantages. That blows.”
Earlier he had written: “Another year: Halle Berry is still the only Black woman who’s won Best Actress. SELMA is still the only film directed by a Black woman to be nominated for Best Picture. A Black Director has never won Best Director; a and a Black woman has never been nominated. #Oscars2023.”
Matt Goldberg, editorial manager at Turner Classic Movies, agreed with the sentiment about the Oscar nominations 2023, further critiquing the Oscars. “The Academy also plays this out,” he wrote, adding: “Viola Davis should have a Best Actress statue for FENCES. Systemic disadvantages knocked her down to Supporting where victory was more assured.”
Emmy nominated TV host Brandon Pope added to the conversation, saying “the credibility of The Academy is in the gutter,” and journalist Kathleen Newman-Bremang of Refinery 29 agreed, adding: “i feel like a broken record every year. these stats are proof that waiting for award validation is fruitless.”
Following backlash, The Academy unveiled Diversity Rules in 2020 which ruled that Best Picture entries must satisfy two of four entry criteria. At least one lead character must be from “an underrepresented racial or ethnic group,” 30% or more of the ensemble cast must be from two underrepresented groups or the movie must be focussed upon marginalised groups. Some critics have called out the criteria, which doesn’t come into action until 2025, saying that most films already meet these standards anyway.
The Oscars take place in Los Angeles on 13 March; find the full list of Oscar nominations 2023 here