OSCARS 2023 SNUBS AND DUBS

Caitlyn Mason

When you think of the Oscars, you might think of star-studded red carpets, couture gowns or the award show’s coveted gold statuettes. It has a 94 year-long legacy of recognizing those who work in film, from actors to costume designers. 

However, the Academy has received recent criticism regarding the lack of diversity in its nominees. Almost immediately following the release of nominations on January 24, the Academy received backlash for various snubs, many of which have been called discriminatory. Most notably, there were no Black actors nominated in a leading category, nor were there any women nominated in the Best Directing category. 

This comes after a two-year streak of women winning in the Best Director category (Chloé Zhao for "Nomadland" and Jane Campion for "The Power of the Dog"). This year, the category is populated largely by white men (with the exception of Daniel Kwan) and no women. Sarah Polley, writer and director of "Women Talking", was left out of the mix, despite receiving a nomination for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. Other notable ‘snubs’ in this category include Gina Prince-Bythewood ("Woman King"), Maria Schrader ("She Said"), Chinonye Chukwu ("Till"), and Charlotte Wells ("Aftersun"), with two of them being Black women. 

A statement from Women In Film (WIF), an LA-based advocacy organization, noted that “an Academy Award is more than a gold statue, it’s a career accelerator that can lead to continued work and increased compensation.” In an industry where only three in 10 directors are POC and two in 10 are women, this begs the question of how the Academy could use the Oscars to help underrepresented groups gain opportunities instead of continuously recognizing already-successful directors, some of whom have been nominated up to 22 times in their lifetime. 

However, it is just as important to note that the 2023 Awards did not come without successes in the field of diversity. Dominating the list with 11 nominations, A24’s Everything Everywhere All At Once boasts history-making nominations, including Michelle Yeoh, the first Asian woman to be nominated in the Leading Actress category. This year’s awards serve as a massive milestone for Asians working in front of and behind the camera. 

And while none of us are part of the Academy, we can play our part in encouraging its members to recognize underrepresented groups in the film industry by watching and supporting diverse films whenever possible. Make an effort to see these films in theaters and purchase them legally!