Bella Ramsey backs keeping best actress awards

The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey has voiced support for awards shows keeping separate categories for male and female performers.

The British star, who identifies as non-binary and asks to be referred to with they/them pronouns, said it was important that "recognition for women in the industry is preserved".

"But then, where do non-binary or gender non-conforming people fit into that? I don't know," Ramsey added.

Ramsey has been nominated for best actress at the Baftas and Emmys. Other ceremonies such the MTV and Brit Awards have switched to all-encompassing gender-neutral prizes as the entertainment industry grapples with how non-binary actors should be treated by awards shows.

Organisers of the Oscars said last year they were "exploring" the idea of merging the best actor and actress categories.

Ramsey told Louis Theroux's podcast: "If people call me an actress, I have a guttural 'ugh, that's not quite right' instinct to it.

"But I just don't take it too seriously. It doesn't feel like an attack on my identity. It's just a funny thing that doesn't really fit."

Ramsey said they "didn't find it insulting" to be nominated for best actress at the Emmys.

Theroux suggested that having a single category would mean "basically a lot of women wouldn't get nominated" - as happened when the Brits scrapped their best male and female categories in favour of a best artist award, and no women were nominated in 2023.

Ramsey responded: "I think it's so important that that's preserved - that the recognition for women in this industry is preserved.

"I think the gendered categories conversation's a really interesting one and I don't have the answer. I wish that there was something that was an easy way around it.

"I think that it is really important that we have a female category and a male category - but then, where do non-binary and gender con-conforming people fit into that? I don't know.

"I've literally sat and tried to think my way to the answer, and haven't got there.

"You could do it for the character portrayed - like, best performance in a female character. But then, what about when there are non-binary characters on screen? Which is few and far between at the moment. But where does a non-binary person playing a non-binary character fit in? I don't know. It's really complicated."

There has also been a move towards referring to all performers as actors rather than using the term actress, but Ramsey said many people prefer to be called an actress "and are really comfortable in that".

"I've always just called myself an actor, but I don't think that those words [like actress] have to be taken away."