The Academy was met with criticism amid its latest ceremony changes to omit several categories. Here is what different parts of the industry had to say.
Just over a month away from the Academy Awards, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that several awards will be presented offscreen. These categories include Documentary (Short Subject), Film Editing, Makeup and Hairstyling, Music (Original Score), Production Design, Short Film (Animated), Short Film (Live Action), and Sound.
According to Variety, the decision was likely made due to the awards show facing pressure to bolster ratings following a significant drop in recent years.
These categories are are all integral parts of movie making, and the Academy’s decision ahead of this year’s 94th annual awards has received backlash from several celebrities and labor unions in support of the nominees. Read on for a roundup of reactions on the historic decision.
The Alliance for Women Film Composers
The Alliance for Women Film Composers released a statement on the matter, signed by many of its most notable members, including President Catherine Joy. The organization was founded in 2014, and has since grown to include 550 members. Their primary reason for protesting the new rules was to support the nomination of Germaine Franco, the first female film composer to score a Disney animated feature (Encanto), and the first woman of color nominated in the category.
The Alliance for Women Film Composers has released a statement condemning the Academy for planning to remove the best original score category from the live broadcast: “Moving the award and editing it down will degrade the importance of this category” https://t.co/IkgtZoXVQf
— Variety (@Variety) February 27, 2022
American Cinema Editors Guild
The American Cinema Editors Guild was the first union to publicly decry the Academy’s decision. Part of the statement from their Board of Directors reads “It sends a message that some creative disciplines are more vital than others. Nothing could be further from the truth and all who make movies know this.”
A Tense Zoom Call. Then Shock and Anger as Industry Reacts to Oscar Category Cuts https://t.co/g4IYPsvwR3
— Variety (@Variety) February 23, 2022
Dylan O’Brien – Actor
O’Brien quickly rose to fame for his role as Stiles in Teen Wolf, and went on to star in numerous films. Having worked on a show that featured special effects makeup for years, it only makes sense that O’Brien understands the amount of time and effort that goes into the process behind the scenes. Most recently, he played Sadie Sink’s love interest in the accompanying short film for Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well”. O’Brien is one of very few actors to stand up to the omission of these categories.
Wow fuck this https://t.co/tg9lCMsJWM
— Dylan O’Brien (@dylanobrien) February 23, 2022
Matthew A. Cherry – Filmmaker & 2020 Oscar Winner for Hair Love
Cherry, a former college football player from Ohio turned Oscar-winning filmmaker for his short film Hair Love, which starred Issa Rae, took to Twitter to explain the importance of the inclusion of short films. Hair Love was a groundbreaking show of Black beauty for a young audience, and Cherry feels other films of the like deserve the same respect and attention.
This is really unfortunate. A big part of what made Hair Love’s Oscar win in 2020 so special was being treated like our category was just as important as all the other ones. Being in a room with peers & being able to give our speech live made our win an even more magical moment. https://t.co/vtqH4vgxed
— Matthew A. Cherry (@MatthewACherry) February 23, 2022
Brett Gursky – Writer/Director
Gursky, who wrote and directed the 2010 film Closing Time starring Ben Savage (among numerous other recent projects) has been vocal against the academy’s decision on both Twitter and Instagram, commenting daily on the Academy’s account in defense of the cut categories.
8 CATEGORIES???
People have waited their whole lives for this moment.
This is so wrong, @TheAcademy. https://t.co/OCPgxmvyUs
— Brett Gursky (@BrettGursky) February 22, 2022
Isaac Feldberg – Film and Pop Culture Critic
Feldberg, a film and pop culture critic, has produced work for Inverse, Paste, RogerEbert, Vulture, Fortune, Letterboxd, EW, and the Boston Globe. Feldberg was also vocal on Twitter about the historic diversity present in many of the categories.
In 2018, BB-8 gave Kobe Bryant the Oscar for animated short. In 2019, Ruth E. Carter and Hannah Beachler made history with costume and production design wins. Not like these categories don’t pull their weight in delivering the kinds of breakout TV moments the Academy wants.
— Isaac Feldberg (@isaacfeldberg) February 23, 2022
Jim Cummings – Actor & Filmmaker Known for Thunder Road (2018)
Jim Cummings, an actor and filmmaker known for award winning film Thunder Road, explained that the omission of these categories reflected classism on the part of the academy. Many who work in composing or a lot of “behind–the-scenes” jobs come from humble beginnings, and have been anticipating this moment for their entire lives.
They’ve exclusively snubbed the awards that have been most accessible to the working class. Tuxedo people, at it again. https://t.co/WZsxUCcDGU
— Jim Cummings (@jimmycthatsme) February 23, 2022
If you choose to tune into the Oscars this year, be sure to keep track of the newly omitted categories’ respective winners–many of them just might make history.
