Yellowjackets star Liv Hewson has opted out of the upcoming Emmy nomination due to gendered categories.
Back in 2021, the thrilling Showtime drama made massive waves in the pop culture sphere with its first batch of episodes.
Switching between 1996 and 2021, the first season follows a New Jersey girl’s soccer team who travels to Seattle to compete in a national tournament.
However, their plane crashes into the wilderness while flying over Canada, forcing the teen girls to fight for survival.
Since its premiere, the show has received acclaim from critics and viewers for its immersive storylines, horror elements and normalising the queer experience.
LGBTQ+ fans have also lauded the performance of non-binary actor Liv Hewson – who uses they/them pronouns – and their portrayal of Vanessa “Van” Palmer, one of the show’s beloved queer characters.
While their gripping performance in Yellowjackets’ ongoing second season continues to gain acclaim, they have recently revealed that they would be opting out of Emmy consideration.
In an interview with Variety, the young talent revealed that their decision stemmed from the ceremony’s gendered categories.
“There’s not a place for me in the acting categories. It would be inaccurate for me to submit myself as an actress. It neither makes sense for me to be lumped in with the boys,” they explained.
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“It’s not quite straightforward and not that loaded. I can’t submit myself for this because there’s no space for me.”
Hewson isn’t the first non-binary talent to speak out about gendered categories at major award shows.
Back in February, & Juliet star Justin David Sullivan – who goes by he/she/they pronouns – announced that they wouldn’t be submitting for the 2023 Tony Awards.
“I was disheartened to learn that the Tony Awards are not planning on making this year’s nomination categories more inclusive of gender expansive or trans non-binary performers like myself,” they wrote on Instagram.
The Crown star Emma Corrin – who goes by they/them pronouns – also called on the award shows to have gender-neutral categories while speaking to the BBC.
“I don’t think the categories are inclusive enough at the moment,” Corrin told the news outlet in November.
“It’s difficult for me at the moment trying to justify in my head being non-binary and being nominated in female categories.
“When it comes to categories, do we need to make it specific as to whether you’re being nominated for a female role or a male role?”
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