Despite its glitz and glamour, awards season somehow always acts as a large dose of reality. Historically, cinema has always been undiverse, with an overwhelming number of nominations and wins awarded to white males. However, even after the film industry began opening its doors to people of colour and female directors — let’s not forget that director Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman ever to win the ‘Best Director’ Oscar in 2010 — diverse nominations have notoriously lagged behind.
Woefully, the lack of nods attributed to members of Hollywood that don’t fit the ‘white male mould’ finally became mainstream news in 2016, when not one single actor of colour was nominated for the Oscars for the second year in a row.
Since then all eyes have been on the big award shows to give credit where credit is due.
Cast of Empire accepting their SAG award
On Monday morning the Golden Globes nominations came out to many rolled eyes. Diverse and critically-acclaimed films such as Wonder Woman and The Big Sick failed to receive an ounce of recognition from the Hollywood Foreign Press, and filmmakers such as Jorden Peele and Greta Gerwig were snubbed for Best Director, despite their successes in Get Out and Lady Bird, respectively.
Thankfully, the SAG awards has stepped in to change the rhetoric, giving films such as Mudbound, Lady Bird, The Big Sick multiple nominations, as well as female-led shows such as Big Little Lies, Orange is the New Black and Glow.
And, in a year beset with sexual harassment and assault claims, the awards body has also decided to make sure the ladies run the show. As a result, actress Kristen Bell has just been announced to be the first ever host of the SAG awards. Yes, that’s right. The first host ever.
The The Good Place actress said of the appointment: “I am honoured to be part of the SAG Awards, and am a little nervous about being its first-ever host.
“I’m so glad that I’ll be in the company of my fellow actors, many of whom I’ve worked with before, so I know they’ll be warm and supportive. It’s going to be an amazing night.”
That it will, since she isn’t going to be the only lady on the stage. Historically, a man and a woman hand over each award, however, this year, all presenters will be women. So, despite a handful of men in charge with introducing certain clips and those who actually win an award, the stage will be a man-free zone.
Meet your host of the 24th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday Jan 21, 2018. @SAGawards pic.twitter.com/IToeFiPhdf
— Kristen Bell (@IMKristenBell) December 4, 2017
Kathy Connell, the show’s executive producer, told Entertainment Weekly that this choice was, “n opportunity to salute our women”.
Sounds good to us.
From: ELLE UK
