A Nonbinary Broadway Actor Is Rejecting Consideration For A Tony Because Of The Awards’ Gendered Categories

Anthony Robledo
·3 min read
377
Justin David Sullivan poses at a media preview for the broadway musical

Justin David Sullivan poses at a media preview for the broadway musical "& Juliet" at The iHeartRadio Theater on Oct. 14, 2022, in New York City.

Bruce Glikas / Bruce Glikas / Getty Images

One of the stars of the Broadway musical & Juliet has opted out of consideration for the Tony Awards because of the organization’s gendered acting categories.

In the play, which tells an alternative version of Romeo and Juliet where only Romeo dies, nonbinary actor Justin David Sullivan plays one of Juliet’s closest friends, May.

In a statement to the New York Times, Sullivan said they felt there was “no choice but to abstain from being considered for a nomination this season.” The announcement of their decision on Wednesday highlights another example of how nonbinary actors are often excluded from gendered acting categories.

“I hope that award shows across the industry will expand their reach to be able to honor and award people of all gender identities,” said Sullivan, who uses he/him, she/her, and they/them pronouns. They didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from BuzzFeed News.

The Tony Awards have maintained separate acting categories for men and women since its first ceremony in 1947. Other major awards shows, like the Oscars and the Emmys, have also preserved this gender distinction.

The Grammy Awards eliminated many gendered categories in 2012. More recently, nonbinary musicians like Demi Lovato and Sam Smith have been nominated in those gender-neutral categories.

Asia Kate Dillon, who is nonbinary, turned down consideration last Tony season for their role in a production of Macbeth and opted out of Emmy consideration in 2017 for their role in the Showtime series Billions. Nonbinary actor Emma D’Arcy received a Golden Globe nomination for their role in House of the Dragon under the Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series — Drama category.

Philippe Arroyo, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Justin David Sullivan pose backstage at the musical

Philippe Arroyo, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Justin David Sullivan pose backstage at the musical "& Juliet" at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre on Jan. 21 in New York City.

Bruce Glikas / Bruce Glikas / WireImage

The organization that runs the Tonys said it’s working on changes for future awards seasons.

“We recognize that the current acting categories are not fully inclusive, and we are currently in discussion about how to best adjust them to address this,” Tony Award Productions said in a statement to BuzzFeed News. “Unfortunately, we are still in process on this and our rules do not allow us to make changes once a season has begun. We are working thoughtfully to ensure that no member of our community feels excluded on the basis of gender identity in future seasons.”

Other theater awards organizations have recently switched to gender-neutral acting categories, including the Outer Critics Circle, which recognizes productions both on and off-Broadway, the Jeff Awards in Chicago, the Helen Hayes Awards in Washington, DC, and the Barrymore Awards in Philadelphia.

Related Stories