AWARDS SHOWS
What’s different about the 2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards?
The 2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards introduces gender-neutral categories.
The awards season is in full swing, and next on the horizon is the Film Independent Spirit Awards 2023. However, the 38th edition of the annual awards show will be a little different this year.
The Film Independent Spirit Awards is comprised of feature films, documentaries, and television series. The 2023 Awards show will feature guest presenters Raúl Castillo from ‘We Are Animals’, and Taylour Paige for ‘Zola’. They will be held in-person at the beach, Santa Monica Pier, on Saturday March 4, 2023.
This is the third year the Spirit Awards will platform their new categories of “recognizing outstanding achievement in uniqueness of vision, innovation, and boldness” in television series and streaming, but the organization has made more changes that significantly impact the way the show is structured.
What’s different this year
Gender-neutral categories
As of the 2023 Awards show, acting categories will be gender neutral, meaning that male and female actors will be pitted against each other, whereas in previous years they would have their own categories.
Prior to 2023, female and male lead and supporting actor and actress had separate competitions, with the 10-nominee Best Lead and Best Supporting Performance awards replacing them.
The Film Independent Spirit Awards join other awards shows such as the Grammys, the Brit Awards, the MTV Movie Awards, the Gotham Awards, and the Canadian Screen Awards to push the gender-equality agenda. There has been some backlash surrounding this issue with the Grammys and the Brit Awards receiving the brunt of it — having ended up with an all-male list of nominees in 2022.
Other new changes to the awards
A new category will be added, Best Breakthrough Performance, which will recognize “performers making themselves known to wider audiences through noteworthy character portrayals.”
The spending budget allowed for each individual production has been increased to $30 million, while the budget cap for the John Cassavetes Award has increased from $500,000 to $1 million dollars.