Beautiful Virgin Islands

Sunday, Dec 21, 2025

Oscars: Danielle Deadwyler claims Hollywood is 'deeply impacted by racism'

Oscars: Danielle Deadwyler claims Hollywood is 'deeply impacted by racism'

US actress Danielle Deadwyler has claimed the film industry is "deeply impacted by systemic racism", after no black women were nominated for best actress at this year's Oscars.

Deadwyler was expected to be recognised for her performance in the drama Till.

But she missed out on a nomination, as did Viola Davis, who was also widely tipped to be in the running.

Deadwyler said there is a "trickle-down effect" of racism in society on many institutions in American life.

In Till, the actress plays the mother of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old black boy who was lynched in Mississippi in 1955 after being accused of whistling at a white woman.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour, Deadwyler said: "Cinematic history is 100+ years old. I would dare say the system is deeply, deeply impacted by systemic racism that has shaped our country.

"And if we're still dealing with systemic racism in this country that is leading us to the loss of a Tyre Nichols, that carries us from the loss of Emmett, there is a trickle-down effect of how racism impacts our lives - from the educational system to the film industry to everything, any part of quotidian American life."

Deadwyler (right) plays Mamie Till-Mobley in the film, the mother of Emmett Till, played by Jalyn Hall

Deadwyler was widely praised for her performance in Till, and was considered one of the favourites to be nominated in the leading actress category at this year's Academy Awards.

After she was snubbed when the nominations were announced in January, Till writer and director Chinonye Chukwu accused Hollywood of "unabashed misogyny towards Black women".

Referring to those comments, Deadwyler told Radio 4: "Yes there is value to what [Chukwu] said, and it's imperative that every quality of our life begin to truly, deeply interrogate and shift and rupture and radically shift the way they seek to actually be an equitable institution."

Asked whether the Oscars or wider society needs to change, Deadwyler replied: "It's from both ends... It's got to come from every angle."

The Academy has increased the number of female and black and ethnic minority voters since the #OscarsSoWhite controversy in 2015.


'Critical questions'


Deadwyler noted that very few black women had been recognised at the Oscars, and there were often "numerous decades in between" those who had.

She referred to Hattie McDaniel's supporting actress win in 1940 and Halle Berry's leading actress win in 2002, which remains the only victory in that category for a black woman.

"You have to begin to question why there are these gaps," Deadwyler said. "Before I was even in consideration for anything, these are the things that I witnessed.

"So these are critical questions of, how do you begin to actually bring equity to spaces which have long been led or deeply impacted by white supremacy, ideologies, thoughts and practises?"

Halle Berry, pictured with Denzel Washington in 2002, is the only black woman to have won best leading actress at the Oscars


This year's best actress nominees are Michelle Yeoh, Cate Blanchett, Ana De Armas, Michelle Williams and Andrea Riseborough.

British actress Riseborough scored a shock nomination following a campaign driven by a number of Hollywood A-listers.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences conducted a review into the campaign and said some tactics "caused concern", but her nomination was not revoked.

Williams was recognised despite a debate in Hollywood over whether she should have been nominated in the supporting actress category.

No black men are nominated for best lead actor this year. Two black performers - Angela Bassett and Brian Tyree Henry - are in the running in the supporting categories. The winners will be announced on 12 March.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
UK Fashion Label LK Bennett Pursues Accelerated Sale Amid Financial Struggles
U.S. Government Warns UK Over Free Speech in Pro-Life Campaigner Prosecution
Newly Released Files Shed Light on Jeffrey Epstein’s Extensive Links to the United Kingdom
Prince William and Prince George Volunteer Together at UK Homelessness Charity
UK Police Arrest Protesters Chanting ‘Globalise the Intifada’ as Authorities Recalibrate Free Speech Enforcement
Scambodia: The World Owes Thailand’s Military a Profound Debt of Gratitude
Women in Partial Nudity — and Bill Clinton in a Dress and Heels: The Images Revealed in the “Epstein Files”
US Envoy Witkoff to Convene Security Advisers from Ukraine, UK, France and Germany in Miami as Peace Efforts Intensify
UK Retailers Report Sharp Pre-Christmas Sales Decline and Weak Outlook, CBI Survey Shows
UK Government Rejects Use of Frozen Russian Assets to Fund Aid for Ukraine
UK Financial Conduct Authority Opens Formal Investigation into WH Smith After Accounting Errors
UK Issues Final Ultimatum to Roman Abramovich Over £2.5bn Chelsea Sale Funds for Ukraine
Rare Pink Fog Sweeps Across Parts of the UK as Met Office Warns of Poor Visibility
UK Police Pledge ‘More Assertive’ Enforcement to Tackle Antisemitism at Protests
UK Police Warn They Will Arrest Protesters Chanting ‘Globalise the Intifada’
Trump Files $10 Billion Defamation Lawsuit Against BBC as Broadcaster Pledges Legal Defence
UK Says U.S. Tech Deal Talks Still Active Despite Washington’s Suspension of Prosperity Pact
UK Mortgage Rules to Give Greater Flexibility to Borrowers With Irregular Incomes
UK Treasury Moves to Position Britain as Leading Global Hub for Crypto Firms
U.S. Freezes £31 Billion Tech Prosperity Deal With Britain Amid Trade Dispute
Prince Harry and Meghan’s Potential UK Return Gains New Momentum Amid Security Review and Royal Dialogue
Zelensky Opens High-Stakes Peace Talks in Berlin with Trump Envoy and European Leaders
Historical Reflections on Press Freedom Emerge Amid Debate Over Trump’s Media Policies
UK Boosts Protection for Jewish Communities After Sydney Hanukkah Attack
UK Government Declines to Comment After ICC Prosecutor Alleges Britain Threatened to Defund Court Over Israel Arrest Warrant
Apple Shutters All Retail Stores in the United Kingdom Under New National COVID-19 Lockdown
US–UK Technology Partnership Strains as Key Trade Disagreements Emerge
UK Police Confirm No Further Action Over Allegation That Andrew Asked Bodyguard to Investigate Virginia Giuffre
Giuffre Family Expresses Deep Disappointment as UK Police Decline New Inquiry Into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor Claims
Transatlantic Trade Ambitions Hit a Snag as UK–US Deal Faces Emerging Challenges
Ex-ICC Prosecutor Alleges UK Threatened to Withdraw Funding Over Netanyahu Arrest Warrant Bid
UK Disciplinary Tribunal Clears Carter-Ruck Lawyer of Misconduct in OneCoin Case
‘Pink Ladies’ Emerge as Prominent Face of UK Anti-Immigration Protests
Nigel Farage Says Reform UK Has Become Britain’s Largest Party as Labour Membership Falls Sharply
Google DeepMind and UK Government Launch First Automated AI Lab to Accelerate Scientific Discovery
UK Economy Falters Ahead of Budget as Growth Contracts and Confidence Wanes
Australia Approves Increased Foreign Stake in Strategic Defence Shipbuilder
Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson proclaims, “For Ukraine, surrendering their land would be a nightmare.”
Microsoft Challenges £2.1 Billion UK Cloud Licensing Lawsuit at Competition Tribunal
Fake Doctor in Uttar Pradesh Accused of Killing Woman After Performing YouTube-Based Surgery
Hackers Are Hiding Malware in Open-Source Tools and IDE Extensions
Traveling to USA? Homeland Security moving toward requiring foreign travelers to share social media history
UK Officials Push Back at Trump Saying European Leaders ‘Talk Too Much’ About Ukraine
UK Warns of Escalating Cyber Assault Linked to Putin’s State-Backed Operations
UK Consumer Spending Falters in November as Households Hold Back Ahead of Budget
UK Orders Fresh Review of Prince Harry’s Security Status After Formal Request
U.S. Authorises Nvidia to Sell H200 AI Chips to China Under Security Controls
Trump in Direct Assault: European Leaders Are Weak, Immigration a Disaster. Russia Is Strong and Big — and Will Win
"App recommendation" or disguised advertisement? ChatGPT Premium users are furious
"The Great Filtering": Australia Blocks Hundreds of Thousands of Minors From Social Networks
×