It was a landmark night for inclusion and a promising sign of the times at last night's MTV Movie and TV Awards where Emma Watson received the first ever gender-neutral acting award for her role as Belle in this year's live-action reimagining of Beauty and the Beast.
"Firstly, I feel I have to say something about the award itself. The first acting award in history that doesn't separate nominees based on their sex says something about how we perceive the human experience," she said in her acceptance speech. "MTV's move to create a genderless award for acting will mean something different to everyone. But to me, it indicates that acting is about the ability to put yourself in someone else's shoes. And that doesn't need to be separated into two different categories."
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Watson was presented with the award by Orange is the New Black's and Billions' Asia Kate Dillon, who identifies as non-binary and whose character on Billions is the first gender non-binary character on television. "Tonight we celebrate portrayals of the human experience," she said before listing the nominees. "Because the only distinction we should be making when it comes to awards is between each outstanding performance."
Watson thanked Dillon for educating her about gender nonconformity in "such an inclusive, patient, and loving way" during her speech, and was "proud to be a part of a film that celebrates diversity, literacy, inclusion, joy, and love the way this one [Beauty and the Beast] does." Watch her acceptance, below.
