Cate Blanchett slams ‘patriarchal’ awards shows after win

Cate Blanchett criticised the “patriarchal pyramid” of Hollywood awards shows as she accepted a best actress gong from the Critics Choice Association in Los Angeles on Sunday.

The Australian actor and Oscars frontrunner, whose performance as an ambitious, morally dubious conductor in classical music drama TAR is sweeping awards, told a packed ballroom that she wished the whole “structure” of awards shows could be changed.

“It’s like, what is this patriarchal pyramid where someone stands up here?” she said, collecting her prize from North America’s largest critics organisation.

“Why don’t we just say there’s a whole raft of female performances that are in concert and in dialogue with one another, and stop the televised horse race of it all?

“Because can I tell you, every single woman — whether it’s television, film, advertising, tampon commercials, whatever — you’re all out there doing amazing work that is inspiring me continually.

“So thank you. I share this with you all.” Blanchett has previously accepted two Oscars for her work in Blue Jasmine and The Aviator.

She won a Golden Globe for her performance as a fictional lesbian conductor in TAR last week, but did not attend that ceremony.

Several other awards shows, including the Film Independent Spirit Awards, the MTV Movie and TV Awards, and music’s Grammy Awards, have switched to gender-neutral acting prizes.

The Critics Choice Awards, like the Oscars and most other Hollywood shows, still divides its acting prizes between male and female categories.

It is one of a raft of major award shows in the build-up to the Oscars, which take place this year on March 12.

Among the night’s television prizes, the sixth and last season of Breaking Bad spinoff Better Call Saul finally claimed its first best drama series win, as well as best actor for Bob Odenkirk and best supporting actor for Giancarlo Esposito.