The Last of Us Bella Ramsey's First Time Emmy Nomination Sparked Gendered Award Show Conversations

Bella Ramsey just received an Emmy nomination for "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series" for their role in HBO's The Last of Us. The series is based on a beloved video game of the same name. Bella played Ellie, a fourteen-year-old survivor in a post-apocalyptic world reeling from the effects of a deadly pandemic. Ramsey stars alongside Pedro Pascal as the two survivors seeking a cure for a worldwide fungal-based infection, while struggling to maintain their humanity. The Last of Us garnered critical and commercial success when it dropped on HBO in early 2023.

Bella has been celebrating the nomination with fellow cast and crew on social media, including Pedro Pascal with whom they share a special bond. Bella posted a picture alongside Pedro on an Instagram story. "The beautiful person behind me in this photo just got 3 Emmy nominations. 3!!!,” Bella wrote alongside a behind-the-scenes photo from The Last of Us.

However, the show's creator Craig Mazin spoke out about the decision to place Bella in the "female" category and the ways in which award show ceremonies can be more inclusive.

In January, Bella opened up about their gender identity, sharing that they use all pronouns and identity as nonbinary. “I guess my gender has always been very fluid,” they said in an interview with The New York Times. “Someone would call me ‘she’ or ‘her’ and I wouldn’t think about it, but I knew that if someone called me ‘he’ it was a bit exciting.”

In an interview with Variety on July 12, Mazin revealed he had spoken with Bella about the gendered nomination.

“On the one hand, the conversation about gender has transformed dramatically and in a very progressive and positive way. On the other, we have to practically make sure that by moving away from gendered categories, we don’t short-change traditionally overlooked folks… and we know that in non-gendered categories like directing and writing, women have been historically under-appreciated," Mazin said.

“I don’t know the answer, but I have every expectation that non-binary performers will soon be recognized in the respectful and appropriate way they deserve,” Mazin added.

Bella echoed these sentiments in an interview with Vanity Fair in May about gendered award shows. “The categories, at the moment, feel extremely gendered with the language around them," Bella said.

Bella wasn't the only Emmy nom from the show. The series received 24 total nominations, with costar Pedro Pascal receiving a nomination for "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series."

We'll get to see Bella on our screens again, as season two has already been renewed. There had been rumors that Bella would not return for the second two, but showrunners Mazin and Druckmann cleared up that the actor will be returning in a March 2023 interview with The Wrap.

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