Is nonbinary actor Cole Escola eligible for ‘Lead Actor’ category?

Cole Escola recently made history by becoming the first nonbinary actor to win in 'Lead Actor' category for their Broadway debut play at the 78th Annual Tony Awards.

The performer, who uses the pronouns they/them, won the award for their performance in a play, Oh, Mary!.

Following the performer’s historic win, it remains a mystery that how can a nonbinary actor compete in 'Lead Actor' category?

Who is Cole Escola?

Born in Clatskanie, Oregon, Escola identifies as non-binary and is a multifaceted American artist - a comedian, actor, singer, and playwright.

They drew inspiration from community theater and was listed as one of the world's most influential rising leaders back in 2024.

Escola's historic win at Tony Awards 

The actor recently earned two Tony Award nominations for the same Broadway play.

However, they made history by winning the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play, becoming the first non-binary performer to do so.

Is nonbinary actor allowed to be categorised in male/female section?

In most cases no! Because it’s a gendered category specifically for actresses and actors, and non-binary persons don't identify with any gender.

How did Cole Escola get selected?

In Escola’s bizarre case, they agreed to be considered eligible for the award ceremony's gendered category.

Unfortunate tale of genders and their selection at award ceremonies

Previously this year, a similar situation came to light when  a transgender actor, Karla Sofía was nominated for the Academy Awards for her role in the film, Emilia Pérez.

Many raised eyebrows her nomination for Best Actress, despite her gender representation.

At that time, most of the people expressed concerns about the implications for cis-gender women actors and the potential for trans actresses to be unfairly judged in female-only categories.

History seems to be repeating itself with Cole Escola, a nonbinary person, winning the award in the 'Lead Actor' category.