Transgender artist Anohni is boycotting this weekend's Oscar ceremony, even though she is nominated in the 'Best Original Song' category.
Anohni - who previously released music under the 'Antony and the Johnsons' moniker before last year's 'Hopelessness' - is nominated for her song 'Manta Ray', written with J. Ralph and which features on the soundtrack to climate change documentary 'Racing Extinction'.
However, as she was not asked to perform the song at the Oscars, she has decided to boycott the event, explaining why in a post on her website.
She explained how excited she was to hear that she had been nominated: "I rushed home to prepare something, in case the music nominees would be asked to perform. Everyone was calling with excited congratulations. A week later, Sam Smith, Lady Gaga and the Weeknd were rolled out as the evening’s entertainment with more performers “soon to be announced”. Confused, I sat and waited. Would someone be in touch? But as time bore on I heard nothing. I was besieged with people asking me if I was going to perform."
When she realised that she was not going to be invited, she struggled with the idea of attending.
"Everyone told me that I still ought to attend, that a walk down the red carpet would still be ‘good for my career’," the post read. "Last night I tried to force myself to get on the plane to fly to LA for all the nominee events, but the feelings of embarrassment and anger knocked me back, and I couldn’t get on the plane.
"I imagined how it would feel for me to sit amongst all those Hollywood stars, some of the brave ones approaching me with sad faces and condolences. There I was, feeling a sting of shame that reminded me of America’s earliest affirmations of my inadequacy as a transperson. I turned around at the airport and went back home.”
The performers lined up for Sunday's ceremony include Sam Smith, Lana Del Rey and Lady Gaga, while Dave Grohl will take part in a 'special performance', although he has not been nominated for anything.
