Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences invites Janet Jackson, Laverne Cox, Robert Pattinson and Henry Golding to join… as they attempt to diversify after #OscarsSoWhite controversy
- The Academy has extended invitations to 395 new members, which marks a six-year low in invites
- The Oscars organization has been making strides to improve diversity after the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag started trending in 2015
- After the controversy surfaced, the Academy invited many more diverse members with the total number of invites growing to 683, 774, 928, 842 and 819 over the past four years
- Other stars such as Henry Golding, Jurnee Smollett, Eiza Gonzalez, Laverne Cox, Issa Rae and Nathan Lane were offered invitations
- Last year’s Oscar winner Yuh-Jung Youn, who took home Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Minari; and past nominees such as Leslie Odom, Jr., Maria Bakalova, Andra Day, Vanessa Kirby and Steven Yeun, were also invited
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited 395 new members into its ranks, with stars such as Janet Jackson, Robert Pattinson and H.E.R. among the lot of prospective voters.
The 395 represents a six-year low in invites in the wake of the #OscarsSoWhite controversy that pointed out a perceived lack of diversity within the ranks of the Academy, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
In subsequent years, Academy invites swelled to respective totals of 683, 774, 928, 842 and 819, the outlet reported.
The latest: Janet Jackson, 55, and Robert Pattinson, 35, are among the 395 new members the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited into its ranks
Details: The 395 invites represent a six-year low in invites in the wake of the #OscarsSoWhite controversy that pointed out a perceived lack of diversity within the ranks of the Academy
‘To enable steady future growth and to ensure the necessary infrastructure, staff resources and environment to support all Academy members,’ the Academy said in a statement, ‘the number invited to membership was limited to roughly half that of recent years.’
Other notable names on the invite list include Henry Golding, Jurnee Smollett, Eiza Gonzalez, Laverne Cox, Issa Rae and Nathan Lane.
Also included are actress Yuh-Jung Youn, who took home Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Minari; and past nominees such as Leslie Odom, Jr., Maria Bakalova, Andra Day, Vanessa Kirby and Steven Yeun.
Among the demographic breakdown of this year’s 395 invites includes 46 percent women, 39 ethnic/racial percent communities that have been historically underrepresented; and 53 percent of international invites, THR reported.
Mission statement: The Academy said that its invite list was composed of past work in all spectrums of entertainment, while being mindful of diversity and representation for all
The Academy said that its invite list was composed of past work in all spectrums of entertainment, while being mindful of diversity and representation for all.
According to USA Today, roughly a third of all Academy members are women, while about 19 percent are made up of members from ethnic/racial percent communities that have been historically underrepresented.
The British Academy of Film has also been changing its processes to promote inclusivity in recent years.