Academy invites Daniel Kaluuya, Timothée Chalamet, and 926 other new members
Three years after #OscarsSoWhite put a spotlight on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' diversity problem, it appears we're finally seeing some concrete steps to course correct.
Under the #WeAreTheAcademy hashtag, the organization announced it was inviting a record-breaking 928 new members from 59 different countries to join its ranks. The increased focus on welcoming more women and people of color into one of Hollywood's most exclusive clubs is a promising step toward fixing the industry's systemic issues.
According to graphics supplied by the Academy, 38% of those new members are people of color and 49% are women.
Over the years, many have criticized the Academy as the embodiment of the film industry's old guard: too old, white, male, and conservative to encourage new voices and progressive art. Applying for membership required sponsorship from people already in the Academy, which contributed to gatekeeping and upholding the status quo.
While the exact nature of the Oscars voting process remains full of complicating factors, these new members can have an important ripple effect on who the industry honors with the most prestigious award in Hollywood.
Some of the biggest names among the new members: Timothée Chalamet, Daniel Kaluuya, Danai Gurira, Emilia Clarke, Tiffany Haddish, Daisy Ridley, Dave Chappelle, Ann Dowd, Amy Schumer, Sarah Silverman, Jada Pinkett Smith, Amber Tamblyn, Evan Rachel Wood, Lena Headey, André Holland, Pedro Pascal, Hannibal Buress, Rashida Jones, Mindy Kaling, Taye Diggs, Zoe Kazan, Kumail Nanjiani, Blake Lively, Olivia Munn, Gina Rodriguez, Kendrick Lamar, and J.K. Rowling.
A full list of new members, spanning across 9 different categories, can be found here.
While this influx of new member diversity will help shake up future Oscars nominees and winners, there's still a lot of work to be done before true parity is reached. A year's worth of increased diversity does not counteract decades of inequality in the industry.
Progress is slow-moving. But hopefully this increased focus on diversity in the Academy will continue to elevate filmmaking to new heights.
Topics Oscars
Jess is an LA-based culture critic who covers intimacy in the digital age, from sex and relationship to weed and all media (tv, games, film, the web). Previously associate editor at Kill Screen, you can also find her words on Vice, The Atlantic, Rolling Stone, Vox, and others. She is a Brazilian-Swiss American immigrant with a love for all things weird and magical.
