Oscar awards body aims to increase diversity

Women and ethnic minorities targeted in latest round of invitations

by Amber Wilkinson

Daniel Kaluuya in Black Panther
Daniel Kaluuya in Black Panther Photo: Marvel Studios

Oscars body the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences continued its drive for better diversity with its latest round of invitations.

Stars and executives asked to be part of the awards body include Welsh star Taron Egerton, Black Panther's Daniel Kaluuya and Harry Potter author JK Rowling.

The Academy, which plans to double the number of women and ethnic minority voters by 2020, also invited Girls Trip star Tiffany Haddish, writer/actor/producer Dave Chappelle, The Big Sick's Kumail Nanjiani, and Timothée Chalamet, the French star of Call Me By Your Name, to join its ranks.

The organisation, which has faced a wave of criticism from the #OscarsSoWhite and #MeToo movements, says that 49 per cent of the new members are women and 38 per cent people of colour.

Other female actors on the list include Amy Schumer, Jada Pinkett Smith and Ann Dowd - along with the youngest invitee, Quvenzhané Wallis, 14. Directors invited include The Rider's Chloé Zhao, Sean Baker (The Florida Project) and Justin Simien (Dear White People).

If everyone who has received an invite accepts, the female membership will be up to 31 per cent, from 25 per cent in 2015, while ethnic minority representation will have doubled from eight per cent to 16 per cent.

Share this with others on...

Movies out this week include:

Is This Thing On? Nouvelle Vague Primate Rabbit Trap
News

Home truths Marijana Janković on Balkan representation, and the immigrant question of belonging

The division belle Suzannah Herbert on facing the US' troubled history and making Natchez

Spin-off alchemy Claude Schmitz on bringing back cop pairing for Conrad & Crab – Idiotic Gems

Past crime Christoffer Boe on creating a world for his period mystery Special Unit - The First Murder

It Was Just An Accident screenwriter arrested in Iran Jafar Panahi speaks out

Sundance announces winners Josephine, Nuisance Bear, Shame And Money and To Hold A Mountain take top prizes

More news and features

Interact

As we move into 2026, don't forget that you can follow us on YouTube for trailers of festival films and more. You can also find us on Mastodon and Bluesky.

With awards season in full flow, you can keep track of the latest news on that here:

César nominations Nouvelle Vague leads the race for France's biggest awards

BAFTA nominations One Battle After Another and Sinners almost neck and neck

Critics' Circle Awards One Battle After Another wins fight

Oscars Sinners dominates the nominations