Oscars invites new stars to vote and says it has exceeded 2020 diversity target
Written by News on 02/07/2020
Organisers of the Oscars have revealed details of the latest stars, directors and other industry experts invited to vote, saying they have exceeded a target for diversifying membership by 2020.
Actresses including Eva Longoria, Cynthia Erivo and Awkwafina are all on the list, alongside several stars from South Korean black comedy Parasite – which became the first foreign language film to win best picture at this year’s ceremony in February.
The Academy launched an effort to diversify its ranks after facing criticism in 2015, when the #OscarsSoWhite movement highlighted a lack of black and Asian actors nominated for the film industry’s top awards.
It faced similar criticism when this year’s nominees were announced, with just one black star, Erivo, shortlisted in the acting categories – and no women and only one non-white director, Parasite’s Bong Joon-ho, featured in the directing category.
The Academy has invited 819 newcomers to join this year and says this means a third (33%) of its now 9,000-plus members are women and just under a fifth (19%) come from underrepresented racial or ethnic communities.
It surpasses a goal set in 2016 to double the number of women and people from underrepresented communities by 2020, the organisation said.
Other new invited members include actors Ana de Armas, Zendaya, Yalitza Aparicio, John David Washington, Olivia Wilde and Beanie Feldstein, as well as director and writer Lulu Wang.
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British stars on the list include 1917 actor George MacKay and Little Women’s Florence Pugh, as well as Erivo.
The Parasite stars invited include actors Jang Hye-Jin, Jo Yeo-Jeong, Lee Jung-Eun and Park So-Dam, as well as the film’s editor, costume designer and other crew members.
Joon-ho and lead actor Song Kang-ho were previously invited in 2015.
The new members will be eligible to vote for next year’s Oscars, which are set to take place two months later than usual due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Films which have only been streamed online are also due to be eligible next year as a “temporary exception” due to the closure of cinemas during the outbreak.
(c) Sky News 2020: Oscars invites new stars to vote and says it has exceeded 2020 diversity target
