The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited 529 new members to join its voting membership, which is yet another move in the Academy’s continuing evolution. The big stars who have been invited this year include recently buzzed about Teyana Taylor and Josh O’Connor, Jenna Ortega, Jacob Elordi and Simu Liu. The many members of this community of actors, directors and industry professionals stand as the Academy’s ongoing effort to expand its membership and diversify its voting pool to better reflect the world of cinema.
With all invited members joining the Academy as members, the Academy membership will be 11,319 members and 10,338 will be eligible to vote for the Oscars. This is an impressive growth from the previous 10 years when they had only around 6,000 members. The Academy’s growth strategy has been intentional and strategic, responding to comments it received as a result of the criticism levelled at the Academy for its narrow demographic base in the past. The group was heavily criticized in 2015 after data showed that 75 percent of all members were male and 92 percent were white, which coincided with the #OscarsSoWhite movement, in which all of the 20 acting nominees who year were white. As a hashtag, it was a rallying cry for those who wanted more representation in Hollywood’s top awards.
The Academy has responded to these criticisms in a systematic and sustained manner. The group has changed its makeup through strategic membership growth. This year’s new class will lead to the Academy being 64% male and 75% white, making measurable progress towards increased diversity. An important consequence of this growth has been the growing international representation, now making up 22% of the total membership. This global perspective has enriched the voting body and added new perspectives to the award selection process, and has made cinema more and more borderless.
The Academy’s commitment to inclusion is reflected in this year’s intake of students, who are distributed across age groups, gender and ethnic groups. The new members include 42% women, 56% people of color and 53% who are not from the United States. It is especially significant as it has an international representation, which makes the film and show performances more diverse, thus affecting which films and show performances are recognised. The Academy’s announcement highlighted the importance of “Membership selection based on professional qualifications and a commitment to representation, inclusion and equity, continues to be a priority”. This is a reflection of the organisation’s commitment to upholding professional standards and its drive to diversify.
This year’s invitation class is measured as opposed to years past. Classes of up to 1,000 new members were experienced in earlier expansion, but the Academy has been slowing down its growth recently. The 529 voters who were invited this year are the same as last year when 534 voters were added, reflecting a more stable pattern. This more conservative stance might be a way to demonstrate some quality and engagement with new members, while maintaining the drive for diversity. The Academy seems to have struck a balance between expansion and its practicalities of onboarding new members to the voting body.
In addition to members growing, the Academy has also increased the number of awards categories, recognizing the changing dynamics of the industry and the work of crafts that may have been overlooked. This was the first Oscar for casting earlier this year, where casting directors got to be honored for their crucial role in making films happen. In the future, the first Oscar for achievement in stunt design will be awarded to the unsung team behind today’s most exciting scenes in filmmaking, with 2028 being the first year. The additions are to acknowledge the Academy’s acknowledgement that the film business is more than just the traditional genres and that excellence deserves to be recognised in everything from the filmmaking process.
The new membership roster is undoubtedly stellar, with individuals coming from around the entertainment world. In addition to the above-mentioned actors, the guest list will feature Anthony Ramos, who starred in “In the Heights” and “Hamilton,” Bill Skarsgård, a critical favorite for his work in horror films, and Mia Goth, the personality behind “Mask Of The Red Queen.In addition to the above, the list of guests will include Anthony Ramos of “In the Heights” and “Hamilton,” Bill Skarsgård, who has been a critical favorite for horror films, and Mia Goth, the personality behind “Mask Of The Red Queen. Jon Bernthal (famous for his character acting skills), Jermaine Clement (famous for his comedic skills) and Sọpẹ́ Dìrísù (who has been internationally recognized for his work) were also invited. Along with the other celebrated guests are actors and screenwriters Steve Jobs (actually, Stephen Fry), internationally famous director Josh Safdie and his brother, screenwriter and director Benny Safdie, both of whom are known for their New York City crime films, “Weapons” director Zach Cregger, and “Sirat” director Oliver Laxe.
The Academy’s growth begars to pose some questions on the evolving pool of voters that heads to the Oscars. The awards have now become more democratic and, some would say, popular, with thousands of members now taking part. It’s also possible that recent Oscar viewers are impacted by the influx of international voting, as movies such as “Parasite” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once” may not have been as successful if they had higher numbers of domestic voters. But the bigger the voter group, the more problems they can have, such as voter fatigue and reaching an agreement among this large group.
In the near future, the 99th edition of the Academy Awards will be held on March 14, 2027, and will once again be hosted by Conan O’Brien. With O’Brien still hosting, there appears to be a desire to maintain stability and consistency in the way the ceremony is presented as the membership and categories are changing significantly. The ongoing evolution of the industry will be the backdrop to the 2027 ceremony, as streaming continues to make headway in discussions around the impact on theatrical distribution, diversity and inclusion, and the future of awards in today’s fragmented media landscape.
