Motion Picture Academy invites more than 800 new members, boosting women and diversity
After last month's announcement it would be making a concerted effort to boost diversity within its ranks, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced some A-List additions.
Eva Longoria, Natasha Lyonne and Zazie Beetz are among more than 800 members of the showbiz community who've been invited to join -- which now gives them the ability to vote on who wins the Oscars.
Forty-five percent of the new members are women, while 36% of the 2020 class are members of ethnic or racial communities and 49% are international from 68 countries.
Other new members include Zendaya, Awkwafina, Brian Tyree Henry, Niecy Nash, Florence Pugh, Constance Wu, Beanie Feldstein, Cynthia Erivo, Olivia Wilde, Bobby Cannavale and Tim McGraw among many others.
Several stars from the Oscar-winning South Korean film "Parasite," including Choi Woo-Shik, Jang Hye-Jin, Jo Yeo-Jeong and Park So-Dam, were also invited.
"The Academy is delighted to welcome these distinguished fellow travelers in the motion picture arts and sciences. We have always embraced extraordinary talent that reflects the rich variety of our global film community, and never more so than now," Academy President David Rubin said in a statement.
The new 2020 class helps the Academy exceed its 2016 goal of doubling the number of women and underrepresented ethnic/racial communities by 2020.
This news comes after the Academy recently released the next phase of its equity and inclusion initiative, "Academy Aperture 2025." The organization will push for more "equitable hiring practices" and "representation on and off screen" with several new measures.
The Academy is partnering with the Producers Guild of America to create a task force of industry leaders to create new representation and inclusion standards for Oscars eligibility by July 31, 2020.
Task force members will be appointed by David Rubin, along with Academy governor-at-large DeVon Franklin. These new guidelines will not be in place by the 93rd Academy Awards, in 2021.
"While the Academy has made strides, we know there is much more work to be done in order to ensure equitable opportunities across the board," Academy CEO Dawn Hudson said in a statement. "The need to address this issue is urgent. To that end, we will amend—and continue to examine—our rules and procedures to ensure that all voices are heard and celebrated."
Unconscious bias training will also be mandatory for all Academy governors, branch executive committee members and Academy staff.
Read more about the Academy's equity and inclusion initiative here.
