The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the organization that puts on the Oscars, has invited 395 artists to join their class of 2021 membership.
What We Know:
- Membership into the Academy is limited to film artists working on theatrically-released motion pictures. There are 17 branches total ranging from actors to writers to visual effects. Membership is by sponsorship by two preexisting members of a branch and Oscar nominees are automatically considered. Both nominees and sponsored candidates are reviewed by each branch’s respective committee before the Board of Governors decides who receives an invite.
- Issa Rae, Robert Pattinson, Janet Jackson, Leslie Odom Jr., and Laverne Cox are just a few of the names invited to join. Out of the 395 industry professionals invited this year, 46% are women and 39% are from underrepresented groups. More than half are international and represent 49 countries outside of the United States. 89 are former Oscar nominees and 25 are former winners.
- Over the past few years, lists of invited artists have soared past the 800 mark. The Academy stated that this is to “steady future growth” but many suspect the initial surge of new members was to quickly diversify following whitewashing controversies. The representation in this class aligns with the Academy’s initiative entitled “Aperture 2025” after Parasite became the first non-English film to win Best Picture.
- 8 individuals have been invited to join multiple branches: Leslie Odom Jr., Kaouther Ben Hania, Craig Brewer, Lee Issac Chung, Emerald Fennell, Shaka King, Alexander Nanau, and Florian Zeller. They must select only one branch to be a part of.
While the 395 invitees have not officially accepted their membership, the pool for the Class of 2021 shows clear acknowledgment of the Academy’s past shortcomings in representation. If they accept their invitations, new members would be eligible to vote for next year’s Oscars.
