Academy Of Motion Pictures Adds 819 Diverse New Members

BEVERLY HILLS, CA — The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Tuesday extended membership invitations Tuesday to 819 artists and executives, successfully completing a multi-year quest to double its ranks of women and underrepresented minority groups.

Invited members include Eva Longoria, Zendaya, Awkwafina, Cynthia Enviro, and Constance Wu, and a handful of South Korean actors from 2019 Best Picture winner “Parasite.”

"The academy is delighted to welcome these distinguished fellow travelers in the motion picture arts and sciences," Academy President David Rubin said in a statement. "We have always embraced extraordinary talent that reflects the rich variety of our global film community, and never more so than now."

The 2020 class of new members is 45% female, and 36% are from "underrepresented ethnic/racial communities." The members are also 49% international, representing 68 countries, according to the Academy.

According to the organization, the new members now mean the academy has surpassed the diversity-expansion goals it set in 2016, following the so- called "OscarsSoWhite" movement sparked by criticism of predominantly white nominees in major award categories.

The academy's A2020 initiative was designed to double the number of women and minorities in the organization's membership.

In an effort to carry that goal further, the academy recently announced "representation and inclusion" standards for Oscar eligibility in an effort to encourage equitable hiring practices in the film-making industry. It also announced that 10 films will be nominated in the Best Picture category each year to expand the array of nominees.

"We take great pride in the strides we have made in exceeding our initial inclusion goals set back in 2016, but acknowledge the road ahead is a long one," Academy CEO Dawn Hudson said. "We are committed to staying the course. ... We look forward to continuing to foster an academy that reflects the world around us in our membership, our programs, our new museum and in our awards."

— City News Service and Michael Wittner contributed to this report.