Academy Awards: Best Picture diversity targets announced for Oscars

Awards ceremony has been the target of criticism over its lack of representation

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has set out new criteria for the Best Picture Oscar, in an attempt to improve diversity at the awards.

Four “standards” have been set in an effort to boost representation, following criticism over the lack of any black or minority nominees at the 2016 ceremony, which led to the #OscarsSoWhite movement.

The Academy recently invited 819 new members to vote for this year’s Oscars, of which 45 per cent are women and 36 per cent are non-white.

In a new update, the Academy has announced it is introducing eligibility requirements for the Best Picture award, to “encourage equitable representation on and off screen in order to better reflect the diversity of the movie-going audience”.

Academy President David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson said in a joint statement: “The aperture must widen to reflect our diverse global population in both the creation of motion pictures and in the audiences who connect with them.

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“The Academy is committed to playing a vital role in helping make this a reality. We believe these inclusion standards will be a catalyst for long-lasting, essential change in our industry.”

A detailed list of underrepresented groups includes women, racial and ethnic minorities, the LGBTQ+ community and people with disabilities.

The following areas require these groups to be involved:

– On-screen acting and storylines, “including at least one of the lead actors or significant supporting actors is from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group”

– Creative leadership positions, departmental heads and crew composition

– Paid apprenticeships, internships and training

– Audience development, from publicity and marketing to distribution

The requirements will only apply to films made in 2024, to be eligible for the awards ceremony the following year and going forwards.

Films from 2021 will be required to submit an Academy Inclusion Standards form.