For years now, the Academy Awards have faced criticism for a lack of diversity – both in its voter base, and in the sorts of films that get Oscar recognition. It was only five years ago that the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite became a rallying cry. And while that voter base has diversified somewhat in recent years and the tide has started to turn a little – just look at the historic successes of Parasite and Moonlight in recent years, not so much Green Book – the organisation has now confirmed a major change to help improve representation and inclusion at Hollywood’s biggest awards show.
The Academy has unveiled its new ‘representation and inclusion standards’, confirming that as of 2024, films vying for Best Picture consideration will have to meet two out of four specified standards to be eligible. Those criteria are: on-screen representation, themes and narratives; creative leadership and project team; industry access and opportunities; and audience development. You can read a lot more about what those standards are and what they mean here, but the gist is this: films should include greater representation for underrepresented groups in subject matter and in their creative teams, whether that’s regarding race or ethnicity, those in the LGBTQ+ community, or people with disabilities. The criteria also extends to encouraging more underrepresented people into apprenticeships, internships and senior executive roles at film studios and distributors.
“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. The Academy is committed to playing a vital role in helping make this a reality,” says Academy President David Rubin and Academy CEO Dawn Hudson. “We believe these inclusion standards will be a catalyst for long-lasting, essential change in our industry.”
It’s a significant step, and one that – theoretically – should diversify not just the Oscars, but the wider make-up of Hollywood itself. We’ll find out exactly how it affects the Academy Awards line-up when the 96th ceremony comes around in 2024. Meanwhile the upcoming 2021 Oscars will also mark a major shift for the Academy, adjusting to the Coronavirus pandemic. This year, the eligibility release window has been extended, the cinema release criteria relaxed, and the nominations and ceremony are due to take place much later in the year than they would otherwise – the night itself is currently penciled in for 25 April.