Taylor Swift, Austin Butler, Keke Palmer, and Ke Huy Quan have received invitations to join the esteemed Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The organization responsible for the prestigious Oscars has extended invitations to 398 individuals this year, aiming to diversify its ranks and include exceptional talents from various backgrounds.
A Diverse Array of Invitations
The Academy’s invitations this year encompass an impressive range of accomplished individuals. Among the invitees, there are 22 Oscar winners and 76 nominees, each recognized for their exceptional contributions to the world of cinema. These include Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, the talented writer-director-producers behind the remarkable film “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” as well as renowned actors Paul Mescal, Stephanie Hsu, and Kerry Condon.
A Global Presence
The Academy’s commitment to global representation is evident in the majority of this year’s invitees hailing from countries outside the United States. Among the notable international talents are Ram Charan and NT Rama Rao Jr. from the highly anticipated film “RRR,” Zar Amir-Ebrahimi, the star of “Holy Spider,” Dolly De Leon, who gained recognition for her breakout performance in “Triangle of Sadness,” Sakura Ando from acclaimed film “Shoplifters,” Vicky Kreips from “Phantom Thread,” and Park Hae-il from “Decision to Leave.” In addition, Hollywood actors like Lashana Lynch, Nicholas Hoult, Bill Hader, Paul Reiser, Selma Blair, and Robert John Davi from “The Goonies” have also received invitations. Furthermore, esteemed directors such as Joseph Kosinski (“Top Gun: Maverick”), Edward Berger (“All Quiet on the Western Front”), Santiago Mitre (“Argentina, 1985”), Michael Showalter (“The Eyes of Tammy Faye”), and Carlos López Estrada (“Raya and the Last Dragon”) have been invited to join the director’s branch.
Invitations in Diverse Fields
The executive branch invitations include notable figures such as Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, Sundance Institute CEO Joana Vicente, and SXSW director emeritus Janet Pierson. In the music branch, alongside Taylor Swift, who recently composed a song for “Where the Crawdads Sing,” notable figures like Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (known as The Weeknd), David Byrne, M.M. Keeravaani from “RRR,” and Ryan Lott and Ian Chang from Son Lux have been recognized for their exceptional contributions.
Celebrating Accomplished Artists
Some directors have received invitations in fields other than their primary expertise. Dean Fleischer-Camp, the director of “Marcel the Shell With Shoes On,” has been invited to join the animation and short film branch. Similarly, Charlotte Wells, the talent behind “Aftersun,” has received an invitation to the writer’s branch, where she will join the ranks of Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro.
A More Diverse Academy
The Academy has been committed to diversifying its ranks, and the invitations extended this year are a testament to that dedication. If all the invitees accept their invitations, the Academy’s composition will consist of 34% women, 18% individuals from underrepresented ethnic or racial communities, and 20% members from countries outside the United States.
Source: AP News
