MADE by Karu F. Daniels
After years of facing controversy stemming from #OscarsSoWhite, this year’s Oscar nominations shows the campaign may have finally had an impact on the roughly 8,400 member voting body of the Academy Awards.
Jordan Peele’s scary blockbuster “Get Out” and Dee Rees’ critically acclaimed period drama “Mudbound” nabbed four Oscar nominations each during the announcements Tuesday morning.
“Girls Trip” breakout actress Tiffany Haddish joined Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences President John Bailey and Andy Serkis to reveal the nominees in 24 categories live from the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hill.
Previous Academy Award winners Denzel Washington and Octavia Spencer were the most prominent names of 13 black people who received nods this year — a far departure from 2015 when no African-American actors were nominated.
In the wake of the 2015 #OscarsSoWhite drama, the Academy sent out a record 683 invitations to new members in a push for increased diversity in 2016. According to The Hollywood Reporter, 46 percent were female and 41 percent were people of color. Film expert Wilson Morales of blackfilm.com believes progress is in place.
“All told, 13 black folks landing nominations is something we should be proud of,” he said. “It’s five short from last year’s historic number but with diversity issues still being talked about when it comes to awards, suffice to say, the message is getting across where films and talent are being seen and marketed rightly to be in the playing field.“
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