Sep 9, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Oscars details new diversity requirements for Best Picture nominees

Rebecca Falconer

An Oscar Statue is displayed at the 92nd Annual Academy Awards Governors Ball press preview at The Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center, in Hollywood, California, on January 31 — An Oscar Statue is displayed at the 92nd Annual Academy Awards Governors Ball in Hollywood, California. Photo: Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images

The Oscars will undergo sweeping eligibility reforms, with Best Picture category nominees required to meet specific representation standards from the 2024 Academy Awards onwards, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Tuesday night.

Why it matters: The move is in response to years of criticism that the Academy is too male and too white. "The standards are designed to encourage equitable representation on and off screen in order to better reflect the diversity of the movie-going audience," the Academy said in a statement.

The big picture: The Academy revealed in June it was working on diversity and inclusion requirements. Under the new rules to go, movies must from 2024 meet standards in at least two of four broad categories. These include:

That the main storyline's theme or narrative of a film must be centered on an underrepresented group — listed as women, a racial or ethnic group, LGBTQ+ or people with disabilities.
That at least one lead actor or significant supporting actor is from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group.
That at least 30% of minor actors and crew are from underrepresented groups.

Go deeper: Films vying for Oscars must meet diversity qualifications, Academy says

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Oscars details new diversity requirements for Best Picture nominees

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