Oscar Voting Ranks Expanded to Include More Women, Minorities

(Bloomberg) -- The people who award the Oscars are getting younger, less white and more female.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, whose 7,000-plus voter ranks had been dominated by older white men, added 842 new members from 59 countries as part of a push to diversify. Half are women, and 39% are people of color.

Singers Lady Gaga and Adele, as well as actors Sterling K. Brown and Letitia Wright, are among the new members who have increased the group's share of women to 32% from 25% over the past four years, and doubled the people of color, the academy said Monday.

The aim is to bring along new members who will consider a wider selection of actors, directors and other creators when selecting Oscar nominees. The move was a result of activist April Reign's #Oscarssowhite campaign, which highlighted the absence of minorities.

Until recently, the academy kept the makeup of its membership under wraps, leaving interested parties to rely on a 2012 Los Angeles Times study of the members that found 94% were white and 77% were male.

To contact the reporter on this story: Anousha Sakoui in Los Angeles at asakoui@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Nick Turner at nturner7@bloomberg.net, Rob Golum, Andrew Pollack

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