In response to the public outcry over the lack of minorities represented in the Oscar nominations, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced Friday that it will be doubling the number of women and minority members by 2020. "The Academy is going to lead and not wait for the industry to catch up. These new measures regarding governance and voting will have an immediate impact and begin the process of significantly changing our membership composition," Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs said in a statement. Members of the Academy submit ballots that determine the Oscar nominees and winners.
2016 was the second year in a row that only white actors were nominated for the highest honor in the film industry. A number of prominent actors and directors — including Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith, Spike Lee, and Mark Ruffalo — have condemned the Academy for its flagrant lack of racially diverse nominees.
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