The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has added over 600 new voting members — many of them women and minorities — after it received heavy backlash because of last year’s all-white awards show.
It is being labeled as the largest and most diverse class in history, according to People.
The Academy has long been made up of mostly white males, but the new additions are 46 percent female and 41 percent minorities. If all invitees accept, membership will be bumped up to 27 percent female and 11 percent minorities.
Celebrities like Idris Elba and Michael B. Jordan were invited. People said Elba was snubbed last year after he didn’t win anything for his work in Netflix’s “Beasts of No Nation,” and Jordan was praised for helping revitalize the Rocky franchise in “Creed.”
Other invitees include “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” breakout star John Boyega, Regina King, Anthony Anderson and America Ferrera. Boyega would be the youngest member at 24 years old.
“I wish a huge congratulations to all the new members,” Boyega said on social media. “This is a shift in a positive directions. Always a blessing to be one of the many Oscar voters that will hopefully spark change.”
A full list of invitees can be found here.
