The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has added three new governors from diverse backgrounds to its 51-member board and appointed six minority ethnic members to other leadership positions, amid a fresh row over lack of diversity surrounding the Oscars.
Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs announced the new appointees after a meeting of the organisation’s board. The Academy fulfilled its promise to add new board members from diverse backgrounds, appointing Oscars producer Reginald Hudlin, Selena director Gregory Nava and Kung Fu Panda stalwart Jennifer Yuh Nelson.
The board also ratified other changes in response to the #OscarsSoWhite crisis aimed at increasing diversity, including limiting voting rights to those active in the movie business.
Boone Isaacs has been under intense pressure since the row over racially homogeneous acting nominees at the past two ceremonies.
On Tuesday she was forced to issue another apology after two dozen Academy members published an open letter to organisers complaining about “tasteless and offensive skits” based on racial stereotyping at this year’s ceremony.
They referred to skits in last month’s broadcast, during which host Chris Rock introduced three children of east Asian descent named “Ming Zhu, Bao Ling and David Moskowitz”, who he said were “the accountants” who had tabulated the Oscars results.
