The controversy over #OscarsSoWhite happened for a reason: white people have dominated the Oscars for years. The Academy Awards have repeatedly failed to recognise the talents of African American, Hispanic and minority actors. But are we seeing some signs of change?
This week, the Academy of Motion Pictures unveiled a noticeably more diverse and expansive list of nominees for this year, including best actor nominee Denzel Washington for Fences and Best Actress nominee Ruth Negga for Loving, as well as Best Supporting Actor Mahershala Ali for Moonlight and Best Director Barry Jenkins for the same film.
One can argue that the recognition of bias may have shifted the mindset of voters. However, it could be more complicated than that. Instead of blaming voters, perhaps we should look at the wider issue: the film industry itself doesn’t tell diverse stories on screen, and there is still a long way to go for Hollywood to address that. But the change has started and it must continue.
