USA TODAY International Edition
Academy Award nominees break the #OscarsSoWhite barrier
More diverse lineup earns sweeping praise
This year, the Oscars are not so white.
Before the sun rose in Hollywood on Tuesday, the Academy Awards ended two years of a “whiteout” among nominees in major acting categories.
In 2015 and 2016, all 20 actors nominated by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the lead and supporting acting categories were white, inspiring the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite and sparking intense conversation in the industry to refocus on representation and inclusion.
This year, those honored are far more diverse. Mahershala Ali ( Moonlight) and Dev Patel ( Lion) are nominees for best supporting actor, and three of the nominees for best supporting actress are black: Viola Davis ( Fences), Naomie Harris ( Moonlight) and Octavia Spencer ( Hidden Figures).
Twitter took note: “Wow 3 Black women are nominated in the Best Supporting Actress cate- gory,” tweeted @BlackGirlNerds.
Never before have more than two African- American nominees competed against each other in the same category. It’s also the first time in history at least one black actor has been nominated in all four acting categories.
The lead categories are the least diverse but aren’t all- white. Denzel Washington vies for best actor for Fences, competing against Ryan Gosling ( La La Land), Andrew Garfield ( Hacksaw Ridge), Viggo Mortensen ( Captain Fantastic) and Casey Affleck ( Manchester by the Sea). In the actress race, Ruth Negga was nominated for Loving in a category rounded out by Emma Stone ( La La Land), Natalie Portman ( Jackie), Meryl Streep ( Florence Foster Jenkins) and Isabelle Huppert ( Elle).
Though there remains a lack of Hispanic or Asian nominees, the shift was felt immediately.
April Reign, who created the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag in 2015, noted the progress. “Things are changing because our voices are strongest together,” she tweeted, emphasizing that “one year of films reflecting the Black experience doesn’t make up for 80 ( years) of underrepresentation of ALL groups.”
The academy took major steps to diversify its membership, inviting 683 new members — 46% of them women and 41% people of color — to join the voting group that determines the Oscars.