The History of the Academy Awards and Efforts to Make Them More Inclusive

The Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, is one of the most prestigious award ceremonies in the film industry. It is an annual event that recognizes the achievements of actors, filmmakers, and other industry professionals. The awards were first presented in 1929, and since then, they have become an important part of Hollywood culture.

The awards are presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which was founded in 1927 by Louis B. Mayer and several other industry leaders. However, over the years, the Academy Awards have been criticized for their lack of diversity and inclusivity. In this article, we will look at the history of the Academy Awards and the efforts to make them more inclusive.

History of the Academy Awards

The Academy Awards were first presented in 1929, during a private dinner held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. The event was attended by around 270 people, and the first award winners were announced in advance. The ceremony was not televised, and the awards were presented in a matter of minutes.

Over the years, the Academy Awards grew in popularity and prestige. The ceremony was first broadcast on radio in 1930, and then on television in 1953. The awards have been held at various venues over the years, but they have been held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood since 2002.

The Academy Awards have undergone several changes over the years. In 1934, the Best Actor and Best Actress categories were added, and in 1947, the Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress categories were added. In 1953, the category of Best Foreign Language Film was added, and in 1967, the Best Animated Feature Film category was added. In 2020, the Academy Awards announced that they would be adding a new category called Best Popular Film, but the category was later scrapped due to criticism.

Efforts to make the Academy Awards more inclusive

Over the years, the Academy Awards have been criticized for their lack of diversity and inclusivity. In 2016, the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite went viral, highlighting the lack of nominations for people of color. The following year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which organizes the awards, announced several changes to make the awards more inclusive.

One of the changes was to increase the number of women and people of color in the Academy's membership. The Academy invited a record 683 new members in 2016, including a diverse range of actors, filmmakers, and industry professionals. The Academy also established new rules to encourage diversity in the nominations process.

In 2020, the Academy announced new eligibility requirements for Best Picture nominees, which were aimed at promoting diversity and inclusivity. The requirements include having at least one lead actor from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group, as well as at least 30% of the cast being from underrepresented groups.

Conclusion

The Academy Awards have a long and storied history, and they have played an important role in the film industry. However, the awards have also faced criticism for their lack of diversity and inclusivity. In recent years, the Academy has taken steps to address these issues, including increasing the diversity of its membership and establishing new rules to promote diversity in the nominations process. While there is still more work to be done, these efforts are an important step towards making the Academy Awards more inclusive and reflective of the diverse voices in the film industry.