Academy President Responds To Lack Of Black Oscar Nominees

Academy President Responds To Backlash Over Lack Of Black Oscar Nominees, #OscarsSoWhite Reemerges

This is the second year in a row that voters put forth an all-White class of acting nominees.

The Revenant and Mad Max: Fury Road were showered with honors during Thursday morning’s Oscar nominations announcement. Creed and Straight Outta Compton? Not so much, which made this the second year in a row that voters put forth an all-White class of acting nominees.

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And just hours after the nominees were named, backlash began. Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs spoke to Deadline about the lack of diversity, saying, “Of course I am disappointed, but is not to take away the greatness (of the films nominated). This has been a great year in film, it really has across the board. You are never going to know what is going to appear on the sheet of paper until you see it. We have got to speed it up.“

Other snubs include Will Smith for his portrayal of Dr. Bennet Omalu in Concussion, and Idris Elba’s lead role in Beasts of No Nation. Michael B. Jordan, the titular character in Creed, wasn’t nominated and neither was the movie’s director, Ryan Coogler. Yet Sylvester Stallone got a supporting actor nod for his role as an aged Rocky Balboa. The same thing happened last year, making this the first time no Black actors were nominated in performance categories two years in a row since 1997-98.

Celebrities and movie-goers alike have started to reignite the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag that rose to prominence last year.

https://twitter.com/briangaar/status/687671301679415296

What do you think of the nominees?

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