The Academy set to diversify Oscar voters

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the body behind the prestigious Academy Awards, seems to be making a push to be more inclusive with their voting body going into the future, likely in response to the backlash they received after last year's nominations were the least diverse in 19 years. Variety reports:

After very loud criticism of the Academy for the lack of diversity in this year’s Oscar nominations, the membership committee seems likely to again recommend a high number of invitations to a diverse crowd. There were 271 invitations sent last year, and 276 in 2013 — more than double the 133 average between 2004 and 2012. CEO Dawn Hudson and president Cheryl Boone Isaacs have been pushing for a bigger mix. Last year, Boone Isaacs told Variety that the 2014 new-member list “is a continuation of an initiative to bring in new voices. … The membership is becoming more and more a reflection of the world at large.”

With a voting body that is 94% white, 77% male and has a median age of 63, one can only hope that this call to action will help add some new perspectives to the stagnating pool.